Peninsula Township Parkstho 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 committee: 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 first Wednesday of each month at the township hall and are open to the public. Parks committee meeting dates are available on the township website. Members include:
Dave Murphy = Pelizzari Natural Area Michele Zebell = Bowers Harbor (for pavilion reservations, see below) Mike Skurski = Haserot Beach Mike Skurski = Kelley Park Mary Beth Milliken = Archie Park TBD = Murray Trailhead TBD = Ridgewood Trailhead Pete Dahl = Old Mission State Park Pelizzari Natural Area (map opens in new tab) An enormous amount of work has taken place at Pelizzari Natural Area since Peninsula Township formally took ownership in July of 2009. Please stay on the marked trails and keep your dog on a leash while in the Pelizzari Natural Area. Contact Dave Murphy at davemurphy6943@gmail.com for questions about Pelizzari Natural Area. Bowers Harbor Park (map opens in new tab) 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. 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. Contact Michele Zebell at mzebell.parks@gmail.com for questions about Bowers Harbor Park Expansion. Haserot Beach & Boat Launch (map opens in new tab) The only improved public beach access on the Old Mission Peninsula is located at Haserot Beach on Old Mission Harbor. View the Grand Traverse County Beach Monitoring Dashboard (website opens in new tab). The dashboard is updated every Thursday throughout the summer and show the results of weekly E. coli sample results. 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 2023. Facilities include:
Archie Roadside Park (map opens in new tab) 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. Facilities include:
Lighthouse Park (map opens in new tab) 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:
Old Mission State Park (map opens in new tab) 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 opens in new tab) 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. Contact Chris Rieser at crieser99@sbcglobal.net for questions about the Historic Church. Dougherty House (map opens in new tab) Open June - October, Thursday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. Contact Chris Rieser at crieser99@sbcglobal.net for questions about the Doughery House. |
 Haserot Beach and Boat Launch  Haserot Beach  Bowers Harbor Park  Bowers Harbor Park  Lighthouse Park  Lighthouse Park  Pelizzari Natural Area  Archie Park |
Pavilion ReservationsThe pavilions at Bowers Harbor park can be reserved for a fee June through September. Please contact Susan Piehl at (231) 223-7322 ext. 1 or by email at officemanager@peninsulatownship.com for availability. You will need to submit a Reservation Request form (website opens in new tab). No reservations will be made until the fee and a completed an Reservation Request form have been received. COVID-19 Orders - Everyone must adhere to all of the Governor’s and the MDHHS COVID-19 orders.
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