The Headlands - An Emmet County Park on the Straits of Mackinac
Location:
7725 E. Wilderness Park Drive
Mackinaw City, MI 49701
Click here for a Google map
Hours:
Open all day, every day
Admission:
Free!
Reservations/information: (231) 436-4051 headlands@emmetcounty.org
The Guest House Open Year Round
Looking for International Dark Sky Park information? Click here!
Emmet County announces day-and-night photo contest: 'Emmet County Skies'
The sky above Emmet County is a dramatic, changing viewscape that offers endless variations of color and clouds that are reflected in spectacular sunsets and sunrises and on the brightest-blue days, season to season. After dark, there is no place better to view the sparkling Milky Way, the infinite blanket of stars and dazzling meteor showers.
Emmet County is asking residents and visitors, “What’s Up?” -- and we want to see the answer! The county is launching the “Emmet County Skies” photo contest to gather a collection of photos that showcase the beautiful skies of Northwest Michigan, day and night.
Here’s how the contest will work: From now (March 2013) through November 30, 2013, please send your Sky photos via email to bpiehl@emmetcounty.org
Please include location where photo was taken with your submission. Residents and visitors are welcomed to participate, but the photos MUST be taken of the sky over Emmet County.
The contest originated because of the tremendous and growing interest in the International Dark Sky Park at the Headlands, but night sky (and day) photos can be taken anywhere in the County.
Photos will be judged by expert photographers, including Shawn Stockman-Malone, whose extraordinary images of the Northern Lights in the Upper Peninsula have circulated the globe and have been published in dozens of digital and print media outlets. Malone has been a guest speaker at the Headlands International Dark Sky Park as well.
What’s in it for the winner? The winning Day photograph and the winning Night photograph will each be framed and matted in a large-scale format, and will include the name of the photographer. The images will circulate among County park properties, and afterward will be given to the photographer(s) to keep. In addition, each winner will receive a free overnight at the Guest House at the Headlands International Dark Sky Park (subject to availability of dates).
Image size should not exceed 10MB for emailing. Amateur photographers only, please. Participants agree that Emmet County may use the submitted photographs in county promotional materials at any time.
If you have questions about the Emmet County Skies photo contest, call Beth Anne Piehl, County Communications Director, at (231) 348-1704.
Interested in learning about Astrophotography and how to take great night photos? On May 4, the Headlands will feature Rod Cortright, an area astronomer and photographer who will offer insights and tips into night photography. This free event takes place from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at the Beach House at the Headlands. More info: www.emmetcounty.org/darkskypark/
Board of Commissioners will review proposals regarding the Beach House
At the regular meeting of the Emmet County Board of Commissioners Nov. 14, the board voted unanimously to set a deadline of Sept. 30, 2013, for interested parties to submit a proposed development plan and a funding plan concerning the renovation, expansion and/or new construction of the Beach House at the Headlands park.
If any proposals are submitted they will be reviewed and considered by the Board and county staff. If upon review the proposals are found to be insufficient to suit the needs of the park, the building will be razed.
The Board has been considering options for the Beach House over the last couple of years as public demand for use of the Headlands has significantly increased after its designation as an International Dark Sky Park in May 2011. Public attendance at Dark Sky events has exceeded staff expectations. The Beach House is in need of a number of costly repairs, including improvement of ADA accessibility.
If you would like to submit a proposal to the Board for consideration, mail to: Emmet County Board of Commissioners Attn: Chairman James E. Tamlyn, 200 Division St., Petoskey, MI 49770.
Please note also that reservations for the Beach House are no longer being accepted, as of Oct. 31 of this year.
Reservations not being accepted for Beach House at Headlands after Oct. 31, 2012
Aug. 29, 2012
Please note that reservations for accommodations at the Beach House at the Headlands International Dark Sky Park are no longer being accepted past Oct. 31, 2012.
The building will be closed for public use after that date, aside from occasional Dark Sky programming (see specific event details for location information). There is some weekday rental availability between now and the closing date.
Those who have made reservations for the Beach House through October of this year will still be able to use the facility. More information about plans for the Beach House and whether it will be removed or renovated is not available at this time.
About the Headlands
The Headlands was established in the late 1950s when Roger McCormick hired a helicopter and dropped 50lb. sacks of flour to mark the boundaries of a property he desired to purchase.
The Park contains approximately 550 acres of pristine woodlands, more than two miles of undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline and many species of rare and endangered plant life. Visitors to the Headlands may experience sightings of the many wild animals native to the area including: bald eagles, osprey, white tail deer, wild turkeys, coyotes and occasionally a black bear. Marked nature trails guide hikers, bicyclists, cross-country skiers, and nature photographers to experience the park throughout the changing seasons.
The Headlands offers one facility for rental by the public. The Guest House provides accommodations for 22 people in four bedrooms on three levels. There are three bathrooms with tub/shower facilities, a complete kitchen and a conference area. Linens are provided.
The vision and cooperation of the following organizations and government units made this property available to the public: The McCormick Foundation, The Village of Mackinaw City, Emmet County, The Schott Foundation, The Little Traverse Conservancy, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.