Fairview is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

Oscoda County Oscoda County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,219, making it the least populous county in the Lower Peninsula, and the sixth-least populous county in the entire state. The county seat ...

in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. It is located within Comins Township at the intersection of highways M-33 and M-72 at . Fairview is considered the wild turkey capital of Michigan. The Fairview 48621 ZIP Code serves most of Comins Township, as well as small portions of Clinton Township to the north and Mentor Township to the south.

Geography

Geographic features

*Fairview is situated near the Au Sable River Valley. *It is surrounded by the

Huron National Forest The Huron National Forest is a United States National Forest, National Forest in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It was established in 1909 after the logging era began to decline. In 1945, it was administratively combined with the Manistee Nati ...

and near the

Rifle River State Recreation Area Rifle River State Recreation Area is a state park located on the upper reaches of the Rifle River within the Au Sable State Forest in Ogemaw County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. Covering , the area provides a variety of recreational opportuni ...

. *The area is part of the

Au Sable State Forest The Au Sable State Forest is a state forest in the north-central Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The Au Sable State Forest is a byproduct of the lumbering boom in Michigan during t ...

, specifically the ** Grayling FMU (Alcona, Crawford, Oscoda, and northern Iosco counties). *The

Park is minutes away. *Fairview is part of

Northern Michigan Northern Michigan (also known as Northern Lower Michigan and colloquially within Michigan as "Up North") is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan. The region, which is distinct from the more northerly Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsul ...

. *Fairview sits on the "Grayling outwash plain", a unique habitat. Glaciers shaped the area, creating a unique regional ecosystem. A large portion of the area is the so-called Grayling outwash plain, which consists of broad outwash plain including sandy ice-disintegration ridges; jack pine barrens, some white pine-red pine forest, and northern hardwood forest. Large lakes were created by glacial action.

Highways

* runs mostly concurrent with M-72 before separating north in the center of the community, where it is known locally as North Abbe Road. * runs eastwest through the center of the community and merges briefly with M-33. Locally, it is referred to as East Miller Road.

Local attractions and activities

Attractions

The community is centered in the

along the Au Sable River. Wildlife are nearby, including bear, deer, eagles,

Kirtland's warblers Kirtland's warbler (''Setophaga kirtlandii''), also known in Michigan by the common name jack pine bird, or the jack pine warbler, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family (Parulidae). Nearly extinct just years ago, populations have re ...

, and turkeys. Local attractions and activities include: * Mennonite Relief Expo & Fair *Michigan

Shore to Shore Riding & Hiking Trail The Michigan Shore-to-Shore Trail (also known as the Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail) is a trail that runs between Empire, Michigan, Empire on Lake Michigan and Oscoda, Michigan, Oscoda on Lake Huron across the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It ...

passes nearby. It runs from

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

to Oscoda, and points north and south. It is a 500-mile interconnected system of trails. * The Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad, a ¼ scale, gauge

ridable miniature railway A ridable miniature railway (US: riding railroad or grand scale railroad) is a large scale, usually ground-level railway that hauls passengers using locomotives that are often models of full-sized railway locomotives (powered by diesel or pet ...

, which offers rides on a passenger train through of

jack pine Jack pine (''Pinus banksiana''), also known as grey pine or scrub pine, is a North American pine. Distribution and habitat Its native range in Canada is east of the Rocky Mountains from the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories t ...

country. Riders travel through parts of the

.Michigan Au Sable Valley Railroad.
/ref>

Activities

*Birding - Kirtland Warbler Habitat and Festival. The

Kirtland's warbler Kirtland's warbler (''Setophaga kirtlandii''), also known in Michigan by the common name jack pine bird, or the jack pine warbler, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family (biology), family (Parulidae). Nearly Extinction, extinct just ...

has its habitat in the area. There is a Kirtland's Warbler Festival, which is sponsored in part by Kirtland Community College. *Boating, paddling (

canoe A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles. In British English, the term ' ...

and

kayak ] A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word ''kayak'' originates from the Inuktitut word '' qajaq'' (). In British English, the kayak is also considered to be ...

) *Fishing, particularly trout fishing *Hiking *Golf *Hunting *

Cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

*ORV, motorcycle and groomed

snowmobile A snowmobile, also known as a snowmachine (chiefly Alaskan), motor sled (chiefly Canadian), motor sledge, skimobile, snow scooter, or simply a sled is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. Their engines normally ...

trails, including the renowned Bull Gap. *Every year, Fairview Area Schools puts on Eagle Festival. This festival is in the second week of October, and is a fundraiser for Fairview School's athletic department. The festival includes a parade, soccer games, a silent auction, car shows, kiddie games and more.

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

Howard and Joann Schrader Dunn, Jon, and Garrett, Kimball. ''Warblers''. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. Print. USDA, Forest Service Huron-Manistee National Forests. Biological Opinion Monitoring2006.

External links

Fairview Community SchoolsMichigan Organizations, Oscoda County Chamber of Commerce.
{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Oscoda County, Michigan Unincorporated communities in Michigan