William Mitchell State Park
William Mitchell State Park is perched on a little plot of land separating Lake Cadillac and Lake Mitchell just outside of Cadillac. The City of Cadillac was incorporated in 1877 and named after Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, who settled Fort Pontchartrain, the fort that would eventually become the City of Detroit. The park was originally named Cadillac State Park until a large parcel of land was donated by Ellen Mitchell, the widow of William Mitchell, and it was promptly renamed in his honor. William Mitchell’s uncle, George Mitchell, was the founder of the City of Cadillac. George saw an opportunity to make a lot of money off the lakes and the fine timber that surrounded them, purchasing thousands of acres of land in the area in the early 1870s. Not only did he sell the timber on this land, but he also platted and sold parcels of land to prospective business owners. He was responsible for creating the canal that connects Lake Cadillac and Lake Mitchell to service his blossoming lumber business. He was the first Mayor of Cadillac and was a prominent figure in the county until his death in 1878. His nephew William would get his first job from him when he arrived in 1873, but would eventually own a number of sawmills and a lumbering company of his own.
The canal George Mitchell had built, the Clam Lake Canal, still operates today and runs directly through the park to connect the lakes. In the warmer months, bass and panfish are easy to catch within its short width. On the Lake Cadillac side of the park lies the 200+ site campground, a boat launch, a fishing pier, a playground, and a beach. The campground has trees, but the sites do not have much privacy from one another. There is a trail winding around the lake side of this part of the park, which is quite nice to walk, especially in the morning as the sun rises. The bathroom building is large, modern, and was very clean when we camped here. On the other side of M-55 lies Lake Mitchell and the main swimming beach. There also is a small playground, bathhouse, and picnic tables with grills. The dock where the canal meets Lake Mitchell is known for walleye and perch, and the lakes, in general, also have pike, crappie, largemouth bass, and panfish. I talked with a fisherman named Mikael for quite some time, and he showed me pictures of some of the huge walleye and perch he had caught there, also telling me that he had luck at the dock downtown, too. The colors were just starting to change on our trip, and I can imagine a week or two after would have been breathtaking. We had a blast camping at Mitchell State Park, and I hope to be back to visit in the summer months next time!
