Mackinaw City sits on the very tip of Michigan’s Lower
Peninsula. The mighty Mackinac Bridge rises up over this small
town, connecting travelers to the Upper Peninsula. There is a
reconstructed Revolution War era fort and ferry boats to shuttle
visitors to Mackinac Island. To say the place is a magnet for
tourists would be an understatement. But just two miles to the
west the hustle and bustle falls away at one of the most
pristine and darkest spots on the Lake Michigan shore. It’s
known as The Headlands. Located in Emmet County, The Headlands
were established in the 1950s by Chicago industrialist Roger
McCormick. After his death in 1968 the land eventually made its
way into the hands of the county and a park was founded. But not
just any type of park. In 2011 this area was designated as an
International Dark Sky Park, the sixth one in the United States
and 10th in the world. The reason for the designation is the
remoteness and distance from city lights. To the west and south
the visitor is looking across the