At 274 Miles, This is the Spot in Michigan that’s Farthest from a National Park

You know the tired old line about no spot in Michigan being that far from a Great Lake, but what about a National Park?

Someone did the math and the spot in Michigan furthest from a National Park is north of Alpena and 274 miles from Isle Royale.

The map appeared on Reddit and calculated the furthest distances from the nation's national parks. The map very specifically deals with National Parks not National Lakeshores (like Pictured Rocks or Sleeping Bear Dunes) or national forests (which are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture not the Department of the Interior like the Parks service).

The three closest National Parks to anywhere in Michigan are Michigan's own Isle Royale, Indiana Dunes National Park which is closest to most of West Michigan and Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio near Cleveland.

Being a sizeable distance from all three of those closest locations, it's Presque Isle, Michigan, along the shores of Lake Huron between Alpena and Rogers City that earns the distinction of furthest distance from a National Park.

Despite its distance from a National Park, don't think there's nothing to see or do at Presque Isle. The hamlet is likely best known for its two lighthouses. PureMichigan has a full listing on the attractions in the community along US 23 on the state's Sunrise Side.

READ MORE: The New Detroit Sign is Green for a Surprising but Very Logical Reason

The furthest location from a National Park anywhere in the Continental Untied States? That distinction belongs to Gulf Shores, Alabama, 423 miles from any national park with the nearest being the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee or Everglades in Florida.

It's a really interesting map to explore and the full version is here.