The campgrounds at Isle Royale National Park can get so crowded campers have to share sites with strangers, trek further into the wilderness to pitch their tent or pile into designated “overflow” sites with other visitors to the prized island park in Lake Superior.

WEST OLIVE — For the first time, a public observatory has opened in West Michigan for all astronomy enthusiasts to use.

Not every family owns a boat, a hatchet, or a bow and arrow.

After decades of fish stocking decreases to balance the alewife and Chinook salmon populations, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it is seeing indicators that a modest stocking increase may be warranted in Lake Michigan.

GRAND HAVEN TWP. — Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, as well as the peak season for tourism in Michigan – and while parts of the travel industry continue to recover after pandemic shutdowns, one section is still seeing growth.

Many Ottawa County Parks properties are open to hunting during the fall months.

Grand Haven State Park officers know they’d have their hands full without them. Grand Haven Area Public Schools teachers say they love working with them. And Ottawa Area Intermediate School District coordinators say it’s a “perfect example of a win-win for all involved.”

Christina Hutton says she has a special objective when it comes to her artwork: lure people away from the world and let them crawl into another dimension.

Sallie Brinks says she always enjoyed a trip to the beach, but due to being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease five years ago, those trips have become much more difficult.

The Village of Spring Lake will host a ribbon cutting Friday to unveil its new Tanglefoot Park, a project four years in the making.

The Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve will celebrate their grand reopening on Friday, April 29, starting at 4:30 p.m.

Just as the first day of spring officially kicked earlier off this week, the village’s four-year prized project, Tanglefoot Park, is starting to sprout life.

The Ottawa County Parks Foundation recently announced the return of its annual jigsaw puzzle competition, benefitting Ottawa County Parks.

FERRYSBURG — Work could soon begin on overnight lodging and increased accessibility at Ottawa Sands Park in Ferrysburg.

GRAND HAVEN TWP. — Ottawa County Parks & Recreation is seeking a grant that would allow for the acquisition of nearly 130 acres adjacent to the Rosy Mound Natural Area south of Grand Haven.

NORTON SHORES — A soft opening has been scheduled for Saturday at Dune Harbor County Park, with “soft” an appropriate term at a gathering place where only a hill of sand separates 376 acres of recreational activities from Lake Michigan.

GRAND HAVEN TWP. — The owners of Highway to Haven Family Campground, formerly known as Campers Paradise, are currently revamping the entire 9-acre parcel toward an expected grand opening during the first weekend in May.

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A judge restored federal protections for gray wolves across much of the U.S. on Thursday, after their removal in the waning days of the Trump administration exposed the predators to hunting that critics said would undermine their rebound from widespread extermination e…

WEST OLIVE — With plenty of fresh, powdery snow in West Michigan this week – some areas receiving up to a foot – an Ottawa County park was able to open its lodge on Thursday.

MUSKEGON — Traditionally, the Muskegon Luge & Adventure Sports Complex is already in full swing – the sounds and sights of luge racers whizzing by and the trails thick with cross-country skiers.

Season pass holders got their first taste of carving and cruising the slopes at the Mulligan’s Hollow Ski Bowl last Thursday – officially kicking off the 2021-22 season for skiers and snowboarders.

FERRYSBURG — The Ottawa County Parks Foundation recently received a $2.5 million gift, which will help build overnight camping and other amenities at Ottawa Sands County Park.

SPRING LAKE – The COVID-19 pandemic has caused hardship for many in Michigan, closing doors to countless businesses. At the same time, the pandemic has unexpectedly opened a door to a niche business in Spring Lake with more than 70 years of history.

Local canoers and kayakers are invited to sign up for an in-person paddling workshop to learn about invasive species identification and prevention.

Miner's Castle, a popular sight at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, offers visitors a breathtaking view — spires of sandstone carved by the gentle erosion of Lake Superior tides.

The Grand River Greenway campaign recently achieved its fundraising goal of $7.2 million — critical money in leveraging public funding as part of the $21 million project to eventually establish a public land corridor connecting Grand Haven to Kent County.

Lines of orange fencing have been erected at Grand Haven State Park over the past few days.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will be in Grand Haven on Tuesday, July 6, to announce a proposed $150 million investment in local parks and recreation. 

LANSING (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday called for spending a "historic" $250 million in federal coronavirus relief aid to upgrade state parks and trails, a day after Senate Republicans announced a $1.5 billion plan to fix deteriorating local bridges across Michigan.

Grand Haven State Park – and a majority of the state park campgrounds across Michigan – are at 100 percent capacity for the Memorial Day holiday.