The number of reservations for Michigan state park’s campgrounds increased by 8% compared to last year as sites are being booked quickly.
According to a report, campers can book overnight stays at state parks six months ahead. Anyone who wants to spend the summer holidays in Michigan state parks should not delay making reservations, said Ron Olson, chief of Michigan’s parks and recreation department.
The state set the record of 1.45 million camp night reservations last year. Michigan is home to 145 state forest campgrounds and provides 3,000 rustic campsites.
“That’s good that we are up by 8 percent because we had a (really) strong year in 2021 and we can’t keep exponentially increasing at that same rate,” Olson said.
The number of campsite reservations in 2021 was up 25% compared to 2020, Olson said. State park campgrounds are 93%-97% occupied during holidays such as Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July, and Labor Day.
“There are spots available in May and June, but a lot of the sites that people like to go to during those months have probably already been chosen,” Olson said. “If you’re interested in camping on the Fourth of July, you need to get on that because the window for reservations is going to open in the next couple of days.”
The state’s chief of parks and recreation said those that typically sell out include Ludington and Grand Haven state parks on Lake Michigan and Young State Park on Lake Charlevoix in Boyne City.
