OTSEGO LAKE STATE PARK
Otsego Lake State Park is a charming and popular family park easily accessible to I-75 and Gaylord, "The Alpine Village." The park is shaded with large oak, maple and pine. It encompasses 62 acres and provides more than a half mile of sandy beach and large sites near or within sight of the lake. O
Otsego Lake was established as a state park in 1920.
The property was purchased very reasonably from a lumber company who had lumbered it off. In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Crop (CCC) built buildings and made other improvements to the grounds. The remaining CCC buildings are the pavilion in the center of the North Campground and a portion of the South campground toilet building. Two-thirds of the 155 campsites are in the North Campground which is known as the "highbanks." The terrain gently rises and the sites overlook the lake. The other one-third are in the South campground and are lower and closer to the lake. The majority of the sites are large, flat and shady.
The Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into state parks and recreation areas, state boat launches, state forest campgrounds and state trail parking lots. Details and information on how to obtain your Michigan Recreation Passport can be found by visiting the
MICHIGAN RECREATION PASSPORT web page.
The Otsego Lake Park Store offers hand-dipped ice cream, soda, candy, pizza, subs along with T-shirts and sweatshirts. The store is open from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.
Otsego Lake-Modern(800) 447-2757 155 site(s)Electrical Service, Mini Cabin, Modern Restrooms
1. Otsego Lake State Park offers a sandy beach for swimming.
2. Lifeguards are not provided, so swim at your own risk.
3. Swimming is permitted during daylight hours only.
4. There's plenty of space on the 800-foot long shoreline to relax and sunbathe after swimming.
5. The lake water remains relatively warm due to its shallow depth making it ideal for swimmers in summer months.
6. The park does not provide any equipment rentals like floaties or snorkels; bring your own if needed.
In the day use area, there is a concrete pad two-lane boat launch and parking for boat trailers.
For those without a boat, the park has an accessible fishing pier. Fishing is generally good year-round. Species include bluegill, perch, crappie, largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike and sturgeon.