 The canal was featured on Ripley's Believe It or Not in the 1970s due to the phenomenon that in winter the canal freezes before the lakes and then after the lakes freeze, the canal thaws and remains unfrozen for the rest of the winter.Cadillac is located at the eastern edge of what is now managed as the Manistee National Forest.The surrounding area is heavily wooded, with mixed hardwood and conifer forests.