#MiStateParks100: fall color, 1 millionth camper, campfire storytelling & more

Fall color only comes once a year! Check out Pure Michigan’s fall travel guide to find seasonal destinations showcasing canopies of crimson, orange and gold.

Fall color is predicted to peak throughout October, so there are still plenty of day trips and weekend getaways to be had. 

Visit Michigan.org/Fall.

This past weekend, two campers at Brighton Recreation Area were unofficially named holders of the "1 millionth Michigan state park camping night" of the year.

In recognition of hitting this superstar number during the state parks centennial year, Donald and Jeri Morris were gifted a state parks gift cooler filled with a commemorative centennial gear and merchandise.

Camping reservations can be booked up to six months in advance, and overnight lodging (cabins, yurts, pop-ups and lodges) reservations can be made up to a year in advance, by visiting MIDNRReservations.com.

Gather around the campfire to hear tales of Michigan’s great outdoors! As part of the Michigan state parks centennial, the Campfire Storytelling Project interweaves storytelling and 100 years of state park memories.

The next event will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11 (rescheduled from Sept. 21) at Yankee Springs Recreation Area in Middleville. Around a campfire, four seasoned storytellers will share their personal park tales and attendees are invited to share their state park anecdotes.

Learn about the state parks centennial, including campfire stories, the memory map, a special geocache tour and more at Michigan.gov/StateParks100.

New Holland Brewing partnered with REI and Merrell to celebrate the state parks centennial with three sold-out “Trail-to-Table” curated dinners, raising nearly $28,000 for three state park friends group initiatives.

Each event featured Merrell shoe demos and a two-hour guided hike. After hitting the trails, participants received a complimentary backpack and gear advice from REI experts, played yard games and enjoyed a three-course curated dinner paired with New Holland brews.

Proceeds were donated back to friends groups supporting Leelanau and P.J. Hoffmaster state parks and Island Lake Recreation Area to help build a playground, improve the nature center and purchase a track chair.

New Holland Brewing is a These Goods are Good for Michigan partner with its seasonal release, Lake & Trail copper lager, this past summer. The program helps support state parks, trails and waterways. Visit Goods4mi.com to find state park gear, centennial keepsakes and more.

Hundreds of volunteers from the tourism industry gathered at Leelanau State Park to help restore, build and beautify portions of the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum, rustic campground and day-use areas Sept. 17.

As part of this year's Michigan Cares for Tourism event, the all-volunteer workforce was outfitted with shovels, hammers and paintbrushes to help paint and spruce up buildings, remove brush and invasive species, build an accessible playground and construct an all-persons trail in the span of just eight hours.

All in all, the event reigned in 300 volunteers, 1,650 volunteer hours, 20 volunteer projects, $50,000 in labor and $100,000 in supplies.

MC4T is a 100% volunteer organization that brings the tourism industry together to donate time, resources and energy to help restore the state's historic, cultural and natural attractions. In eight years, MC4T has empowered more than 2,700 volunteers and provided more than $750,000 in supplies and labor over the course of 10 state park projects.

The Iron Belle Trail – Michigan’s showcase trail – passes through hundreds of municipalities and crosses through 48 counties.

Using existing trails, existing networks and new connections, the trail extends more than 2,000 miles from the far western tip of the Upper Peninsula to Belle Isle in Detroit, with a route for bicycling and a route for hiking. The trail is now more than 70 percent connected.

View the new video featuring the Iron Belle Trail.