 Don't spend the winter in hybernation. This season, make it a point to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and stay active.
To make sure you do, the staff at Michigan's state parks and recreation areas are out grooming miles of trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and the snowmobile trails are buzzing with activity.
Make a weekend of it. Pack your gear and spend the day trekking through your favorite park or get out and explore a new one. The clean air and stunning scenery are rejeuvenating and better for the spirit than a weekend in front of the television.
Then warm up to a bonfire and a cup of hot cocoa, or better yet, reserve one of the state parks' winterized cabins, lodges or yurts and enjoy a warm evening in front of a cozy fireplace.
Click here for a list of parks and recreation areas offering winter amenities. Reserve a winterized cabin, yurt or lodge by calling 800-447-2757 or online at www.midnrreservations.com.
Get started on a New Year’s resolution you can stick with. Bring along your snowshoes or hiking boots and join us for what we like to call "Shoe Year's Day" activities taking place on New Year's Day, Tuesday, Jan. 1 in park and recreation areas across Michigan. Kick start that pledge to get in better shape by joining representatives from the DNR, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Michigan Recreation & Park Association for special “Shoe” Year’s Day snowshoe hikes, learn tips on living a healthier lifestyle and enjoy some healthy snacks. Then keep coming back for more outdoor fitness events throughout the year. Learn more at www.michigan.gov/stateparks.
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Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Ontonagon County is offering cross-country skiing and snowshoeing by lantern light on Saturday evenings in January and February.
Nearly 80 old-fashioned kerosene lanterns illuminate a 1-mile trail that is track-set for classic skiers, while snowshoers make their own trail adjacent to the lighted loop.
Stop at the warming shelter and join the park naturalist for a campfire and refreshments. The ski trail is rated "easy"; however, skiing and snowshoeing at night is always a challenge. Click here for dates and times.
To see events taking place in all the state parks and recreation areas, visit the GoGet Outdoors calendar at : www.michigan.gov/dnrcalendar.
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is located on the south shore of Lake Superior near Silver City. For information on the park, visit: www.michigan.gov/porkies.
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Muskallonge Lake State Park has been selected as the venue for the 14th annual Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race which will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 5. The race will begin and end at the park's day-use area.
The race, which had been held at the Rainbow Lodge on the mouth of the Two-Hearted River for the last 13 years, was changed due to the 2012 Duck Lake Fire which swept through the northern section of Luce County last spring destroying the lodge and much of the trail system that the race had run in prior years.
The race is a combination of pro and sport classes with professional 12-dog and eight-dog teams running 60 and 40 miles respectively, and with sports classes of two- to six-dog teams running from 4 to 30 miles.
Muskallonge Lake State Park is located at 30042 County Road 407, about 28 miles north of Newberry, Mich. The event is free for spectators. A Recreation Passport is required for vehicles entering Michigan state parks. Click here for details or call the park, 906-658-3338. For information on the race, visit the Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race website.
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 Join other snowboarding enthusiasts for a look back at how the sport got started. Watermark Live and the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex at Muskegon State Park are sponsoring Party in your Parka, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex. The event, designed to showcase the sports complex and celebrate Michigan's 176th birthday, will feature the World Snurfer Classic.
The Snurfer, a board sold as a toy in the 1960's, was the forerunner of the snowboard and was invented by Michigan native Sherman Poppen. In 1968 Muskegon hosted the first ever World Snurfer Classic, a sport that evolved into to modern-day snowboarding competition.
This year, the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex is reviving the event just as it was in the 60's. The competition will take place starting at 1 p.m. at the Blockhouse Hill in the Muskegon State Park. Visit Muskegon State Park for more information on the park.
The day long event also features entertainment, an art fair, a celebrity luge race and food. The event is free. A Recreation Passport is required for vehicles entering the park.
The Muskegon Winter Sports Complex offers ice skating, luge runs, sledding, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Some costs are associated with some of the winter activities available at the winter sports complex. To learn more, visit www.msports.org.
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Outdoor enthusiasts seeking a unique winter getaway might want to consider staying in one of Michigan's state parks yurts.
Yurts are sturdy, round, tent-like structures that have been around for an estimated 3,000 years. The year-round yurts have become popular alternative lodging options for winter hikers, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers wishing to explore some of the most remote locations and stunning scnery the state has to offer.
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Ontonagon County currently offers four year-round yurts. Craig Lake State Park in Baraga County has one yurt on Teddy Lake.
Along with the yurts located in the Upper Peninsula, the Glenbrook yurt at Pinckney Recreation Area and Green Lake yurt at Waterloo Recreation Area in Michigan's Lower Peninsula each are available for rental year-round.
The yurts are 16 feet in diameter, accommodate four people and come equipped with bunk beds and mattresses, a table, chairs and woodstove that serves as a heater and cooktop. Running water and electricity are not provided, but primitive restrooms and stocked woodsheds are situated nearby. Yurts rent for $60 per night plus an $8 reservation fee. To learn more about the various types of lodging available in Michigan State Parks, visit www.michigan.gov/cabintepee.
For yurt availability and reservations, call 800-447-2757 or go to www.midnrreservations.com.
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It's not too early to start thinking about summer camping season. The DNR wants to hear from residents interested in spending their summer enjoying Michigan's great outdoors while providing a valuable service by volunteering as hosts at Michigan state parks and state forest campgrounds for the 2013 camping season.
Hosts direct visitors to their campsites, answer questions about the park or state forest, arrange campground activities and perform light maintenance and other services, depending on their talents and interests. In return for their volunteer service, hosts are allowed to camp in the state park or state forest campground at no charge.
Applications and information about the host program are available on the DNR website, www.michigan.gov/dnrvolunteers. Those interested in serving as campground hosts at a state park should apply directly to the park of their choice.
For more information on the DNR's campground host program in state parks or state forest campgrounds, contact Miguel Rodriguez at 517-241-4129.
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