Michigan State Parks: Coldwater Lake

Two adults in front of Coldwater Lake State Park sign

Coldwater Lake State Park is located near the town of Coldwater, Michigan, just about 3 miles north of the Indiana border. While not the smallest state park acreage-wise, it is completely undeveloped with no amenities or trails. There isn’t even an official state park entrance sign.  

Coldwater Lake State Park is 400 acres of mostly farmland that the state leases to local farmers for crops. Wetlands comprise 120 acres of the park. It is open to the public for hunting. While technically the state park sits along 1.25 miles of Coldwater Lake, there is no access to reach the lake.

Two small dirt lots are available for parking.

Dirt parking lot at Coldwater Lake State Park

Currently one of the state park’s 100 geocaches is located at the park, providing one reason for a non-hunter to visit.

The state obtained the land in 1988 with money from the Natural Resources Trust Fund. It has been undeveloped ever since. There have been many discussions over the years about what to do with the land. Should it be left as is, returned to a natural state, or developed with trails and camping options? It may be many years before anyone makes a final decision.


We have plenty more adventures to come, so subscribe to this blog and our YouTube channel. We have a video about Coldwater Lake State Park here. You can follow us on Instagram, our Facebook page, and Twitter. Plus, you can see each of the parks we visited on this interactive Google Map. You also can keep track of our activities on social media with the hashtags #hikecampgo and #mistateparks100.

2 thoughts on “Michigan State Parks: Coldwater Lake”

    1. We haven’t been there enough to be able to answer this. We do know it’s popular with hunters, and turkey and waterfowl are listed on the DNR information page for this park.

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