Tawas City: Parks on Lake Huron and the Tawas River
Accommodation in Tawas City
Tawas City is a good fit for a trip where the waterfront and community parks play a specific role. The parks offer a range of features: Lake Huron waterfront and paddling, scenic views, fishing on the Tawas River, nature watching, and sports and remembrance. If you’re looking for a hotel in Tawas City, you can start by considering which of these themes you’d like to shape your days there. This will help you organize the places around the focus of your trip.
Lake Huron: Pier, Paddling, and Views
Shoreline Park focuses on its connection to Lake Huron. It has a 450-foot-long pier, extended by another 100 feet in 2021 to create an L shape. Shoreline Park also includes Town Square: the 3.2-acre area offers nearly 1,500 linear feet of uninterrupted Lake Huron shoreline. The pier length and shoreline length refer to different measurements: one figure applies to the pier, the other to the continuous shoreline.
Shoreline Park has a launch for non-motorized watercraft, providing access for paddling on Tawas Bay in Lake Huron. There are also lockers for kayak rentals, installed in 2024. The park also hosts the Shoreline Arts & Crafts Show annually on Memorial Day weekend. If the event is one reason for your trip, check the current dates in advance before planning your stay around it.
Anchor Park has a different focus: it is located along a non-motorized trail that stretches from Alabaster Township to Baldwin Township. Its large terrace offers a view of Lake Huron. Visitors can watch the sunrise and relax there. Its scenic views and morning atmosphere add a distinct feature to Shoreline Park’s waterfront and paddling offerings.
The Tawas River: Fishing and Nature Watching
The locations along the Tawas River also differ in their stated uses. Gateway Park preserves the area at the mouth of the Tawas River for public access and a variety of recreational activities. It has a 300-foot-long, lighted, ADA-compliant fishing pier and a boat ramp for two boats up to 28 feet long. There is also a designated lakeside area where dogs can use the beach.
At Veterans Park, a boardwalk runs along the Tawas River and is used for fishing. Consumer Energy River Access covers nearly four acres in Tawas City and Baldwin Township; visitors can watch wildlife and fish along the banks of the Tawas River. The distinction is useful when making your choice: the boardwalk is described as a place for fishing, while the river access also allows for observation along the riverbank.
Sports and Remembrance
Not all parks focus on water activities. Independent Park, spanning 6.5 acres, is a sports complex with the main baseball field for the City of Tawas City. Veterans Park in Tawas City is also home to the Iosco County Veterans Recognition Plaza, with black granite monuments. You can choose destinations based on whether sports, fishing, nature watching, scenic views, or remembrance is especially important to your stay.
Discover more destinations: Oscoda.
Return to the broader travel guide: Iosco County.
