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1983 Map of Houghton Lake

Name: 1983 Topographic Map of Houghton Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Houghton Lake defines the eastern edge of this 1980s landscape, where the transition from water to forest is marked by extensive marshes and engineered wetlands. The western half of the map is dominated by the Pere Marquette State Forest and the Au Sable State Forest, a vast wooded expanse drained by the Muskegon River and the meandering Dead Stream. Notable for its management of wildlife and water, the area includes the Houghton Lake Wildlife Research Area and significant flood zones like Dead Stream Flooding and Dead Horse Bridge Flooding.

Human settlement is clustered along the lakefront, primarily in Houghton Lake Heights and the village of Houghton Lake. Inland, smaller centers like Nellsville and Loxley provide points of historical interest for genealogists, while the Township Cem and a local Townhall serve as central community landmarks. The local economy is represented through several gravel pits and the Houghton Lake Landing Strip, showing a mix of recreation, infrastructure, and resource extraction near the Missaukee and Roscommon County line.