Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve

Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve is a combination public recreation area and nature preserve located five miles west of Manchester in Jackson and Washtenaw counties, Michigan. The area occupies a total of , with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources owning  in Norvell Township, Jackson County, and Washtenaw County owning  in Manchester Township. Dedicated in 2017, it is under the joint management of the Michigan DNR and the Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission. A five-mile former rail corridor runs through the park and into grasslands in the eastern portion of the preserve.

History
The park bears the name of Royal and Sally Carpenter Watkins, the first settlers to farm the area, who are known to have participated in the Underground Railroad in the years leading up to the Civil War. In 2016, the state acquired a portion of their former lands in Norvell Township using $2.9 million from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.

References

External links
Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission

Category:State parks of Michigan
Category:Protected areas of Jackson County, Michigan
Category:Protected areas of Washtenaw County, Michigan
Category:Protected areas established in 2017