Mitchell State Park occupies a narrow strip between Lake Mitchell and Lake Cadillac on Cadillac’s southwest side, with the Clam Lake Canal running through it. Dug in 1873 at George A. Mitchell’s direction, the canal carried felled timber to mills on Lake Cadillac and remains the park’s defining historic feature, linking it to the logging era that shaped the city’s early growth. Established in 1920 as Cadillac State Park, it was later renamed for William W. Mitchell after land donated by his widow, Ellen. Today it combines recreation, wetlands trails, and interpretation of local hunting, fishing, and natural history.