North Central Michigan College’s Natural Area
North Central Michigan College’s Natural Area in Petoskey includes over five miles of trails that run through unique habitats.
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Photo by Hunter Brumels on Unsplash.com
The Oden State Fish Hatchery is one of Michigan’s six state hatcheries. The original Oden State Fish Hatchery was established in 1921 and was in operation until 2002. The hatchery complex just north of the original hatchery was completed in 2002 and is one of the most advanced fish culture facilities of its kind.
This old fish hatchery raised both brown and rainbow trout. The newer facility has a brown and rainbow trout broodstock station and is a major rearing facility for those two species. The Oden facility keeps broodstock (fish that are kept to produce fertilized eggs) for three strains of brown trout and one strain of rainbow trout.
This broodstock produces 2-3 million eggs per year for Michigan’s hatchery system. After hatching, the fish, called fry, are put into tanks. Once they have reached 3-5 inches in length, the fish are called fingerlings and are moved to covered, outdoor raceways.
At 7-9 inches in length, the fish, now called yearlings, are pumped from the raceways into a special fish planting truck where they are then taken to their new ‘homes.’
The water used to grow the fish comes from five wells located on the property. Each day, more than four million gallons of water are used in the rearing process.
The old hatchery has been transformed into a Great Lakes watershed explanation area featuring a Michigan Fisheries Visitors Center that includes a replica of a fish transportation rail car. The rail car has a historic recreation of the interior of the original rail car, a watershed interpretative area, and an interactive computer with hands-on learning opportunities concerning watersheds and other aspects of fish culture.
A trout stream was constructed in the old raceway complex and shows the public how a degraded stream can be repaired. It includes a viewing chamber to allow people to see what happens underwater in a stream.
While touring the hatchery, make sure to bring dimes to purchase fish feed from dispensing machines so you can feed the trout in the pond along the way. The facility includes daily tours during the summer along paved pathways.
8258 South Ayr Rd., Alanson, MI, 49706
(231) 347-4689 Ext. 12
North Central Michigan College’s Natural Area in Petoskey includes over five miles of trails that run through unique habitats.
The Mackinac Bridge is the 10th largest suspension bridge (over water) in the world and connects Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsula.
The National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods is a 55′ x 22′ redwood cross cut from one redwood tree and with a 28′ tall bronze crucifix.
In Northern Michigan, you’ll find lighthouses where lighthouse keepers once lived and worked that have been restored and are open to visitors.
Fisherman’s Island State Park has more than 2,600 acres and miles of gorgeous Lake Michigan beach and is located just south of Charlevoix.
Historic Mill Creek Discover Park has 625 acres along Lake Huron, 3.5 miles of hiking trails, a reconstructed saw mill, mill dam, and more.