Craig Lake State Park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

We had been past the Craig Lake State Park sign hundreds of times, often without thinking much about it. This time was different. The remote Craig Lake State Park was the destination. 

We made the turn into the 9,700 acre Craig Lake State Park and took a moment to read the sign at the entrance to the 7 mile rugged dirt road. This is a one-lane, seasonal road and vehicles with high ground clearance are recommended. The drive in was part of of the experience as we were able to take in the scenery. At one point there is a split to go to a couple of different areas. Our plan was to go to Craig Lake itself.  

When we arrived we inflated one paddleboard and one kayak. It was the maiden voyage for the kayak. The walk from the parking lot to Craig Lake is about 1/4 of a mile. Some people would probably use a cart or wheels for a kayak and gear to get to the water. One of our favorite parts about our inflatable boards and kayaks is that they are light so even with our other gear we were easily able to make it to the lake in one trip. 

After launching, the first thing we noticed and really enjoyed was that this lake is entirely surrounded by nature besides a couple of cabins managed by the park. Every area of the lake was scenic and peaceful. The large rocky outcrops stood out as a highlight of Craig Lake. 

The main goal for the day wasn't fishing but we did have our fishing rods with us so we did some fishing along then way. We were able to catch a nice crappie and then lost what would have been our personal best pike from a paddleboard after losing it right on the edge of the board! It was such a bummer and there is no picture of us holding a big pike but it was still a lot of fun. 

We spent pretty much all afternoon on the lake. Paddling, fishing, floating and just taking it all in. When we were done on the lake we decided to do some exploring the park by land. We hiked along Craig Lake and also to Crooked Lake. The iconic North Country Trail also runs through Craig Lake State Park and is part of the Craig Lake Loop.

Would we go back to Craig Lake again? Absolutely! We will bring a net to make it easier to land a nice pike on a paddleboard? Absolutely!

Check out the video below from Craig Lake State Park!