Allegan State Game Area
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Allegan State Game Area is a 45,000 acre (182 km²) forest attracting campers, snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, horse trail riders and hunters. It's located in west-central Allegan County, Michigan. One gateway is just west of the city of Allegan. It's more commonly referred to as Allegan Forest.
It has two primitive campgrounds, owned by the state of Michigan but operated by Allegan County. Ely Lake Campground is on Ely Lake, a small inland lake. Pine Point Campground is on Swan Creek Pond, above a small dam. Both have swimming beaches. There are camping fees.
The forest is a mixture, but largely hardwood. The Kalamazoo River flows through the northern portion. It's popular with canoeists. Behind the Calkins Dam the Kalamazoo becomes the large, but shallow and polluted, Lake Kalamazoo.
During hunting season, many come to hunt whitetail deer, Canadian geese and wild turkeys.
Trails are laid out for hikers in the summer and snowmobilers and cross-country skiers in the winter.
The forest is broken up by private ownership with sections of woods and sections of homes. The state occasionally buys private land to add to the forest and fill in the gaps.
External links
- Ely Lake and Pine Point campgrounds information (http://www.allegancounty.org/parks/index.htm)
- Game area maps from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153--56750--,00.html)