Michigan Ag Connection - New Amenities to be Feted at Fayette Historic Park

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New Amenities to be Feted at Fayette Historic Park
Michigan Ag Connection - 05/18/2017

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will hold an open house/ribbon-cutting event for recently completed construction projects at Fayette Historic State Park in Delta County.

The event is set for 10 a.m. May 27 at the park, which is located at 4785 II Road, south of Garden, along the western shoreline of the Garden Peninsula. DNR staff will meet participants at the visitor center.

In 2016, a newly constructed boat dock at Snail Shell Harbor was opened in late summer and in autumn, a modern restroom building located at the park campground was constructed. The May 27 event will celebrate completion of both projects.

"These new features at Fayette will improve our visitor experience," said Randy Brown, park supervisor. "We're getting ready for the upcoming summer season and this celebration will get us off to a great start." An old dock at the harbor, which had been scheduled for replacement in 2015, was damaged during the previous winter.

Improvements at the site, which offers boating access via the harbor to Lake Michigan, include complete replacement of the old dock with a new floating dock system. The new dock has seven finger piers: one that is 38 feet long, two that are 45 feet long and four which are 60 feet long.

Funding for the dock project was provided through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's boating infrastructure grant program and the Michigan State Waterways Fund, which is derived from boater registration fees and marine fuel tax revenue.

The money for the toilet and shower building came from DNR parks capital outlay funds and from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Parking during the event will be at the visitor center. From there, a 1.4-mile walk will pass a new sanitation station on the way to the new toilet/shower building. A short ceremony will be held here in the park campground.

The walk will then continue to the dock where another brief ceremony will take place, followed by cake and refreshments, rain or shine. View an invitation to the event.

DNR officials encourage those planning to attend the event to arrive early to find available parking. One of the unique aspects of the historic park is no vehicles are allowed within the townsite.

The 711-acre Fayette Historic State Park blends nature and history with a historic townsite, a representation of a once-bustling industrial community.

Visitors can learn about the town through guided tours and information from the park's visitor center or through self-guided walks through the town site.

For more information, visit the DNR's webpage at: www.michigan.gov/fayette.

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