Baraga State Park

01/07/2026

Baraga State Park didn't make it to round two, but let's help our other great UP parks win!!! Wells State Park, Fort Wilkins Historic State Park, Muskallonge Lake State Park and Brimley State Park

12/22/2025

Voting begins January 1st!!! Vote for Baraga State Park in the 2026 State Park Madness tournament on the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center page! Vote for us and your other favorite to advance to the finals! You can vote in person at the Outdoor Adventure Center beginning January 2nd.

State Park Madness is just one month away!

It's park vs park in this January showdown, and you decide the winner! The State Park Madness tournament will run from January 1-31, and is intended to promote Michigan State Parks and recreation opportunities.

2026 marks a fresh start for the competition. Past winners have been excluded from the list, and all other parks and recreation areas have been added back in! We have randomly drawn the 2026 participants. 32 parks will compete, and the winners will be announced at noon on the final day of each round:

Round 1: January 1-6
Round 2: January 7-11
Round 3: January 12-18
Round 4: January 19-25
Championship Round: January 26-31

Winners will receive the official State Parks Madness trophy and bragging rights for a full year.

Voting begins January 1, at 9 am, on the Outdoor Adventure Center's page and via Microsoft Form (see link below). Visitors to the OAC can also vote in person, beginning January 2.

2026 Parks:
Aloha State Park
Baraga State Park
Brighton Recreation Area
Brimley State Park
Charles Mears State Park
Coldwater Lake State Park
Craig Lake State Park
Fisherman's Island State Park
Fort Custer Recreation Area
Fort Wilkins Historic State Park
Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park
Harrisville State Park
Interlochen State Park
Ionia State Recreation Area
Island Lake Recreation Area
JW Wells State Park
Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park
Lake Hudson Recreation Area
Lakeport State Park
Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area
Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park
Muskallonge Lake State Park
Negwegon State Park
Newaygo State Park
Petoskey State Park
PJ Hoffmaster State Park
South Higgins Lake State Park
Tippy Dam Recreation Area
Van Buren Trail State Park
Waterloo Recreation Area
William Mitchell State Park
William G. Milliken State Park

Link to Microsoft Form voting (Round 1, opens January 1 at 9am): https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=h3D71Xc3rUKWaoku9HIl0fOAZTriXZdPpYGyjWAo5UZUNEswMktUT0hTTUVSU0g5WFowOUxNWVRLNy4u

Previous winners include:
Tahquamenon Falls State Park (2018)
Bald Mountain Recreation Area (2019)
Port Crescent State Park (2021)
Holland State Park (2023)
WJ Hayes State Park (2024)
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (2025)
(The competition was not held 2020 or 2022)

07/21/2025

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Baraga State Park is looking for hosts for August and September. Our host site is great for trailers and RVs as it is an approximately 90' long gravel pull through site with 20/30/50 amp electric hookup, water and sewer, Wi-Fi and good Verizon service. Interested applicants can email a completed host application to Kelly Somero at [email protected]. www.Michigan.gov/DNRvolunteers has information about hosting and the application.

information about volunteer and donation opportunities

03/26/2025

HERE'S YOUR CHANCE to learn more about Camp Grayling's Commander! 📰 DID YOU KNOW Colonel Lucas Lanczy holds the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Lake Trout Record??? 🎣 CHECKOUT this cool article in the Wolverine Guard!


Michigan National Guard 177th Military Police Brigade, Michigan National Guard 107th Engineer Battalion

03/24/2025

This position participates in the day to day work activities of the unit with regard to the operations of Parks and Recreation Division administered facilities. The employee shall assist the Unit Supervisor/Lead Ranger in various administrative tasks as delegated with minimal supervision. The employ...

02/20/2025

It may not appear that summer is near with all the snow on the ground but Baraga State Park is seeking motivated individuals to join our team for the 2025 camping season. Those interested can visit www.michigan.gov/dnrjobs or click on the link below. For more information please call 906-353-6558.

Find current job openings plus information on temporary and permanent employment with the DNR. Find summer positions, seasonal positions, full time positions and more.

09/19/2024

06/05/2024

More photos from the first day of the playground build!

06/05/2024

The first day of the playground build went great! Many thanks to Michigan National Guard , 107th Engineer Battalion, Sinclair Recreation LLC, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park - the Porkies , and all of the volunteers who assisted yesterday! A big thank you to Friends of Baraga State Park and 7 Wonders for providing an amazing lunch for all of the volunteers. Work continues today, so please continue to be patient while we continue to construct our new playground and stay clear of construction areas for safety.

06/05/2024

Thanks to Tom and Rich from Sinclair Recreation LLC for all of their hard work in getting our new playground installed! The first day of the build went great and we are excited for day two!

06/05/2024

Thanks for the amazing lunch for the first day of our playground build 7 Wonders!

06/05/2024

Day one of the playground build!