Oscoda County, Michigan

Oscoda County is located in the central, northeastern section of Michigan�s Lower Peninsula. The word "Oscoda" was coined by the Michigan historian, Henry R. Schoolcraft when he visited the area in the mid 1800�s, originating from two Indian words: ossin," meaning: stones or pebbles, and muskoda," meaning: prairie. Together, they signify a "pebbly prairie." This area, originally ceded in 1819 by the Indians in the Treaty of Saginaw, began developing only during the lumber era. Even then, it did not grow much, due to the lack of railroad development, with only one line built to the station at Comins in the 1890�s.

Even today, the county is sparsely populated, with no officially organized village or city. And that is what makes Oscoda County great today: a lot of undisturbed wilderness, including over half the county in the Huron National Forest, and an additional quarter of it in the Oscoda State Forest. There are also many two-track, ATV and hiking trails available for snowmobilers and off-roaders.

The AuSable River also runs through here, showing its beauty at the pond behind the dam in Mio, the county seat.

The Kirtland Warbler, found nowhere else in the world except the Bahamas during winter migration, also makes its home here in the low, jackpine scrub brush which is frequently burned by lightning, resulting in a secure nesting site near the ground.

Whether winter, summer, spring or autumn, there�s plenty of the great outdoors and blue sky to go around. C�mon over and rough it up a little, and you�ll keep coming back!

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