TRAVERSE CITY — Northern Michigan campgrounds say that their summer reservations are quickly filling up, potentially boosted by the temporary closure of the Traverse City State Campground.
Operators in the area say they’ve already seen high demand from returning customers, and they anticipate an extra boost in the warmer months.
“Reservations opened up in January, and since then, we’ve been filling up fast — so it looks like another good year for us,” said Mike Rankens, general manager of the Timber Ridge RV and Recreation Resort.
Rankers says that he hasn’t yet seen a dramatic difference in booking rates due to the state park’s closure.
He says bookings obviously shift with the season and daily weather conditions, and that the park’s closure will likely add to demand later in the year.
“We do have probably about 19 to 20 check-ins this weekend, which is good for the the wintertime,” he said. “It really, truly depends on the weekend and the season, and it can fluctuate up and down quite a bit.”
But Rankers says the potential is high for a one-time guest to turn into a repeat customer.
“Any opportunity that somebody has to stay here, they’ll then potentially turn into another repeat guest,” he said. “There will be some impact to increasing our occupancy with the state park being closed”
Kasey Ann Cline, the Cadillac District Supervisor for the DNR, said in a statement that visitors still have multiple state and private options in the area, even with the Traverse City State Park closed this year.
“We continue to welcome campers throughout the Grand Traverse region and encourage them to explore the diverse experiences Northern Michigan’s state parks and state forest campgrounds have to offer,” she said.
Cline also says Interlochen State Park saw an increase in camping demand after the Traverse City campground closed in July.
The state park is expected to remain closed until April 2027.