A new accessible playground has opened at Tourist Park Campground (Michigan), marking the start of a broader expansion project that will improve amenities for both visitors and local residents.
The playground, located on the park’s north side along the water, is designed with accessible paths and safety surfacing.
The project has been nearly a decade in the making, delayed by funding and logistical hurdles.
After years of planning, the City of Marquette secured financial support through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the state’s Recreation Passport Grant program.
“This is funded through Recreation Passport, which is mostly funded through public through license plate tab renewals, when people pay for the passport that goes to a fund that communities can use to apply for grants,” Andrew MacIver, assistant director of community services for the city, said, as reported by 19 News on September 2.
“We got $45,000 from [the] passport program for this playground,” MacIver added.
The expansion of Tourist Park Campground will not stop with the playground.
Additional work is planned, including new parking areas and more campsites to accommodate the campground’s growing demand during the summer season.
“There is another playground that we are scheduling to remove in the future that’s still remaining at the moment,” said MacIver. “But this is just another great option for amenities for campers [to] come and visit, but it’s also going to be a great playground option for the community too.”
According to its website, the city-owned Tourist Park sits along Sugar Loaf Avenue, about a half mile north of Wright Street on the northern edge of Marquette.
Spanning 40 wooded acres along the Dead River, the park offers 20 acres of developed campground space with 110 sites.
Of these, 100 provide electrical hookups for RVs and trailers, while the remainder are designed for tent camping.
Facilities include picnic tables at each site, barbecue pits throughout the grounds, 38 sites with water and sewer service, hot showers, restrooms, dump stations, and paved roads.
Beyond camping amenities, the park features a small playground, picnic areas, a bike pump track, hiking trails, and open grassy spaces. Its location places visitors close to Lake Superior’s beaches, the city’s multi-use bike path, and the Noquemanon Trail Network, which offers miles of trails for hiking, biking, and running.
Tourist Park also serves as the annual host site of the Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival, a longstanding Marquette tradition.