64 Marl Lake And South Higgins
Lake State
Park 
wildlife viewing
| directions and facility information
Photo: MI DNR
South Higgins Lake State Park
is nestled between Higgins Lake and Marl Lake.
This popular park totals about a thousand acres and is split in half by
County Road 100. Higgins
Lake, a modern
campground, boat launch, beach, and picnic area are to the north of the
road. To the south lies Marl Lake,
more wildness, and better wildlife viewing. The Marl
Lake portion of the park is
about 700 acres and includes Marl
Lake and a small
boat launch with vault toilets. This area is also the parking area and
trailhead for the five mile hiking trail along and around the west and
south shores of Marl
Lake. The Marl Lake upland is forested with oak,
maple, and pine predominating with some white birch, ash, and other
species mixed in.
 Wildlife
Viewing
Marl Lake offers a good opportunity to view bald eagles. April
and June are the best months for this, since eagles nest nearby and spend
considerable time fishing in this shallow lake. Another bird you may see
fishing in Marl
Lake is the belted
kingfisher. While bald eagles try to snatch fish near the surface with
their talons, kingfishers prefer to dive in headfirst, catching small
fish in their bills. Walk the trails at the state park to view woodland
songbirds. The more common are rose-breasted grosbeaks, red-eyed vireos,
great crested flycatchers, woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches. While
on the trails you may also catch a glimpse of beavers, muskrats, white
tailed deer, foxes, and wild turkeys. Marl Lake
is an excellent place to view migrating waterfowl in April and May,
particularly diving ducks such as common mergansers, buffleheads, goldeneyes, scaup, and ringnecks. Loons are also common during spring
migration, but they do not nest here.
Portions of this area are open to
public hunting, including marl lake. Contact the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources for affected seasons and locations.
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