County note shelf
Crawford County Porch Notes
Stories, practical details, outdoor places, tax quirks, and local history connected to Crawford County. This shelf has 5 practical notes and 11 local stories.
16 notes
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- Money and taxesGrayling has its own city income taxGrayling levies a 1% tax on residents and 0.5% on nonresidents who earn taxable income in the city, so the city boundary matters more than the mailing address.
- History and cultureGrayling: the county seat and crossroadsGrayling is Crawford County's city hub, with highway access, healthcare, downtown, and year-round outdoor access.
- OutdoorsHartwick Pines State ParkHartwick Pines State Park preserves old-growth white pine, logging history, trails, lakes, and a paved link to Grayling.
- OutdoorsWalk through Hartwick Pines' old-growth forestNear Grayling, Hartwick Pines protects 49 acres of old-growth pine forest and tells the story of the lumber era that changed Michigan.
- OutdoorsCrawford County's forests and public landCrawford County's public forests, sandy trails, and wooded parcels shape the county outside Grayling and the rivers.
- History and cultureWhat Does "Up North" Actually Mean in Michigan?'Up North' isn't a direction in Michigan — it's a place and a feeling: cabins, lakes, and pine forests somewhere past the middle of the mitten, with a border no one can quite agree on.
- OutdoorsThe Au Sable River: Crawford County's claim to fameCrawford County's Au Sable River is a legendary trout and canoe river, central to Grayling and the river townships.
- Money and taxesThis city has a local income taxSome Michigan cities charge the standard local income tax: 1% for residents and 0.5% for nonresidents who work in the city.
- OutdoorsThe American Robin — and Michigan's Other BirdThe cheerful robin has been Michigan's state bird since 1931 — but the Kirtland's warbler, which nests almost nowhere but Michigan, may be the most Michigan bird of all.
- OutdoorsThe Brook TroutMichigan's state fish is a jewel-colored native of cold, clean water — and a stand-in for the trout-fishing heritage that gave the country Trout Unlimited.
- History and cultureThe Eastern White PineMichigan named the eastern white pine its state tree in 1955 — honoring the timber that built the state, and that the state nearly cut down to the last trunk.
- OutdoorsThe White-Tailed DeerNo symbol shapes the Michigan calendar like the white-tailed deer — state game mammal since 1997, and the reason much of the state pauses for two weeks each November.
- Home and propertyWell and septic in Crawford CountyCrawford County township buyers should expect private wells and septic systems, with inspections handled by the buyer.
- History and cultureKalkaska SandFew states have an official soil; Michigan does. Kalkaska sand is found nowhere else on Earth, covering close to a million acres of the state's glacial, sandy ground.
- Money and taxesBuying in a township? Watch for special assessments on top of your taxesMichigan township buyers should check for special assessments that can add separate road, sewer, water, lighting, sidewalk, or drain charges.
- Money and taxesIn Michigan, you get two property-tax bills a year — not oneMost Michigan property owners get separate summer and winter tax bills, with local rules deciding what lands on each bill.