Hoffmaster State Park

P.J. Hoffmaster State Park is a public recreation area on the shores of Lake Michigan located five miles north of Grand Haven at the southwest corner of Norton Shores, in Muskegon County, and the northwest corner of Spring Lake Township, in Ottawa County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.[4] The state park includes 1,200 acres (490 ha) of land including three miles (4.8 km) of sand beach on the lake.

P.J. Hoffmaster State Park
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)[1]
Parabolic dune with damage to dune grass
on unauthorized trail in center of photograph
Location in Michigan
LocationMuskegon County / Ottawa County, Michigan, United States
Nearest cityNorton Shores, Michigan
Coordinates43°07′26″N 86°15′54″W[2]
Area1,200 acres (490 ha)
Elevation669 feet (204 m) [2]
DesignationMichigan state park
Established1963[3]
AdministratorMichigan Department of Natural Resources
WebsiteHoffmaster State Park

History

Established in 1963, the park is named after Percy James Hoffmaster, sometimes considered the founder of the Michigan state parks system, who served as the Superintendent of State Parks and longest-acting Director of the Department of Conservation.[5] The park's nature center is named for Emma Genevieve Gillette, who scouted locations for new state parks under Hoffmaster.[6]

Activities and amenities

The Gillette Sand Dune Visitor Center features interactive exhibits related to the sand dune ecosystem within the park. The center also has live animals and an auditorium and offers many nature programs for the public.[7] There are ten miles (16 km) of hiking trails, including the Dune Climb Stairway on the tallest dune.[8] Three miles (5 km) of trail are groomed in the winter for cross-country skiing. There are two campgrounds and a beach.[4] Bird watchers come to view migrating songbirds (wood thrushes and orioles plus warblers and sparrows of various species) and migrating raptors (sharp-shinned and broad-winged hawks and even the occasional eagle or falcon).[9]

In the news

The park made international headlines on July 8, 2009, when a man fell asleep in his truck and backed over his family tent, injuring his wife and two young children.[10]

References
  1. "Hoffmaster State Park". IUCN. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  2. "P J Hoffmaster State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  3. "When were Michigan state parks and recreation areas established?" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  4. "Hoffmaster State Park". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  5. "P.J. Hoffmaster State Park". Gillette Nature Association. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  6. "Who was Genevieve Gillette?". Gillette Nature Association. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  7. "Exhibit Hall". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  8. "Trail and Stairway". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  9. Wildlife Viewing at Hoffmaster State Park - Michigan DNR Archived 2015-11-17 at the Wayback Machine
  10. LeMieux, Dave (July 8, 2009). "Kids injured when vehicle rolls over tent at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park". MLive. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
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