Millions of federal dollars have been funneled into new roofs, fresh coats of paint and brand new bathrooms across Michigan state parks.
Campers will notice the improvements when they plug their RVs into upgraded electrical outlets or have a the luxury of a hot shower while winter camping.
For daily visitors, the most frequented areas will be the recreation and visitor centers that had multi-million upgrades to their classrooms and exhibit areas.
Three of those projects are crossing the finish line this year and reopening in 2026.
A quick recap on how we got here. The Department of Natural Resources laid out a list of projects that were decades in the making. The state legislature allocated $273 million in federal funds to state park improvements in 2022. These funds come from the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act.
The initial list of backlogged projects sat at an eye-popping 202 projects. That list got whittled down over time due to costs, delays and re-prioritizing as the DNR inches closer to its December 2026 deadline when all ARPA funds must be allocated to projects.
Here’s three projects in West Michigan, Northern Michigan and Southeastern Michigan that are inviting folks to see their shiny new improvements this year.
Gillette Visitor Center in P.J. Hoffmaster State Park
Hoffmaster’s Gillette Visitor Center will reopen Valentine’s Day weekend. A reopening party will take place 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The center’s $1.6 million ARPA renovation was completed this summer.
The visitor center in Muskegon County was closed from March to June for an exterior facelift that included:
- Roof and siding replacement
- Elevator repairs
- Replace flooring
- Brickwork
- Interior railings
While under construction, the visitor center received additional funding from the Michigan Department of Natural Resource’s Marketing and Outreach Division, the department that administers the visitor centers.
The additional dollars funded ripping out old carpeting and replacing it with polished concrete.
The theatre area was transformed into a classroom setting for educational programming and new educational exhibits will also be revealed.
Hoffmaster has been going through a $6.4 million checklist of upgrades since 2023. This included a new bathhouse, replacing two toilet buildings, that was also funded through $900,000 in ARPA funds.
Hartwick Pines Visitor Center
Hartwick Pines State Park in Grayling is doing a limited reopening of its visitor center after it’s been closed off to guests since June.
The center will reopen for winter weekends 10 a .m.-4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday through April 30.
The lodge is considered the park’s “gateway to the towering pine forest and the Hartwick Pines Logging Museum” and welcomes thousands of visitors every year, according to the DNR.
Despite its popularity, Hartwick Pines’ visitor center hadn’t been updated since its construction in 1994. From technology to infrastructure it’s been a long process of “duct taping” problems until a full overhaul was in the budget, said Craig Kasmer, park interpreter.
Hartwick Pines State Park received $1.25 million for its visitor center through the American Rescue Plan Act funding.
The first phase of construction included a new roof, new interior and exterior paint, new carpet, new furnace and new lighting.
Inside, the biggest change guests will notice is the center’s former auditorium has been leveled out and the pew seating has been removed.
That space will now be used as a larger classroom space for educational classes for schools, scouts and the public.
This summer, phase two will begin to update the exhibit area.
Hartwick Pines also received ARPA funding to modernize its campground and for historical preservation of its Memorial Building.
Bald Mountain Recreation Area
The Bald Mountain Recreation Area’s main entrance and day-use area is reopening April 15 after closing in the fall.
The Bald Mountain Recreation Area constructed a new bathroom and shower building for its beachgoers. The new build and water replacement system were funded by $1.75 million from ARPA and completed in June.
The park’s 4,600 rolling acres bring some rugged terrain to Southeast Michigan with the steepest hills in the region, according to the DNR.
The Oakland County park is known for its extensive trails, inland lakes, trout streams and wild game.
There were proposed plans to use ARPA funding for repairs to Prince Lake Dam, Lower Trout Lake Dam, Upper Trout Lake Dam and replacing the culvert beneath Lower and Upper Trout Lake causeways.
Those plans are paused according to the DNR’s ARPA dashboard.
The popular Metro Detroit beach is also known for the Water Warrior Island.
The water park, known for its unique launch slides and floating obstacle course, is a private business inside the Bald Mountain State Recreation Area near Lake Orion.
Its 2025 season was paused due to the ongoing construction, however the business says it’ll be back open for summer 2026.
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