Otsego County (pop. 24,164) is west of Montmorency County. “Otsego” is a Native American word meaning either “place of the rock,” “clear water,” or “meeting place.”

Or it may have been invented by Henry Schoolcraft

The only other Otsego County is in New York – where the county seat is Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.)

The county seat of Otsego County, Michigan, is the city of Gaylord (pop. 3,645). Downtown Gaylord has an “Alpine village” architectural theme.

Gaylord has had a summer Alpenfest since 1965.

Gaylord is the home of the Call of the Wild Museum and Gift Shop, established in 1965.

Timber wolf exhibit

East of Gaylord is the Treetops Resort. Its ski area has three lifts and 23 runs.

In warmer months, Treetop is a popular golf resort, with a total of 81 holes.

Five separate courses

Otsego County has about 100 lakes; the largest is Otsego Lake, south of Gaylord.

Otsego Lake State Park

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