For the third year in a row, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has declared a “Michigan Camping & Recreation Vehicle Month,” to be held in July.
Camping is a key contributor to the state’s over $17 billion tourism industry. The declaration supports the economic and recreational contributions that the camping industry provides to Michigan’s overall tourism, as well as promoting camping as a year-round inexpensive and family-friendly recreation option, according to a news release.
Both Michiganders and visitors alike take advantage of the state’s array of 19 million acres of woodlands, and fresh air by boating, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, paddling, pedaling, golfing, geocaching, nature watching, photography, and much more. The temperate climate allows for great camping and outdoor recreation–making it the ultimate Pure Michigan experience!
Michigan has more than 1,300 licensed, private, recreation vehicle parks and state run campgrounds, with more than 145,000 licensed campsites. This includes state parks, forests and recreation areas across the state. A study by Michigan State University shows that 10% of all pleasure travelers in Michigan are campers. Michigan also boasts over 315,000 licensed recreation vehicles.
Michigan’s two nonprofit camping organizations, the Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles & Campgrounds (MARVAC) and the Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds of Michigan (Michigan ARVC), equally promote and support private campgrounds and RV parks throughout the state.
All state lands are managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, while the national parks and lakeshores are managed by the National Park Service and/or the U.S. Forest Service. Campgrounds and RVing are promoted by Travel Michigan and their award-winning Pure Michigan campaign.
