• Monday-What'sUP September 13 - 07:46 am

Palms Book State Park is located about 8 miles off US 2, with a picnic area, Trading Post Store (closed this time of year) and of course the main attraction: The Big Spring - Kitch-iti-kipi. If you take a break here, while driving across the U.P., like Tracie Kalliainen did, you can enjoy a raft tour over the bubbling blue/green waters of the spring. It's truly amazing how clear that water is, allowing you to view the fallen trees, swimming fish and sandy bottom. This beautiful spot is here for us to enjoy, thanks to one man's dream. John I. Bellaire, who back in the 1920's had a vision of what it looks like today, worked toward preserving this piece of property so it would remain in public ownership. Mr. Bellaire, arranged with Frank Book, who represented the Palms Book Land Company, to sell the 90 acre (now grown to 308) property to the State of Michigan for $10, with the stipulation that it forever be used as a public park with the name Palms Book State Park. Quite the story of one man loving the U.P. and wanting to make sure it would be here for future generations to enjoy!

I love mornings so I can see all the beautiful pictures. Amazing how someone can capture the beauty of our great state of Michigan.

Does this raft have a guide or do you propel yourself across the water?Also does this water freeze in the winter or is it a hot spring?

We have these pictures in our vacation album. We had our 8 year old daughter (who is now 34) with us and we were just facinated with how clear everything was. Keep up the good work with the attraction. Not much clear water any more.

Hey Tracie, I see your pics made the front page, Awesome! That would have been fun to be on that little trip with ya snapping pics and what not. Well, hope you have a great day, I have to go and tend to my soldiers, take care and Keep the Faith.

Many "Thanks" to all of the wonderful people who make places like this possible for all of us to enjoy.

John and Anne: You have to propel yourself across the springs (known as Kitch-it-i-kipi). It's funny when you go there and people are standing on the raft waiting for the tour guide! I don't believe it freezes.

How lovely! A place we must add to our 'list' of places to visit the next time we are in the UP. Thanks for sharing! Good Morning everyone!

Nice shot of a really interesting spot. We enjoyed the self-propelled trip and the clear view of the springs.Thanks for the memory.

Where is this park? I know it says 8 miles off of US-2 but where on US-2? I would love to visit this place. It looks like a great place to float!

Hope this note finds all of you doing great. Have a nice week everyone.

Mary has provided a link to the site at the top of the thread...
US 2 to Thompson, M 149 north ( approximately 8 miles to park entrance

Hey! What a pleasant suprise! A friend sent me to this park after telling me how interesting it is. The upper right portion of the second photo is where the spring enters. It's 45 feet deep and 45 degrees year round.

And there are some monster fish in there also!!!!! No, you can not fish there...

In the second pic, as stated above this is where the spring enters, but there are many many areas that it does.

I noticed last winter that they had changed how you propell yourself across. Now it a wheel ya turn.

Kitch-iti-kipi is on the west sde of Indian Lake, and Indian Lake
is just west of Manistique. There is a nice state park on the
south side of Indian Lake. So there are two state parks right in
that area. If you have kids, you go to Kitch-iti-kipi first and let
the kids pull you across. I knowIloved to do that when I was a
kid 60 years ago, and I would think kids would still love that job.
For the kids not pulling, you give them shiny pennies to toss
down the well and watch them spin lazily toward the bottom.
(Maybe tossing coins not allowed anymore? I hope not.) After
Kitch-iti-kipi you go over to the state park on Indian Lake and
let the kids swim or wade in the warm, shallow water of that
lake. A very nice day, wouldn't you say?

Indian Lake is a wonderful state park for kids, because they can wade out so far in shallow water. Also great for families who like to boat, etc. We went there every year with our five kids before we go the cottage.

Great pics...and definately a must see if you are up that way. When I went one summer...oh say about ahem...uh...oh my gosh has it been that long ago, a guide took people out on the raft. Very beautiful! Tracie's pic of the color of the spring water when you look down, is just like being there and looking down off the raft.

I visited Palm Spring while my girlfriends family and I were dropping her brother off at school at Michigan Tech. I really enjoyed the pretty and clean water and watching the carp swimming around the gas bubbles. I think I remember having to pull on a large cable to get across.

After we get finished at 'Kitch-it-i-kipi', we always go down to Fayette. Makes for a beautimous day. Seems like if you go both places on the same day, you only have to pay once. They're only a few miles apart.

I love people who look to the future.......Thank you so much for your foresight..........Now let's hope the State of Michigan doesn't sell it to the yuppies just to balance the budget....Yoopers and those that love the UP are just special people..

I've been to the Springs several times in winter and summer, and had a funny experience there one summer several years ago. Back then, it was even more spectacular because you'd always see large trout swimming among the bubbles. But a woman on the raft we were pulling across was grousing at her male companion, "We came All this way for THIS?" I don't know where she was from; her accent sounded New York/New Jersey-ish. But I hoped I would never become like that, unable to experience the quiet magic of such a great place. That blue water photo brings it all back...wonderful! Thanks for sharing it.

Thanks for the great pics of the "Big Spring" as us locals call it. I grew up in Manistique and this was always a must see for visitors. The spring never freezes over and is just as beautiful in winter as the other 3 seasons.The parking lot is not plowed in winter but snowmobilers usually pank it down enough to walk in relatively easily.

Indian Lake is a great little lake, my folks live on it now, some great sunsets. But don't miss the beautiful beaches from Thompson to Manistique on Lake Michigan. Its some of the most user friendly access to Lake Michigan you could want. Beautiful! Thanks again.

I love the big spring! It's a little hard to find even with a good atlas.
I think we all owe a big debt of gratitude to people like Mr. Book and Mr. Bellaire, who have helped preserve and protect public access to the many beautiful natural features like this that the U.P. has to offer!