Yankee Springs Recreation Area
1.       Why is this location important?  Yankee Springs Recreation Area is one of the Byway’s primary features that attract visitors from outside of the area.  The State-operated facility provides year-round outdoor recreation opportunities that include boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, bicycling, camping, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and many other outdoor activities.  The facility is open year-round to everyone (there is an entry fee to portions of the facility if your vehicle does not have a “recreation passport” sticker.  Many of the facilities were constructed during the 1920s.  Year-round attractions are open to the general public.  Features located within the Recreation Area include Chief Noonday Group Camp Historic District and Long Lake Group Camp Historic District (privately operated).   Three other special points of interest in Yankee Springs are: Devil's Soup Bowl, a glacially carved kettle formation, Graves Hill Overlook, and The Pines.
2.      How do the resources shown in this photo help to tell the Byway’s story?  This photo shows the natural surroundings and that it is a State of Michigan facility.  Yankee Springs Recreation Area is the Byway – while there are other attractions, the Recreation Area is the destination that attracts visitors every single day of the year.
3.      How is this resource linked to the other resources along the Byway?  Almost every other resource in the Byway is linked to the Recreation Area in one way or other.  The large size and the central location of the facility make it the face of the Byway.
4.      How is this resource linked to the roadway?  M-179, and adjacent roadways, serves the Recreation Area.
5.      Has this resources been recognized by any regional or national program or organization?  Over the years the facility has been recognized by many programs and organizations.
6.      Who owns this resource?  Is the owner involved in the Byway Committee or the development of the Byway Management Strategy?  The resource is owned by the State of Michigan and maintained by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.  Representatives serve on the Byway Committee.