Photo: Ellen Creager ~ USA TODAY NETWORK
ALGER COUNTY, MI, July 30, 2024 ~ Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan‘s Upper Peninsula is considered a national treasure, and more visitors than ever before are visiting the area.
In 1966 the 42-mile-long Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, with its 15 miles of cliffs and breathtaking colored walls opened. In 1979, about nine thousand campers visited the area, in 2023 the number had jumped to nearly 30 thousand. U.S. national parks have seen a steep hike in visitors for a number of reasons, according to experts.
PODCAST:
July 30, 2024 ~ Over the last decade, Pictured Rocks‘ backcountry campers have nearly doubled. WJR Senior News Analyst Marie Osborne joins Kevin Dietz and Tom Jordan to share why.
(CONTINUED) Hiking gear has been engineered to be lighter and better, people posting gorgeous photos on social media, and the pandemic sent thousands of people to isolated spots on vacation. But with all the visitors comes some problems, with littering at the top of the list. Because of that, there is now a recreation fee at Pictured Rocks to help with the maintenance and cleanup of the shoreline.
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