Waterloo State Recreation Area is the third-largest park in
Michigan, encompassing over of
forest,
lakes and
wetlands. Located in northeast
Jackson County and parts of
Washtenaw County, the park is the largest in the
Lower Peninsula of Michigan and features 4 campgrounds, 11 lakes, a nature center, and over of trails - some for horses, bicycles,
hiking and
cross-country skiing. Waterloo SRA includes the
Black Spruce Bog Natural Area, a
National Natural Landmark and borders the
Pinckney Recreation Area on the east and the Phyllis Haehnle Memorial Audubon Sanctuary to the west. The land preserved by the park is not all contiguous and numerous private landholdings and roads run through the park area. The area is characterized by
moraines,
kettle lakes, swamps and
bogs left by retreating glaciers after the last ice age. The park was created by the federal government during the Great Depression and is long-term leased to the state.