Peninsula Township Parks
All Peninsula Township parks and natural areas remain open during the COVID-19 stay-at-home directive. If you visit them, please keep the required social distance from other people, and please remember to pick up after your pet! Also, please be aware that the hand sanitizer and toilet paper have disappeared, so bring your own! All play structures are closed until further notice as we are unable to disinfect them.
The Peninsula Township Parks Committee is comprised of seven members who are appointed by the township board. Their names and positions are listed below. Each member can be reached by email. The parks committee has the responsibility for developing and operating all the township parks and works with the township building and grounds staff to maintain the parks for the benefit of all park users. Your comments and questions concerning Peninsula Township parks are very valuable to the parks committee, and we urge you to share your concerns at any time by emailing any of the members or writing to the following address: Peninsula Township Parks Committee 13235 Center Road Traverse City, Michigan 49686 If your concerns are urgent or involve an issue of public safety, your emailed or written comments will receive a prompt response from a parks committee member. General questions and concerns are addressed at the parks committee monthly meetings, and you can expect both timely consideration and a response. Parks committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at the township office and are open to the public. Parks committee meeting dates and previous meeting agendas and minutes are available on the township website. Click HERE to view the resolution creating the parks committee as amended 10-21-19. Members include:
Click HERE to view the parks committee's activities and accomplishments. If you have questions about a specific park, please contact the parks committee member assigned to that park: Dave Murphy = Pelizzari Natural Area Mike Skurski = Bowers Harbor Don Atkinson = Haserot Mary Beth Milliken = Archie Park Eric Dreier = Murray Trailhead Beth Karczewski = Ridgewood Trailhead TBA = Log Church Pete Dahl = Lighthouse Park Adopt-A-Park Program!
Donation of Memorial Park Benches - Click HERE for more information. Dogs on leashes - Click HERE to view a thoughtful reminder to please keep dogs on leashes at all Peninsula Township parks and properties by Record-Eagle reporter Kelley Peterson. Pelizzari Natural Area Map it! An enormous amount of work has taken place at Pelizzari Natural Area since Peninsula Township formally took ownership in July of 2009. Click HERE for a Pelizzari Natural Area map. Please keep your dog on a leash while in the Pelizzari Natural Area. 2018 Peninsula Township Recreation Plan and Pelizzari Natural Area Management Plan. Bowers Harbor Park Map It! Facilities include:
Bowers Harbor Park Expansion Peninsula Township, with the assistance of grant funds from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, and significant private donations, recently acquired 60 acres of land adjacent to the current Bowers Harbor Park. This expansion of the existing park will enhance an already popular recreation destination in Peninsula Township to include additional non-motorized trails for access to natural and recreational resources. From May of 2016 to March of 2017, a committee carried out an extensive planning and public input process that resulted in a conceptual plan for a cohesive recreation area composed of the original Bowers Harbor Park and the expansion area. The Peninsula Township Park Commission (now the Peninsula Township Parks Committee) approved the recommended Final Proposed Concept Plan at its June 2017 meeting as a guide for future development, but public comment and input continues to be welcome.
Susie Shipman, who chaired the planning committee, at shipman.parks@gmail.com. Background Documents:
Please note: There is now a mowed one-mile-long temporary trail in the park expansion area; please be aware of poison ivy observed alongside the trail in some locations. Haserot Beach & Boat Launch Map it! The only improved public beach access on the Old Mission Peninsula is located at Haserot Beach on Old Mission Harbor. The township boat launch formerly located at Haserot Beach was destroyed in a winter storm and is no longer usable. A new township boat launch will be constructed at Kelley Park, hopefully in the spring or summer of 2020. Facilities include:
Archie Roadside Park Map it! Archie Park is a roadside park on M-37, near Gray and Bluff Roads used by a variety of people. Department of Transportation employees use the area for temporary storage of equipment and as a place for eating lunch. Bicyclists use the park as a parking lot and staging area for tours of Old Mission Peninsula. As traffic increases, additional use is anticipated for this small park. It is also the only public access to East Bay south of Old Mission except for the DNR boat launch site at East Shore Road and M-37. Facilites include:
Lighthouse Park Map it! Because of its location at the end of the peninsula and the end of M-37, and the historic site for the lighthouse, this park is receiving an annual increase in users. It is commonly utilized as a year-round facility. Facilities include:
Click HERE Lighthouse Historic Structure Report. Old Mission Point Park Map it! Adjacent (south) to Lighthouse Park, this land was acquired by lease with the help of the Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. Facilities include:
Cultural Center/Historic Church Map it! This small historical site has recently been discovered by the public since the parks committee installed historic documents. On-site parking is available, and the church is open daily. Dougherty House Map it! Open June - October, Thursday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. Contact person: Bill Cole 231-223-8778 On March 15, 2011, new Department of Justice rules took effect specifying “other power-driven mobility devices” (OPDMD) that could be used on trails by “individuals with mobility disabilities.” Our Peninsula Township parks and trails are in compliance with the Department of Justice ruling. We encourage all of our park visitors to enjoy their time on the trails and to operate at a safe pedestrian speed if they are using an OPDMD. Please contact one of our parks committee members with any questions. For more information, please visit: www.americantrails.org/resources/accessible/OPDMD-DOJ-requirement-basic.html.
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Park Photos Haserot Beach and Boat Launch  Haserot Beach  Bowers Harbor Park  Bowers Harbor Park  Lighthouse Park  Lighthouse Park  Pelizzari Natural Area  Archie Park |
Pavilion Reservations
The pavilions at Bowers Harbor park can be reserved for a fee June through September. Please contact the Susan Piehl (231) 223-7322 ext. 1 (email: officemanager@peninsulatownship.com) for availability, then use the link below to complete the request for reservation and submit it with the appropriate fee. No reservations will be made until the fee and application have been received.
Click to view/print a Pavilion Reservation Request Form NOTE: If the approximate number of people at your event is more than 50 people, you will be required to get a Special Events Permit approved by the parks committee. Please see Special Events Application below. Click to view/print a Special Events Permit Application. Businesses and non-profits with a group of 50 people or more must also submit a certificate of liability insurance naming Peninsula Township and Peninsula Township Parks Committee as additional named insured for general liability of at least one million dollars per occurrence and at least two million dollars aggregate prior to your event. Click to view/print Parks Ordinance #5 Pavilion #1 - 40'x18', 8 picnic tables (1 is handicap accessible),3 grills, $60.00. Pavilion #2 - 25'x18', 4 picnic tables, 2 grills, $30.00. Pavilion #3 - 25'x18', 4 picnic tables (1 is handicap accessible), 2 grills $30.00. Click to print a Pavilion Location Map |
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