The park is named after Houghton County Commissioner Frederick J. McLain, an instrumental figure in securing land for the site in the 1930s. Laborers working through the Work Projects Administration (WPA) performed most of the park's construction. A new entrance and contact station were built in 1965, following the relocation of M-203.[4][B]
Activities and amenities
The park offers fishing, picnicking, hiking and cross-country skiing trails, camping, and cabins.[2]. While the majority of the shoreline is rocky, a stretch known as the Breakwaters near the Keweenaw Waterway at the park's southern end provides a sandy beach for swimming.[4][7]
Notes
^The spelling of the park's name is inconsistent on road signs and in local publications, varying between "McLain", "MacLain", and "McClain". The park is often referred to by locals as "McLain's."[citation needed]
^From 1976 to 2017, the park was the site of Keweenaw Day (K-Day), a "registered student organization fair" held by Michigan Technological University during the first week of the fall semester.[5] The event is now held at a park in Chassell.[6]
