Alpena County Location and Attributes

Alpena County is located on the shore of Thunder Bay & Lake Huron, in Northeastern Michigan. It serves as a shopping center and a hub of community and cultural activities for an area of several counties.

Most of the land in the county is level or gently sloping.

Long, Grand, Beaver, Hubbard Lakes & Fletcher Floodwaters have great fishing - All of these lakes are located within 25 miles of Alpena, the closest being Long Lake which is 7 miles north off US-23. Cottages and camping facilities are available. Pike, walleye, bass, perch, trout and panfish may be taken in these waters. For further information contact the Alpena County Chamber of Commerce.

MICH-I-KE-WIS Park - There is parking space in this beach area, and shelter at the football stadium serves as a bathouse during the swimming season. There is an additional bathing area at the foot of Bingham Street, ¼ mile north of Mich-I-Ke-Wis.

Ocqueoc Falls - One of the beauty spots of Northeastern Michigan, the Ocqueoc River, is a trout stream and a State Park and is located on the east side of the falls.

Paul Bunyon and the Blue Ox - These statues are located 15 miles south of Alpena in US-23. A fine view of Lake Huron and the area may be seen from a tower located on the grounds.

Power Dams on Thunder Bay River - Good fishing is available on floodwaters created by these dams. Boats and cabins are available for the fishermen. The waters are stocked with pike, bass, perch, and panfish. Duck hunters also find good shooting in autumn.

Presque Isle Harbor - A picturesque part of the Lake Huron shoreline is this scenic harbor. A Marina with a fine dock is located on the north side of the harbor. You may see the lighthouse that legend says was designed by Jefferson Davis and which was used to guide Lake Huron shipping. There is also another lighthouse on Presque Point that is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. There is good perch and bass fishing in the bay.

Yacht Club and Small Boat Harbor - Extensive improvements have recently been completed to provide excellent facilities for the boating enthusiast. A well maintained Marina is available for incoming yachts and cruisers and the Yacht Club located nearby is open during the summer months to visitors.

Misery Bay - The bay got its name when a crew of shipwrecked sailors spent a miserable winter here not knowing they were only a short distance from Alpena. Two sink holes are in the bay and continuous flow of spring water boils out of the hole and flows into Lake Huron. The largest hole is approximately 150 feet wide at the top and measured 76 feet deep in one location in 1960. Bass and herring are caught here.

Temperature - Average annual mean temperature for 5 years is 42.2. The winter low, 21.53. The summer high, 69.57.

Average Snowfall - 57.2 inches

Electricity - Alpena County is served by the Alpena Power Company and REA.

The City of Alpena is one of the few cities in Northern Michigan fortunate enough to be served by the four common methods of transportation; air, highway, rail and water. The airport, Captain Phelps Collins Field, is located six miles west of the city on M-32.

The City of Alpena is served by US-23 (Huron Road), which follows the Lake Huron shore from Mackinaw City southerly through Alpena to Bay City. From Mackinaw City to Standish, US-23 is a two-lane highway. From Standish just north of Bay City it is a divided four-lane highway. From north of Bay City to the southern border of Michigan US-23 is a modern freeway. State Highway M-32, which runs from Alpena west to East Jordan, connects the City of Alpena with the I-75, US-27 Freeway at Gaylord, 72 Miles away. M-32 is a two-lane highway with limited usage.

You may drive to the historic Mackinac Island within 2 hours from anywhere in the Thunder Bay country.

Alpena State Forest - Some of Northern Michigan's best game country is located in this public-owned land. Alpena County has 17,500 acres of public land.

Of the 363,520 total acres in Alpena County, 71.5% is under commercial forest. This amounts to 260,000 acres and approximately 40,000 acres of this is state owned. Farmers own another 69,000 acres and the remaining 147,000 acres are in private ownership of various kinds.