Thompson's Harbor State Park

For people who like their nature wild and empty, Thompson’s Harbor State Park is a treasure. Spread across more than five thousand acres of Krakow Township along Lake Huron, about a dozen miles southeast of Rogers City, it’s one of the most undeveloped state parks in the Lower Peninsula — no campground loops, no crowds, just over seven miles of quiet shoreline.

The land here is unusual and beautiful: limestone cobble beaches, sand dunes, and quiet forest. In late spring the ground lights up with the dwarf lake iris, a tiny purple flower that is Michigan’s state wildflower and grows nowhere in the world but these northern Great Lakes shores — and Thompson’s Harbor protects one of the largest stands of it anywhere. Six miles of trails loop through the woods and along the water, and a pair of rustic cabins let you stay overnight. Because it’s so far from city lights, the park is also a designated dark-sky preserve, so the stargazing on a clear night is remarkable.

For buyers, this stretch of coast is about solitude and natural beauty — wooded lots, Lake Huron access, and a big, protected park as your back yard. You can find trail and cabin information at Michigan.gov/DNR.