Grand Traverse Residents Urged to Comment on Interlochen Park Plan

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources opened an online survey on Jan. 22 inviting residents, visitors and stakeholders to weigh in on a draft general management plan for Interlochen State Park. The survey is available through Feb. 22 at Michigan.gov/Interlochen, and the DNR says public feedback will guide long-term decisions about recreation, education and resource protection.

The DNR uses general management plans to outline long-range strategies that protect natural and cultural resources while addressing recreation and educational needs. "Public input is essential to the park’s draft general management plan, ensuring the final vision reflects the community's insights and priorities," said Debbie Jensen, DNR park management plan administrator. "The DNR will also host a public meeting in the summer of 2026, providing opportunities for people to review and provide comment on the new draft plan for the park."

Interlochen State Park sits between Duck and Green lakes and offers modern and rustic camping, boating, paddling, fishing and swimming. The state acquired the property in 1917 and the Michigan Legislature established it as the state’s first state park in 1919. Some of the large, old-growth red and white pine trees that prompted protections remain throughout the park, and the nearby Interlochen Center for the Arts brings a year-round calendar of concerts and events just across the park’s northern boundary.

For Grand Traverse County residents, the DNR plan will touch familiar local concerns: maintaining campsites and boat launches, protecting shoreline and forest habitats, and balancing quiet recreation with larger seasonal crowds drawn by festivals and the arts. The management plan process also frames educational programming and interpretive opportunities that could connect school groups and Interlochen Center visitors with park ecology and history.

Those who want more context on how the DNR develops park plans can visit Michigan.gov/ParkManagementPlans. For questions about the survey or the proposed plan, contact Debbie Jensen at JensenD1@Michigan.gov or call 517-230-6837.

Public input in the coming weeks and at the summer 2026 meeting will influence which uses the DNR prioritizes and what protections are written into the park’s long-term plan. Residents who boat, camp, fish, teach or perform near Interlochen have a direct chance to shape access, conservation and programming for a park that has anchored the community for more than a century.