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Sunday, December 14, 2008

Traverse City State Park May Gain 29 Acres

Expansion land for Traverse City State Park
Traverse City State Park plans to acquire
nearly 29 acres of land to the south of the camping area
which will include sections of Mitchell Creek.
photo: Jan-Michael Stump / Record-Eagle
from a news release of the Traverse City Record Eagle by Sheri McWhirter, "Expansion may be in TC State Park's future," Dec 12, 2008

Another of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Projects which is likely to be funded in western Michigan is an expansion of the Traverse City State Park which will increase its size by half. More campsites and hiking trails are included in the plan.

The expansion is for 29 acres to the south of the park and will include a section of Mitchell Creek. Currently the park includes a popular beach and 343-site campground, but offers few other options for visitors. This purchase will add a natural area to the park.

"Traverse City State Park is an urban campground, meaning we're closer to the community," said Tim Schreiner, park supervisor.

The property to be acquired already includes several trails, which would need to be improved and signed. The park might even offer guided hikes. Fishing sites could be an option on Mitchell Creek. Brook and brown trout, and salmon are known to be found in the creek.

Owners, Arnold and Kathryn Bohn, soldc some of the original park acres to the state, and are happy that the remaining area could become part of the park. It's a wooded area with "a lot of trees and deer back there," said Mary Detloff, of the Michigan DNR.

Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of the acquisition is that it will connect the state park to the area's TART Trail System and the 83-acre Reffitt Nature Preserve owned by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.

One issue that will need to be addressed is crossing of a railroad line between the existing park and the new parcel. Also, homeless people have been using the property, and there is a great deal of work to be done to clean the area.

The entire project hinges on the legislature and governor approving the recommendations for the projects which have been presented to them for this year.

See Michigan Recreation Trust Funds for West Michigan
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

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