The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has closed multiple state parks, trails, and facilities for damage assessment and cleanup following a major ice storm. Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Monday declared a state of emergency for Alpena, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Mackinac, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego, and Presque Isle counties to help with the response and recovery efforts.
Downed trees and power lines have made some state parks and trails inaccessible and dangerous, forcing DNR crew to work to remove the debris before restoring safe access. Many trails near the closed state parks will also be closed, as broken trees and branches have created hazardous obstacles. The closed parks and facilities are as follows:
- Aloha, Burt Lake and Cheboygan state parks (Cheboygan County).
- Clear Lake State Park (Montmorency County).
- DNR Customer Service Center in Gaylord (Otsego County).
- Fisherman’s Island and Young state parks (Charlevoix County).
- Hartwick Pines State Park and Visitor Center (Crawford County).
- Negwegon State Park (Alcona and Alpena counties).
- Onaway, Thompson’s Harbor and P.H. Hoeft state parks (Presque Isle County).
- Oden State Fish Hatchery and Visitor Center (Emmet County).
- Otsego Lake State Park (Otsego County).
- Rockport Recreation Area (Alpena and Presque Isle counties).
- Wilderness and Petoskey state parks (Emmet County).
“The trails could be dangerous especially for motorized trail users who come up on unsafe trail conditions quickly. We urge off-road vehicle riders to slow down, take corners with extra caution, watch for potential hazards and stay on designated trails.” – Scott Slavin, Northwest Lower Peninsula trails specialist, DNR Parks and Recreation Division.
While state forest lands are not closed, the the DNR advises against riding, hiking or biking on the lands in the emergency area. Those who must travel in these forests are advised to so with extreme caution as the trees are still snapping and falling.
More up-to-date closure information for Michigan state parks can be found here.
