Promoting winter sports may be a way to attract more tourists to Michigan, and more tourists mean more money.
“Snow in Michigan is really white gold,” said Mary Dettloff with the Department of Natural Resources.
Snowmobiling is already a huge industry for the state. It attracts people from around the country, and Dettloff says it has an economic impact of more than $1 billion.
Michigan currently has 99 state parks and recreation areas where people can experience the great outdoors and do things like cross-country ski, snow-shoe, and hike.
State parks also host special workshops and classes. One of the most popular programs is a “make-your-own-snowshoe” workshop. Some state parks also have dog-sled demonstrations and lantern-lit, nighttime skiing and hiking. (For the truly brave there’s a public luge in Muskegon State Park.)
Dettloff said the state has the potential to become a destination for winter sports but she said the state needs to do a better job promoting itself to tourists.
