Kitch-Iti-Kipi (Big Springs)

If you’re headed to Michigan and you're looking for a little crystal-clear view, spend an afternoon at Kitch-Iti-Kipi aka “big cold water”, Michigan’s largest (and most gorgeous) freshwater spring.  Like any good freshwater spring, Kitch-iti-kipi stays at a toe-curling 45 degrees at all times, thanks to 10,000 gallons of freshwater that flows into the 40 foot deep pool every single minute. Yep, you read that right! On a good day the emerald-blue water is so clear you can see the entire shape of the natural limestone pool. The spring is so beautiful its original name was “Mirror of Heaven”, and once you see it you’ll understand why.  Though it’s not known exactly where all that water is coming from, what isknown is that the body of water is connected to an underground stream called an aquifier that flows from the nearby Indian Lake. Likely the pool was revealed when a thin layer of limestone broke apart and fell to the bottom of the underground cave. The spring is populated by brown trout, lake trout, and brook trout, who all like to hang out at the bottom of the bowl. If you’d rather get a good look while floating on a raft, there’s an awesome self-operated boat that that can be pulled across the spring on a cable. There’s even a little viewing window at the bottom of the boat.  Back in the early 20s, Kitch-iti-kipi was sold to the state of Michigan after John I. Bellaire, a local Five and Dime store owner, fell in love with the area and convinced the land owners to sell it to the state of Michigan. The spring and the surrounding 90 acres were sold for 10 dollars, with the agreement that the “the property be forever used as a public park, bearing the name Palms Book State Park”. Today the park contains over 300 acres of surrounding land, and thanks to Bellaire will remain an untouched park for the general public to enjoy for years to come. Though technically swimming is not allowed, people have been known to do it anyway, fishing however is probably not a good idea.  If you’re going to be visiting Michigan this summer and you’re looking for that perfect place to relax on a hot day, Kitch-iti-kipi (The Big Spring) is an ideal place to spend the day enjoying the view and soaking up some sunshine! -Roadtrippers A short trail winds through beautiful white cedars so thick that it seems dark even during the day. In the middle of the cedar stand is a 200 foot wide pool of emerald colored water. Kitch-iti-kipi was supposedly a young chieftain whose girl fiend got the best of him. He told her he loved her far above the other dark-haired maidens dancing near his birch bark wigwam. "Prove it," she insisted. As a test of his devotion, she declared that he must set sail in his canoe on the pool deep in the conifer swamp. He was to catch her from his canoe as she leaped from an overhanging bough. According to legend - probably from the pen of Bellaire's poet friend - the Spring was named Kitch-iti-kipi in memory of the young cheiftain who went to his death in the icy waters in an attempt to satisfy the vain caprice of his ladylove.