Beaver Islands State Wildlife Research Area is a protected archipelago in Lake Michigan totaling about 23,154 acres of state-owned islands and island tracts. Managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, it includes much of southern Beaver Island, nearly all of Garden Island, and all or most of several other islands. Formed from lands never patented for settlement or returned to the state after logging and unpaid taxes, the area serves both conservation and scientific study. Researchers use it for biology and ecology fieldwork focused on shoreline animals, birds, and plants, while regulated hunting, fishing, boating, and camping remain allowed. In 2024, it became Michigan’s first International Dark Sky Sanctuary.