225 plots of DNR-owned land up for auction, including lakefront and forested parcels

Everyone remembers their first car, their first house, their first bike ride. Now, it may be as good a time as ever to add to that list of firsts with your first plot of northern Michigan heaven.

Another round of bidding is about to take place with the DNR land auction reopening their 2020 offers. And there are some goodies up for grabs. Maybe you're into bug-infested swamps with absolutely not buildable land to enjoy. You could try densely forested plots offering an array of shade.

Want to stake out your claim next to a railroad embedded in the Huron-Manistee forest? That's for sale. Multiple dozens of acres in the Gaylord State Forest? That's also up for grabs. And yes, there's even lakefront properties as well.

About 225 plots of land ranging from half an acre to 40 acres are now for sale on the natural resources website. The auction, hosted every year showcases land that's often suitable for private ownership but is separated from other larger plots of state-owned land, making management of the parcels difficult. Others don't carry the same public recreational benefit that Belle Isle would bring.

Here are two of the gems offered on this year's auction:

  • An almost one-acre plot of land on Dyer Lake, which is northwest of Cadillac in Missaukee County, offering a waterfront view from the lot. While the site isn't big enough to legally build a well or septic tank on it, a pole building could still be built. The price is listed at $9,600.
  • A 3.7-acre plot worth $7,770 along Lake Marjory in Otsego County. It offers access to Boardwalk Road and a lot of tree cover. 

Those two plots both came with images - but there is plenty more to choose from. You can check out the breakdown of different plots here.

The bidding on the land parcels will begin Sept. 8 and Oct. 5. Anyone interested will need to get more information and pre-register at Tax-Sale.info where all the land is listed.

Anyone interested in bidding will need to register ahead of time. Depending on the location of each parcel, they'll be made available for bidding on this schedule:

  • Sept. 8 – Shiawassee County.
  • Sept. 9 – Clare and Gladwin counties.
  • Sept. 10 – Lapeer County.
  • Sept. 17 – Allegan and Ottawa counties.
  • Sept. 24 – Lake and Newaygo counties.
  • Sept. 28 – Kalkaska, Missaukee and Wexford counties.
  • Oct. 1 – Crawford, Oscoda and Otsego counties.
  • Oct. 2 – Antrim County.
  • Oct. 3 – Bay County.
  • Oct. 5 – Gogebic, Houghton and Schoolcraft counties