Roscommon County–Blodgett Memorial Airport

The Cut is a small river located entirely within Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river begins at Higgins Lake and meanders to Houghton Lake at a length of approximately 10 miles (16 km). It also passes through the small Marl Lake within South Higgins Lake State Park near its source.

Markey Township is a civil township of Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,401 at the 2020 census. The township was created from Gerrish Township on April 21, 1887.

Houghton Lake is a lake in Roscommon County, Michigan. The unincorporated community of Prudenville is at the southeastern end of the lake, while the unincorporated communities of Houghton Lake and Houghton Lake Heights are on the southwest and west shores. It is the largest inland lake in the state of Michigan, and one of the largest natural inland lakes in the United States (many man-made impoundments are much larger). The lake is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north to south, and about 5+1⁄2 miles (8.9 km) at it widest point. Houghton Lake has c. 30 miles (48 km) of total shoreline and its waters cover 20,044 acres (81.12 km2). It is an extremely popular resort and fishing area year round. Houghton Lake is the site of Tip-Up-Town USA, a large ice fishing and winter sports festival with several events on the frozen waters of the lake itself. Houghton Lake is named after the first state geologist, Douglass Houghton who explored the area. Houghton County, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is also named after Douglass Houghton. The name of the lake is pronounced by Michigan citizens as "HOTE'n" (/ˈhoʊʔn̩/). The lake receives the waters of spring-fed Higgins Lake through the Cut River and, in turn, is the headwaters for the Muskegon River, which flows out of the North Bay in the northwest corner of the lake. The lake is partially within four townships: Markey Township on the northeast, Denton Township on the southeast, Roscommon Township on the southwest, and Lake Township on the northwest. The lake is mid to late mesotrophic in profile, and is considered to be a warm water, shallow lake, with the average depth being 7½ feet. The deepest spot is a small hole in East Bay that has been sounded to 22 feet (6.7 m), but it is rare to encounter depths of greater than 17 feet (5.2 m) in the lake. The lake offers almost every species of game and panfish found in Michigan with the exception of the trout/salmon families, the sturgeon, the muskellunge, and white bass. Common catches include northern pike, bluegill, walleye, crappie, yellow perch and both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. M-55 follows the southern shore, while U.S. Highway 127 passes just to the west. M-18 and Interstate 75 pass just to the east. Houghton Lake is notable for the annual winter carnival, Tip Up Town USA, which is held during two consecutive weekends in January. The name for the festival originated from the flag-like devices - "tip-ups", used for ice fishing. The USA was added later. Tip Up Town Badges, required for entry to the Tip Up Town site on the south shore of Houghton Lake, are sold annually at local businesses. This carnival includes so many different activities. Prizes are won for different things for all different ages. There is the polar bear dip, where a hole of ice is cut out of the frozen lake, then the contestants jump in. Another famous attraction at Tip-Up Town is the ice slide. Weeks before the carnival starts, the effort is put in to make a giant slide made of nothing but ice! There are a lot of different races that happen on the lake as well. Side-by-side races, dirt bike races, and snowmobile races. The biggest attraction at Tip-Up Town is the beer tent. The beer tent is a big tent set up with live singers and drinks, it is the warmest place to visit. Houghton Lake is known for Tip-Up Town USA.

Denton Township is a civil township of Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,293 at the 2020 census.

Marl Lake is a freshwater lake located in Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The lake is entirety located within South Higgins Lake State Park. The lake is within Markey Township to the south and Gerrish Township to the north. Covering a surface area of 237 acres (0.96 km2), Marl Lake is a significantly smaller and less-developed lake compared to the nearby Higgins Lake. The two are connected by the Cut River, and upon exiting Marl Lake, the Cut River continues to flow into Houghton Lake. The lake can be reached through a state park access point along East Higgins Lake Road (County Road 100). The lake has a small public boat launch, but the use of electric or gas motors is restricted in favor of smaller vessels, as the lake itself is no more than 4 feet (1.2 m) deep. The waters may be difficult to fish due to its grassy nature and very loose marl bottom, but common fish within the lake include smallmouth bass, rock bass, sunfish, and several other small varieties. Other activities include hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing along the 5.5 miles (8.9 km) of trails cutting along and through the forest around Marl Lake. Kayaking, bird watching, photography, shore fishing, and picnicking are also popular activities.

Prudenville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,643 at the 2020 census. Prudenville is located within Denton Township.

South Higgins Lake State Park is a public recreation area covering 1,000 acres (400 ha) on the southern shore of Higgins Lake five miles southwest of Roscommon in Roscommon County, Michigan. The state park occupies one mile of shoreline on Higgins Lake and entirely surrounds Marl Lake and portions of the Cut River.

Roscommon County ( RAHS-comm-ən) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,459. The county seat is Roscommon. The county was founded in 1840 and organized in 1875.

Backus Creek State Game Area is a state game area within Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It incorporates 4,379 acres (17.72 km2) of hunting, recreational, and protected wildlife and wetland areas of rural Backus Township and Higgins Township. Backus Creek State Game Area is administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).

WTWS, known as 92.1 The Twister, is a 920-watt radio station broadcasting at 92.1 FM in Houghton Lake, Michigan, with a country music format. Formerly licensed to Harrison, Michigan and operated as a satellite of public radio station WVXU Cincinnati for several years and owned by Xavier University (then transferred to Cincinnati Classical Public Radio along with WVXU), the station was formerly owned by Sindy Fuller's Bridge to Bridge, Inc., owner of WUPS 98.5 Houghton Lake, Michigan, and adopted the "Twister" format in June 2006. The two stations were acquired on February 4, 2015 by Black Diamond Broadcast Group, owned by long-time broadcaster Mike Chires, at a purchase price of $1.65 million.

WUPS (98.5 FM) is a 100 kW radio station licensed to Harrison, Michigan and serving central and northern Michigan. The station, previously owned by Sindy Fuller, through licensee Bridge to Bridge, Inc., was acquired by Black Diamond Broadcast Group, LLC in 2015 and broadcasts a classic hits format. Black Diamond's purchase of both WUPS and sister station WTWS was consummated on February 4, 2015 at a price of $1.65 million. The station signed on in 1961 to complement its sister station, WHGR/1290 (the callsign stood for Houghton Lake/Grayling/Roscommon). In the beginning, the station, known as WJGS (for owners Jacob and Garnett Sparks), was 19,000 watts. In the 1960s, a fire destroyed the WJGS/WHGR studios right before Christmas. They ended up broadcasting from a trailer until a new building was built. Throughout most of the 1960s and through the 1980s, WJGS was automated MOR. During the '80s, WJGS was also an affiliate of Casey Kasem's American Top 40 countdown show. In 1983, Sparks Broadcasting sold the stations to Shea Broadcasting, who sold it to Melling Tool and Die in 1988. WJGS's power was increased to 100,000 watts, flipped to CHR and became WUPS. The station was named after the United Parcel Service, for their longtime slogan is "We Deliver the Hits". With its central location in Houghton Lake, WUPS's signal is heard in most of northern and central Michigan, with a coverage area stretching from Indian River southward to Ithaca. WUPS's 100,000–watt signal can reach further south as well. It is common for reception in the mid-Michigan thumb and Saginaw Bay as well, a good 100 miles from its transmitter. For a short time in the early 1990s, the station was simulcasted to the Traverse City, Michigan area on WMLB 98.1 (now WGFN; ironically now a sister station to WUPS). Throughout most of the 1990s, WUPS's format changed several times: adult top 40, hot AC, all-1970s, all-1970s-1980s, classic hits/hot AC hybrid and its current format, 1960s-1980s classic hits. In 1998, John Salov bought out Melling and created a huge controversy in 2001 when he sold WHGR - then satellite-fed standards - to Clear Channel Communications for $250,000, making it their first property in northern Michigan. However, they bought out WHGR for only one reason: to shut it down. They wanted to expand their Grand Rapids station, WOOD/1300 to 25,000 watts, and the only way to do so was to shut down WHGR. The move stunned many people in the Houghton Lake area who had grown up with the station. Today, WUPS broadcasts from studios on M-18/M-55 in Prudenville, as their old studio was destroyed to make way for a Wal-Mart in Houghton Lake many years ago. The station previous broadcast from the top of Mid Michigan Community College in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. WUPS recently changed its city of license from Houghton Lake to Harrison with no change in transmitter location or signal. To maintain local radio service to Houghton Lake, country music sister station WTWS (The Twister) moved to Houghton Lake.

Houghton Lake (; HOH-tən) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Roscommon County in the US state of Michigan. The population was 5,294 at the time of the 2020 census, making it the largest unincorporated community in Northern Michigan. The CDP is located within Denton, Lake, and Roscommon townships. The community of Houghton Lake is named after and situated upon Houghton Lake, the largest inland lake in Michigan. The CDP includes the unincorporated community of Houghton Lake Heights. The CDP of Prudenville is immediately east of Houghton Lake. M-55 is the primary thoroughfare serving the community, running east–west.