State Rep. John Roth released the following statement Wednesday after the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced the Interlochen State Park would be closed for much of next summer. The park, which was already closed for most of last summer, hosts campers who create a valuable income source for local businesses.

“When you add up all that people purchase on camping trips, each empty site can mean hundreds of dollars less in important tourism revenue,” said Roth, R-Interlochen. “Considering the park has 490 campsites, closing things all summer leads to a huge hit to the local economy. To ask our local small business community to go two summers without income from campers is quite a stretch.”

The park is slated for upgrades to its water and sewer system and the beach house toilet building. The DNR website outlines the timeline for the project, which will leave the day-use area and the boating access site closed intermittently all summer, the north loop of the park closed for 2024, and the south loop closed until Labor Day.

“Obviously, improvements are necessary for the oldest state park in Michigan, and we appreciate the investment into our community, but there are some business owners afraid they won’t make it to when the park opens back up,” Roth said. “If we all sit down, we can find a solution that lets improvements get underway but also doesn’t stop campers from enjoying our area and supporting our local economy.”

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