Wedged on a quarter-mile strip of land between Lake Superior and Muskallonge Lake, Muskallonge Lake State Park occupies the site of the old Deer Park township, once home to a sawmill, a hotel, and no doubt a saloon or two. Today, a couple of fishing resorts represent the only commerce in this remote area 18 miles east of Grand Marais.

Water is the draw here. Muskallonge Lake State Park’s two miles of Lake Superior frontage is wonderfully secluded, with low, grass-covered dunes stretching off to the east and west, and no visible development in either direction. It offers peace, quiet, and good rockhounding, especially for agates. Muskallonge Lake is stocked by the Department of Natural Resources and produces good fishing opportunities for northern pike, walleye, smallmouth bass, and perch.

Because the lake is relatively shallow, it warms up enough for comfortable swimming—a rarity in much of the U.P., which accounts for this park’s somewhat surprising popularity in summer.