It's state park season in Michigan. What's closed, back open and new?

• Several Michigan state parks closed after a March ice storm are expected to open May 15
• Portions of some state park campgrounds across Michigan will be closed this season for planned renovations
• Several state park campgrounds have upgrades to roads; sewer, water and electrical systems; trails and more

With warm weather arriving, you may be planning or preparing to visit some of Michigan's 103 state parks and recreation areas — or use one of their 14,100 campsites and more than 900 miles of trails. 

However, some things have changed: Several state park campgrounds are closed because of damage from March ice storms or planned renovations. Others will be showing off recently upgraded amenities.

Bridge Michigan has you covered on what to expect: 

When are state parks that were hit by the ice storm reopening?

In late March, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources closed 15 parks damaged by an ice storm. Since then, only one park has fully reopened, five are working to open their campgrounds by May 15, three are partially closed for planned upgrades, four are partially closed indefinitely and one park is fully closed indefinitely. See the full list here:

Fully Open:

• Negwegon State Park (Alcona and Alpena counties) 

Partially closed but campgrounds expected to open May 15:

• Clear Lake State Park (Montmorency County) — Boat launch is open but the rest of the park is closed. If it reopens as planned, the modern campground is expected to close on Aug. 4 for the remainder of the season.
• Onaway State Park (Presque Isle County) — Boat launch is open but campground and trails are closed. 
• Otsego Lake State Park (Otsego County) — Boat launch is open but the rest of the park is closed. 
• Petoskey State Park (Emmet County) — Closed.
• Wilderness State Park (Emmet County) — Boat launch, cabins, and portions of the trails are open but the remainder of the park is closed.

Still partially closed due to planned renovations:

• Cheboygan State Park (Cheboygan County) — Lodge and cabins open. The modern campground will remain closed throughout the 2025 season for planned upgrades.
• P.H. Hoeft State Park (Presque Isle County) — Closed. The modern campground and lodge will remain closed for planned renovations through the 2025 season.
• Young State Park (Charlevoix County) — Oak and Terrace modern campgrounds are open but Spruce modern campground will remain closed until June 15 for planned upgrades.

Partially closed indefinitely:

• Fisherman’s Island State Park (Charlevoix County) — Campground is open but the rest of the park is closed.
• Hartwick Pines State Park And Visitor Center (Crawford County) — Boat launches and modern campgrounds are open but the rest of the park is closed.
• Rockport Recreation Area (Alpena and Presque Isle counties) — Boat launch is open but the rest of the park is closed.
• Thompson’s Harbor State Park (Presque Isle County) — Cabins and day-use areas are open but some trails remain closed.

Related:

• Thousands of miles of Michigan trails still need clearing after ice storm 
• After ice storm, more than a dozen Michigan state parks remain closed indefinitely 
• Several Michigan campsites will be closed for renovations in '25. See list

Closed indefinitely:

• Aloha State Park (Cheboygan County)

What state park campgrounds located outside of the area hit by the ice storm are closed or closing this year?

Several state parks will have areas closed for repair or restoration projects. A full list of state park closures can be found here, but below is a short list of some of the locations that will have campground closures.

• Bewabic State Park (Iron County) — B and C loops in the modern campground will be closed for the entire season while enhancements like a new toilet and shower building are being made. 
• Brimley State Park (Chippewa County) — The day-use area and modern campground will close until June 18 for upgrades to water lines and the stormwater system. 
• Brighton Recreation Area (Livingston County) — Bishop Lake modern campground is closed for road and electrical upgrades and its 2025 reopening will be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. The DNR will announce the date reservations become available two weeks after a confirmed completion date is set.
• Craig Lake State Park (Baraga and Marquette counties) — From May 29 to June 17, the park will remain open for those with existing lodging reservations, but to accommodate road repairs and cabin renovations, no new reservations will be accepted during this time.
• Ludington State Park (Mason County) — The majority of the park will be closed through July 1 for various enhancements including a larger parking lot and warming shelters. Visitors can still use 2,000 acres of parkland and a three-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline south of the Big Sable River. Updates will be posted here.
• Fort Wilkins Historic State Park (Keweenaw County) — The modern campgrounds west loop and mini cabin are closed through June 22 for construction of a new toilet and shower building. The east loop will close Aug. 1 for electrical system upgrades.
• Indian Lake State Park (Schoolcraft County) — The south campground and beach shelter will close for the season Aug. 11 for planned park enhancements. 
• Ionia State Recreation Area (Ionia County) — The modern campgrounds and cabins are closed until October 31 for planned upgrades. 
• Lake Gogebic State Park (Gogebic County) — The modern campground and cabins will close Aug. 18 of this year through July 20, 2026, to upgrade the water, sewer and electrical systems. 
• McLain State Park (Houghton County) — Campsites 1-91 and the Driftwood Tiny House are closed for the season for electrical upgrades. Sites 100-135 and other cabins remain open.
• Muskallonge State Park (Luce County) — The campground, day-use area and boat lunch will be closed June 16 to October 1 to renovate bathrooms and improve roads and parking.
• Pinckney Recreation Area (Livingston and Washtenaw counties) — The Bruin Lake modern and Crooked Lake rustic campgrounds will remain closed until an unknown date for park renovations. The Silver Lake day-use area and park headquarters will close until July 30 for paving upgrades.
• Port Crescent State Park (Huron County) — The campground is closed through June 25 to improve roads, water and sewer lines, electrical systems and more.
• Sleepy Hollow State Park (Clinton County) — The modern campground and shelters are closed through October 31 to replace the toilet and shower building, pave roads and update the beach building.

What state parks will have new features this summer?

Several parks will be showing off renovated areas this summer. See the full list here, but below is a short list of recent work done:

• Algonac State Park (St. Clair County) — The toilet and shower building were replaced with full hook-up campsites for $1 million, the campground sanitation station was expanded for $600,000 and $2.5 million in road improvements were completed.
• Fort Custer Recreation Area (Kalamazoo County) — The electrical system in the west campground loop was modernized for $1 million.
• Hartwick Pines State Park (Crawford County) — The campground’s electrical system was modernized for $841,500.
• Hoffmaster State Park (Muskegon County) — A trail, boardwalk, overlook and retaining wall were upgraded as part of a $300,000 project.
• Interlochen State Park (Grand Traverse County) — Sewer and sanitation systems were upgraded for $1.23 million, accessibility improvements were made to the park’s day-use building for $700,000.
• Island Lake Recreation Area (Livingston County) — Sanitary stations and pumps were replaced for $400,000, car and bike traffic flow improvements were made for $500,000, $2.05 million in road repairs were completed.
• Metamora Hadley Recreation Area (Lapeer County) — Road repairs were completed for $2 million, the campground electrical system was replaced for $1.71 million, the sewer system was replaced for $1.25 million, campground water lines and spigots were upgraded for $350,000.
• Rifle River Recreation Area (Ogemaw County) — Roads were repaired and the water and electrical systems were upgraded for $1.4 million.
• Seven Lakes State Park (Oakland County) — Road repairs were completed for $2 million, the campground’s electrical system was modernized for $603,000, two shelters were upgraded for $500,000.
• Wilderness State Park (Emmet County) — A bridge was replaced and a boardwalk was improved for $252,000.

Do I have to pay to visit a Michigan state park?

Whether you’re paying to camp or not, if you are entering a state park or recreation area in a car, truck, motorcycle or moped then you need to have a valid Recreation Passport. If your vehicle is registered in Michigan you can purchase your recreation passport when receiving or renewing your license plate through the Michigan Secretary of State for $14. Otherwise, you can purchase a commercial daily pass for $21 at a state park, or you can purchase a $14 Recreation Passport when you enter a state park, but you will need to pay an additional $5 fee. More information can be found here.

When do Michigan state park campgrounds open?

State park campgrounds are generally slated to open in the spring — this document has details — but some dates have been pushed back due to the ice storm that impacted several northern Michigan parks. 

How can I reserve a campsite at a Michigan state park?

State park campsites can generally be reserved six months in advance of an intended stay. You can make reservations for camping, cabins, cottages, GeoDomes, harbors, day-use shelters and more on the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reservations website here or by calling 1-800-447-2757. New inventory becomes available Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 9 a.m. Find more information here.

Bridge reporter Janelle D. James contributed to this report.