Fort Custer Recreation Areacomprises 3,033 acres located between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. The terrain is typical of southern Michigan farm country, with second growth forests and remnant areas of prairie. Prairie restoration is in progress with excellent results. The area features three lakes, the Kalamazoo River and an excellent trail system.

Park Purpose - Park purpose statements are based on park legislation, legislative history, special designations, and DNR policies.  These statements reaffirm the reasons for which Fort Custer Recreation Area was identified as part of the State Park system.

From 1957 to 1969, the DNR (formerly the Department of Conservation) entered into a lease agreement with the United States Government for the recreational use of 1,228 acres of the Fort Custer Military Reservation.  From 1969 to 1971, the State of Michigan was granted a lease for 2,899 acres, which now encompasses the present-day Fort Custer Recreation Area. The land was then gifted to the State in 1971. The 96 acres, located north of Eagle Lake  and operated by the Michigan Department of Mental Health, were transferred to the DNR in 1973.   

At the time of acquisition, the DNR recognized the inherent natural values of the site and the need to protect these natural features from inappropriate uses.  Also recognized was Fort Custer's close proximity to areas of high population density and the demand for local and statewide recreational needs.

• To preserve and protect the park's unique natural resources for current and future generations.
• To preserve and protect the park's historic/cultural resources.
• To provide opportunities for recreational uses and experiences in an area lacking in same, that are compatible with the park's resource(s) base.
• To provide educational and interpretive opportunities for the public that reflects the mission of the DNR and the unique qualities of Fort Custer Recreation Area.

Park Significance - Park significance statements capture the essence of the park's importance to carry out the core values of our PRD Mission.  They recognize the natural and cultural heritage values of the park and the recreational and educational opportunities afforded.  These statements describe the distinctiveness of Fort Custer Recreation Area.  Understanding these distinctions help managers make decisions that preserve those special resources and values necessary to accomplish the park's purposes.

Michigan had over 700,000 acres of oak barrens, concentrated in the interlobate areas. Oak barrens consist of widely-spaced oak trees in a field of grasses and wildflowers (savanna).  Oak barrens can range from open prairie to woodlands with an open canopy.  Today, few (less than one percent) of Michigan's original oak barrens remain.  Although degraded from past military use, Fort Custer still has one of the best remaining examples of oak barrens. Several large areas of oak barrens and dry-mesic southern (oak-hickory) forest exist and they are one of the best examples of this landscape in Michigan.

Together with the adjacent 7,570-acre Fort Custer Training Center (FCTC), a contiguous landscape of over 10,000 acres exists in public ownership. The United States military began using the area as a training base in 1917 for WWI. In 1971 the land was gifted to the State of Michigan. In 1973, the northeast corner of the park was gifted to the state. Today, the DNR and Fort Custer Training Center have co-management relationships for both the natural resources and military usage within the park. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Defense owns a section of land within the park that serves as an antenna field.  In addition, PRD stewardship unit shares similar natural resource goals with the FCTC stewardship unit in managing the 10,000 combined acreage of natural resources.

Occurrences of Threatened (T), Special Concern (SC), and Endangered (E) species occur in the park for:

• Lead Plant (SC)
• White False Indigo (SC)
• Yellow Harlequin (Pale Corydalis) (T)
• Downy Sunflower (T)
• False Boneset (SC)
• American Bittern (SC)
• Trumpeter Swan (T)
• Cooper's Hawk (SC)
• Common Moorhen (SC)
• Cerulean Warbler (SC)
• Prothonotary Warbler (SC)
• Louisiana Waterthrush (SC)
• Hooded Warbler (SC)
• Grasshopper Sparrow (SC)
• Henslow's Sparrow (T)
• Eastern Box Turtle (SC)
• Blanchard's Cricket Frog (SC)

There exist several water resources that are valuable to the park.  The Kalamazoo River  provides an undeveloped natural setting along the park's embankment. In the early 1970s, low-head dams were constructed at the outlets of Whitford-Lawler Lake and the Jackson Lake to increase the lake size and provide waterfowl habitat. The Eagle Lake dam was built in 1982 to increase the lake size, which provided both water-based and general recreational opportunities to a growing population in southern Michigan.

The Fort Custer area has cultural significance.  Territorial Road was originally an old Indian trail. As pioneers came to Michigan,  the trail provided an east/west route. Lawler Cemetery  is located next to Territorial Road.  Owned by Frank W. Lawler, a local farmer at the time, the cemetery contains tombstones of some of the state's early settlers.  Over time, the trail grew into a stage coach route between St. Louis and Detroit.  Eventually, the area was farmed by early settlers.

Several homestead foundations still exist within the park. In 1917, Camp Custer  was built for military training during World War I.  The camp was named after Civil War cavalry officer General George Armstrong Custer.  In 1940, Camp Custer was designated Fort Custer and became a permanent military training base for World War II.

Trail usage is a large component of the park. Fort Custer is a popular year-round destination for mountain bike users, equestrians, hikers and dog mushers.

To view a  draft management planning map-all zones, click here.  To view the cultural landscape zones, click here and the scenic zones click here.  Each zone has more detailed maps and these can be obtained by contacting planning administrator Joe Strach using the information listed below.

To view the minutes of the January 11, 2006, public meeting about the Management Plan, please click here.

For additional information about the management planning process, please contact Joe Strach at 517-641-4903 or by e-mail at strachj@michigan.gov.