Yankee Springs Recreation Area in southwestern Michigan spans about 5,200 acres of lakes, forest, trails, and former farm country, with nine lakes including Gun Lake, the largest. Opened to homesteading in the 1830s, the land was badly depleted by the 1930s, leading the federal government to acquire it and the Civilian Conservation Corps to reforest it. In 1943 it passed to the State of Michigan and became part of the state park system, with CCC-era buildings still standing. The area is valued for its wide variety of recreation, extensive trail networks, camping, scenic natural features, and year-round outdoor activities.