Downtown – Alden, Michigan
Alden is located on the southern end of Torch Lake. With a length of 19 miles and 42 miles of shoreline, this is among the largest freshwater lakes in Michigan outside of the Great Lakes. The dept of 297 feet also makes it among the deepest of lakes.
Slideshow of Torch Lake from the shoreline in Alden, Michigan.
Wood frame building with flowers and gifts store.
Street lamp with stylized nautical theme.
Maxwell J. Coy Shoppe Gallery
Two-story commercial building with outdoor porch.
Another panorama of Torch Lake.
Farm stand in what appears to be a modified corn crib.
View of Torch Lake from a scenic spot.
Deteriorated barn and agricultural buildings.
Sunset on Torch Lake.
Visit in 2018
The Alden Depot Park & Museum took the no longer used train station and made it into an attraction for visitors to the area. In 1891-92 the Chicago and West Michigan Railway, precursor to the Pere Marquette Railroad, extended the line between Traverse City and Petoskey through Spencer Creek. William Alden Smith, the railway’s general counsel, advocated building the line through Spencer Creek, and in 1891 the town was renamed Alden in his honor. Its location aided travel and shipping between Chicago and Petoskey, supporting agriculture, lumbering, and eventually tourism. The Pere Marquette built this depot in 1907 to replace one that burned in 1906. Northern Michigan newspapers called it the railroad’s finest depot north of Grand Rapids. In 1981 the last train left Alden. Helena Township acquired the depot in 1986.
The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund supported the depot restoration with funds derived from oil, gas and mineral production from state-owned lands.
The Skegemog Lake Wildlife Area is not far from Alden. The area is owned and co-managed by the Department of Natural Resources for the State of Michigan and co-managed by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. The 3,300 acre wildlife area was the culmination of a major grassroots campaign launched by local residents in 1972 under the name of the Skegemog Lake Wildlife Area Project, with help from the Michigan chapter of The Nature Conservancy. TNC established a stewardship endowment fund for the project which was transferred to the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy along with management responsibilities.
Landscapes include northern peatland, conifer and hardwood swamp, upland forest, and open grassland and includes over seven miles of shoreline on Skegemog Lake and Torch River. These landscapes provide important habitat for multiple fish species, several state and federally threatened bird species, including bald eagle, common loon, merlin, and caspian tern, two herpetiles of special concern, the wood turtle and spotted turtle, and hosts the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake. This is Michigan’s only rattlesnake and a State of Michigan species of Special Concern.
The Skegemog Lake Wildlife Area is along the Sunset Coast Birding Trail. The trail highlights important habitats of birds in Antrim, Charlevoix, and Emmet Counties.
We ventured out along the boardwalk passing through the swamp. As a young person we walked on this path many times. At first it was adequate, though a little overgrown.
Just before the viewing platform the boardwalk was submerged between several inches of water. We continued anyways realizing this may be the last time we would ever be able to access the platform given the disrepair.
