Rockport State Recreation Area offers Michigan Trails Week fun Sept. 27

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 24, 2014

 

Contact: Stephanie Wirtz, 989-686-2790 or Ed Golder, 517-284-5815


Celebrate Michigan Trails Week at Rockport State Recreation Area Sept. 27
No Recreation Passport required, in honor of National Public Lands Day

Residents are invited to celebrate Michigan Trails Week by exploring Rockport State Recreation Area Saturday, Sept. 27. A variety of activities will be offered throughout the day to highlight the trails in this park, located in Alpena along the Lake Huron shoreline. In honor of National Public Lands Day, no Recreation Passport is required for park entry.

Weather permitting, festivities begin at Besser Natural Area at 7 a.m. with a kayak tour of the Portland shipwreck. The Portland went aground just off shore in 1877. All necessary kayaking equipment will be provided free of charge. Email adventurelandsports@gmail.com or call 989-255-7796 for details and reservations.

 

Starting at 9 a.m., visitors can enjoy historical tours of the village of Bell. The tour features the largest stand of virgin pine in the state of Michigan, the remnants of the village that was the home of lumber barons and early fishing industry, and the shipwreck of the Portland. This leisurely hike over easy-to-navigate dirt pathway will take approximately one and one-half hours. At 11:15 a.m., guests are encouraged to bring their bikes to Rockport Harbor for a bike safari to the sinkholes. Mountain bikes, helmets and water are recommended for this tour over relatively challenging terrain.

 

A fossil-hunting expedition with Paleo Joe begins at 1 p.m. It features a brief paleontological description of the area as it is today, as well as a description of Alpena as it was 360 million years ago when the area was a warm tropical sea. Participants will learn how plate tectonics and the ice ages shaped northeastern Michigan and then take a hike around the former Rockport quarry, stopping along the way to look at fossils and formations that are full of fossils. The tour is over rocky, uneven terrain and will take two to three hours.

 

This event is coordinated by the Friends of Rockport/Besser Natural Area and Harrisville State Park. To learn more, visit www.friendsofrockport.org, find Friends of Rockport on Facebook or call Harrisville State Park at 989-724-5126.

 

A Recreation Passport is normally required (but will be waived Sept. 27) for any motor vehicle entering a Michigan state park, boat launch, state forest campground or nonmotorized state trailhead parking. Residents can purchase the Passport for just $11 ($5 for motorcycles) at the time of Michigan license plate renewal through Secretary of State. Forgot to check “YES” during renewal? Residents and nonresidents can purchase a Recreation Passport window sticker during regular business hours at state parks. Learn more about how the Recreation Passport supports state parks and local outdoor recreation opportunities at www.michigan.gov/recreationpassport.

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