Kona Hills Campground

08/29/2026

Meet Jackson 🥾

Jackson Holdwick is a trailbuilding and land stewardship intern at Kona Hills Campground. Trailbuilding and land stewardships are both initiatives he embodies in his everyday life as an outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism major at Northern Michigan University.

This summer, Jackson has put his skills to the test by designing trails for mountain biking and hiking and building bathhouses from the ground up alongside Kona Hills’ owner Devin Mahoney.

“Trailbuilding has always been a passion of mine. Using your hands to craft a path in the Earth is an immersive experience.” -Jackson Holdwick

Jackson has been able to take ownership of his work on the trails, designing trails from his mind right into the thimbleberry-lined paths that sprawl the 80 acres of the campground. His internship is part of Innovate Marquette’s pilot summer internship program– an initiative supporting 8 U.P. students to stay in the U.P. and develop their skills hands-on with outdoor recreation companies.

Learn more at https://innovatemarquette.org/kona-hills-campground/

08/29/2026

Michigan's trail towns are booming, but there's a catch: the taxes visitors pay only fund marketing, not the roads, trails, and emergency services their visits actually wear down. Residents are left covering the difference through property taxes.

What if tourism dollars paid for tourism's real costs? Learn how communities are exploring lodging tax expansion, and why it's time the tax caught up with how people actually travel, including campgrounds, RV parks, cabins, and Airbnbs. This isn't about whether tourism growth is good or bad. It's about making sure the places people love to visit can still afford to be great places to live.

Leading the conversation:

Jeremy Johnson, Co-Founder & Operator, Kona Hills Campground. Outdoor hospitality developer and entrepreneur in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, with a background spanning digital marketing, software growth strategy, and real estate development.

More sessions and tickets to the Summit here: michiganoutdoor.org

08/19/2026

This is the kind of morning we come camping for. 🌲

Friends around the fire, breakfast in the cast iron, nowhere to rush off to, and a dog keeping a very close eye on quality control.

The simple stuff is usually the good stuff.

08/13/2026

08/12/2026

Some of the best memories happen when everyone finally says “Let’s do it.”

Here’s how to make your next camping trip one to remember:

1. Pick the right campsite.
Choose a spot with plenty of room for everyone to relax, play games, and gather around the fire.

2. Keep the schedule simple.
The best camping weekends aren’t packed with activities—they leave room for campfire conversations, lake swims, and spontaneous adventures.

3. Unplug together.
Put the phones away for a while and enjoy the moments you’ll actually remember long after the weekend ends.

4. Bring food everyone can share.
Campfire meals, snacks, and s’mores always taste better when everyone pitches in.

5. Stay up for the campfire.
The stories, laughter, and late-night conversations are usually the part everyone talks about long after the trip is over.

Send this to the group chat that’s been saying, “We should go camping” for months.

08/03/2026

💬 Should tourists pay more to support the communities they visit?

As Michigan lawmakers continue to debate changes to tourism and lodging taxes, we're revisiting a timely Media Meet conversation with local business owner Jeremy Johnson. He makes the case for increasing taxes on visitors rather than local residents to help fund the services and infrastructure that tourism depends on. Recent proposals in Michigan have renewed discussion about keeping more tourism dollars in the communities that host visitors.

Whether you agree or disagree, it's a conversation that's especially relevant as tourism continues to grow across the Upper Peninsula.

📺 Watch Saturday at 6/5c & Sunday at 2/1c on WNMU-TV
📻 Listen on Public Radio 90: Sunday at 7:30 AM; Monday at 5:30 AM & 3:30 PM
💻 Stream now on our website or the PBS app.

Marquette entrepreneur Jeremy Johnson co-owns Kona Kills Campground, supports changes to visitor tax

08/03/2026

Some of the best memories happen when everyone finally says “Let’s do it.” Here’s how to make your next camping trip one to remember:

Pick the right campsite.
Choose a spot with plenty of room for everyone to relax, play games, and gather around the fire.

Keep the schedule simple.
The best camping weekends aren’t packed with activities—they leave room for campfire conversations, lake swims, and spontaneous adventures.

Unplug together.
Put the phones away for a while and enjoy the moments you’ll actually remember long after the weekend ends.

Bring food everyone can share.
Campfire meals, snacks, and s’mores always taste better when everyone pitches in.

Stay up for the campfire.
The stories, laughter, and late-night conversations are usually the part everyone talks about long after the trip is over.

Send this to the group chat that’s been saying, “We should go camping” for months.

08/03/2026

If we were showing a friend around Marquette for the first time, these are the mountain biking trails we’d ride first:

South Trails (NTN) – A Marquette classic with miles of singletrack, flow, climbs, and technical features. It’s the perfect place to experience what makes riding here so special.

North Trails (NTN) – A quieter trail system with a mix of scenic riding and fun terrain that’s great for exploring beyond the city’s most popular trails.

Marquette Mountain – Home to purpose-built downhill and enduro trails, plus lift-served riding when the bike park is open. A must if you’re looking for gravity-fed fun.

Forestville Trails (NTN) – Fast, flowing singletrack that’s approachable for a wide range of riders and a favorite for a quick ride close to town.

No matter your skill level, these trail systems are why Marquette has become one of the Midwest’s premier mountain biking destinations.

Marquette Mountain NTN Trails