Parks & Recreation
Winter camping — in the cold and snow — more popular every year
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By CARL STODDARD
Capital News Service
LANSING — On any given weekend this winter, a half dozen hearty souls will venture into the backcountry of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore near Munising, pitch a tent and go camping. They are joining an increasing number of winter campers at state, national and private campgrounds around Michigan. Some go off the grid in small backpacking tents while others brave the elements in fully equipped RVs plugged into the internet and cable TV. Winter camping has “taken a while to gain some traction,” said Jason Fleming, chief of resource protection and promotion for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Parks and Recreation Division. “Overall, I’d say it’s something that is slowly expanding.”
More than a dozen state parks offer some type of winter camping, according to the DNR.