From Parks to Campgrounds, Part 1
From parks to campgrounds, many U.P. outdoor spots will see upgrades in the near future.
It’s with the help of the DNR’s Natural Resources Trust Fund.
UGN’s Lindsey Cramer has a look at several of those outdoor spots in her 4-part series.
In Part 1, she visited Gibson Lake Park in Iron County to see how it’ll be updated for the future.
The park in Crystal Falls Township is right off of US-141, and it means a lot to the area.
Township Supervisor Tom Lesandrini says it’s an extremely popular recreation spot in the warmer months that hundreds of people use.
But it’s outdated.
He says people around the township have been asking him for at least 10 years when something will be done to modernize the park and replace outdated equipment.
The Natural Resources Trust Fund will help with that.
The park is in line for $179,000 to make upgrades.
The township is kicking in $76,000 as well.
The park will see new picnic tables, a new pavilion, and a new changing station for people who want to go swimming, among many other projects.
Getting the grant from the Trust Fund is huge, because the township has been trying for years.
Lesandrini says this was the 3rd time they applied, and they almost didn’t bother trying this time because they were convinced the DNR would never say yes.
But it’s been worth the wait.
Right now, there are conceptual plans for the park, and officials are waiting on the DNR trust fund money to be released to them.
Crystal Falls Township should have construction going next year, and the updated park is slated to be ready for that summer.
Tomorrow, Lindsey will take us to Perkins Park in Big Bay, where similar upgrades are already underway.