Michigan River

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The Michigan River seen from Colorado State Highway 14 near Gould looking south
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The Michigan River seen from Colorado State Highway 14 near Gould looking south

The Michigan River is a tributary of the North Platte River, approximately 30 miles (48 km) long, in north central Colorado in the United States. It drains a rural part of the eastern side of North Park in eastern Jackson County. The middle fork issues from Snow Lake, an alpine lake at 11516 ft, along the continental divide in southeast Jackson County just northwest of Mount Richtoffen. It descends towards the east through two other lakes, known as the Michigan Lakes or American Lakes. It then turns west to flow past the south end of Cameron Pass, and descends from the pass along the route of Colorado State Highway 14, past Gould, then northwest through the ranch country of North Park, where it becomes a largely braided stream with a wide river bottom. It passes just east of Walden, and receives the Illinois River from the north just north of Walden. It joins the North Platte from the south approximately 5 miles (8 km) downstream to the north.