March 19, 2024

Want To Become A Campground Host?

Jan. 4, 2015

How would you like to spend a month enjoying free camping at one of Michigan’s many beautiful state parks?

It may seem like an odd time of year to be thinking about camping, but the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is already looking for state park campground hosts for the 2015 season.

Each year, hundreds of people volunteer as campground hosts, spending a month or more camping for free. The only catch is that they must spend 30 hours per week directing visitors to campsites, planning campground activities, answering questions about the park and surrounding area, and performing light park maintenance.

Jack Denneny, who visits from Ontario, thinks it’s a great opportunity. He’s spent six weeks during each of the last nine years as a campground host at the Traverse City State Park.

"My wife and I spend time in May and June hosting and come back again in September for a couple of weeks. I’m 73 and it’s a great way to spend summer in a park across the road from a beautiful beach and Lake Michigan. What’s not to like?" he enthused. "We enjoy meeting all the campers, many of them from Europe, and the staff is great to work with. We intend to keep doing it as long as we can."

John Walter, State Park manager, credits Denneny with some innovations that have helped improve their operation.

"A lot of people from out of state don’t know about our Michigan bottle and can deposit. They were just throwing them away and Jack came up with a wishing well to collect cans and bottles, which has brought in from $500 to $1,600 per summer since it was implemented. The money is used for campground improvements," he explained. "He also helped streamline our dump station, which was always a real traffic jam on holiday weekends."

Sometimes, campground hosts come from right around the corner. Liz Yarch and her family have been hosting at Interlochen State Park for the last several years, even though the park is only six miles from their home.

"We started camping at the state park six years ago because it was close to home and on a lake. We loved the experience, saw how the campground hosts helped the campers, and thought that was for us. Being from the area, we’re able to offer visitors lots of information about the area and what there is to do," she elaborated. "We applied and were accepted."

The Yarchs host a coffee hour and craft sessions during which the children of the family lead craft projects for younger campers.

"Our role is to help the staff in any way they ask. We have small items like shovels, rakes, brooms, extension cords and hammers that we pass out. The campers really appreciate it. We answer questions about the area and where they can go for different venues. Living close to the state park makes it easy to direct them to local attractions," she added. "I would recommend the opportunity to anyone that likes camping and meeting people. It’s a great job and my kids love living at the park for a few weeks during the summer."

Ray Smitter, a retiree living near Holland, has been hosting with his wife at Interlochen State Park for five years and wouldn’t trade the job for anything.

"I intend to keep doing it for as long as I can. We’ve made lots of new friends over that time that we stay in contact with. The things we do for campers and the state park is relatively easy. We spend five days a week helping out the staff, hosting coffees and crafts, doing light work around the campground, and we get a couple of days off each week to explore the area. It’s a great way to spend the month of August, which is when we do our hosting," explained Smitter.

Grand Rapids area resident Lori Mapes has been hosting at Young State Park in Boyne City for 16 years. She was four years old when her family began camping at the park each summer.

"I grew up camping and saw what a wonderful experience it could be. My son was four years old when I started hosting as a single mom. It was a wonderful experience for him and he now works for the DNR. In all those years, I can’t recall one bad experience with campers. Young State Park is a friendly atmosphere that families love. Many of the campers I’ve met are third and fourth generation families that keep coming back year after year. It’s like spending a month with your family," she laughed.

The DNR is now accepting campground host applications for summer 2015. The program runs from April through October. Hosts camp for free and agree to spend 30 service hours per week helping campers and hosting programs. Campground hosts are selected by state park managers and new hosts must attend a training session held June 3 and 4 at the Ralph A. MacMullan DNR center in Roscommon. The Michigan DNR hopes to find 400 hosts to help in state campgrounds this summer. You can log onto www.michigan.gov/dnrvolunteers for more information and to obtain an application.

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