Sleepy Hollow State Park

Sleepy Hollow State Park is located at 7835 E. Price Road, Laingsburg, MI 48848-9438. The park staff can be reached by telephone at (517) 651-6217. Sleepy Hollow State Park is made up of about 2,600 acres including Lake Ovid which covers approximately 410 acres. Lake Ovid is a naturally made lake created by damming the Little Maple River.

Sleepy Hollow State Park offers 181 modern campsites, wildlife viewing areas, picnicking, a boat launch, swimming, fishing, and bird watching. For the added enjoyment of the lake, boat rentals including row boats, paddle boats, canoes, and pontoon rentals are available in during the summer months. The trails will lead you through hardwood forests, stands of pine trees and prairie grasses. The trails include 16 miles of biking and hiking trails and an additional 9 miles for horseback riding. Snowmobiling is allowed in the park as well as metal detecting.

Trails in Sleepy Hollow State Park as open to cross country skiing in the winter months as well as for snowshoeing. Snowshoeing is an activity that is enjoyed by many when coming to the state park. Trails can be followed or adventurous snowshoers can strike out on a trail of their own. Metal detecting is allowed in designated areas. Specific rules must be followed when metal detecting. Items that are found must be shown to the park staff and in some instances the items are kept for further study. Also metal detecting must be done in a way that does not destroy the natural resources and habitat of the area.

Snowmobiling is also allowed at the park in designated areas when there is at least four inches of snow on the ground. Snowmobilers must be careful not to cause damage to the area and stay in the designated area. While snowmobiling is a great activity for many people, it can harm the ecosystem if it is done without care.

Over 228 species have been sighted in Sleepy Hollow including species from the common Blue Jay to the Eastern Bluebird in addition to a rare sighting of the Bald Eagle, also known as Bonaparte’s Gull. Lake Ovid is a very popular place to fish containing a variety of fish including bluegill, bullheads, pike, catfish, large mouth bass, sunfish, rock bass, crappie, and small mouth bass.

Fishing and hunting are allowed in the park with the proper license and during the open season. It is important to check with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to find out which species are in season at the time of your visit.

Other activities that are enjoyed by many visiting the Sleepy Hollow State Park include swimming, picnicking, camping, hiking, backpacking, and wildlife viewing. The park is active in Green Initiatives, looking for ways to reuse and recycle items and to save natural resources. The park also offers a Michigan State Park Explorer Program where park staff lead children and adults alike on tours of the park to discover insects and learn more about the park’s natural resources as well as the cultural history of the park. The participants are provided with bug boxes and many other materials to use on their guided tour.

Throughout the year the Sleepy Hollow State Park hosts many events. A few recent events have included a Make Your Own Snowshoes event, a guided snowshoe hike, the MSU Rowing Regatta, a kayaking demo, the legend race, the Lansing Legislator 3D Triathlon, an annual harvest festival and an annual “Ichabod Crane” weekend. There are many things to see and do at any state park. These are just a few of the exciting adventures waiting for you and your family when you visit this state park.

Keep in mind that there are also surrounding towns which will include many more activities for you and your family to enjoy. There is the Clinton County Art Gallery, several farms that can be visited including Bittersweet Farm which produces natural wool and roving, Valley Farms Park and Kramer-Ruthruf Area which is a recreation area offering even more trails in addition to a disc golf course, soccer fields, sand volleyball courts and softball facilities.