Sleepy Hollow State Park

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Last Updated: December 5, 2025

Sleepy Hollow State Park, located in central Michigan near Laingsburg, is known for its scenic beauty surrounding the 410-acre Lake Ovid, created by damming the Little Maple River.


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Summary

The park offers year-round outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, boating, birdwatching, and cross-country skiing. Over 11 miles of trails weave through forests, prairies, and wetlands, with top spots including the Lake Ovid Trail and Island Trail. It's a wildlife haven, home to over 200 bird species. Open daily year-round, the best time to visit is spring through fall. A Michigan Recreation Passport is required for entry.

       

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Park & Land Designation Reference

National Park
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
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