Aerial Ride, Treetop Bridge Planned at Mill Creek

Artist Mary Van Abel, at her studio in Cheboygan, finishes painting a large dragonfly, one of a few fiberglass animal structures that will be featured at Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park this summer. Other structures that children will be able to climb and play on are a frog, a bear, and a beaver. (Photograph courtesy of Mary Van Abel)

An aerial cable ride and a treetop bridge are new interactive features being added to Historic Mill Creek near Mackinaw City, designed to boost attendance at the site.

In May, visitors to the 625- acre Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park will be able to soar over Mill Creek on a 425- foot-long Eagle's Flight Zip Line and walk through the treetops on the Forest Canopy Bridge. A park naturalist will guide visitors through this high-ropes nature experience.

The bridge is 50 feet high and stretches 165 feet across the forest, allowing visitors to scan the natural beauty of the area while learning of animals and plants from their tour guide.

There is also a 50-foot-high treetop discovery tower where visitors can get a bird's-seye view of the Straits of Mackinac.

"This is a thrilling new way to learn about the natural wonders of our northern Michigan environment," said Phil Porter, director of Mackinac State Historic Parks, which operates Mill Creek. "These experiences will provide insight, education, and understanding."

According to Jeff Dykehouse, curator of natural history, the experience will offer a chance to learn about animals while experiencing the thrill of walking through the forest canopy and gliding over a pond.

"Some of the Discovery Park elements will let visitors get up into the different layers of the forest, where they can better learn about the animals that live there," Mr. Dykehouse said.

Attractions for small children are also being added, including a Water Power Station and Forest Friends play area. The Water Power, near the site of the saw mill, allows children to interact with replicas of a saw mill. The Forest Friends play area will include large fiberglass frog, bear, and beaver that children can climb and play on. The animals are being painted by Cheboygan artist Mary Van Abel.

"This initiative takes advantage of new, interactive experiences used in other ecotourism destinations," Mr. Porter said. "Our new programs will combine all of the existing educational and interpretive messages of Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park and deliver them in new and exciting ways."

Construction, underway by Mackinac State Historic Parks and Ropes Courses, Inc. of Allegan, is scheduled to be completed by season opening.

Other features at the park are the 18th-century reconstructed Millwright's House, sawpit, and water-powered sawmill, British Workshop, American Millwright's House, an audiovisual program, and a 3.5-mile nature trail.

The site dates to 1790.