Jarhead
May 13th, 2015, 06:06 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2015
Contact: Silver Lake State Park, 231-873-3083
Parking vouchers required at Silver Lake State Park ORV Area and new Facebook page created for Silver Lake State Park
Access at the Silver Lake State Park ORV Area (SLORVA) in Oceana County, Michigan, has changed to speed up the entry process. Dune-ready vouchers will no longer be required; however, those requiring parking must obtain a voucher to secure a spot.
Visitors requiring a staging or parking area for their tow vehicle and/or trailer will need to pick up a parking voucher the night before they visit the ORV area. One parking voucher is allowed per person, or four vouchers maximum, per vehicle. Parking vouchers can be acquired at the Welcome Center (formerly known as the Voucher Center) according to the following schedule, until the line is gone or until all vouchers have been handed out:
Starting at 9 p.m. Friday for Saturday morning parking
Starting at 9 p.m. Saturday for Sunday morning parking
Vouchers will be validated when they are picked up (visitors will enter their tow vehicle information in the spaces provided and park staff will “stamp” the voucher), so visitors are asked to have ready the driver’s name and tow vehicle license when they pick up their voucher.
A parking voucher will guarantee a parking space for the day in the ORV area parking lot as long as it is redeemed between 7 and 9 a.m. on the assigned day.
Dune-ready vehicles that can be driven straight from the road to the dunes will no longer require a dune-ready voucher. With the elimination of the dune-ready vouchers, visitors must make sure they are prepared when they reach the ORV area entrance.
“By keeping the parking voucher system in place, we can manage the traffic flow through the entrance gate more efficiently,” said Tim Schreiner, Cadillac District supervisor for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “Having controlled time slots for dune parking will assist in managing the vehicles lined up at the entrance throughout the rest of the day. We know from experience that mixing tow vehicles with dune-ready vehicles causes traffic issues on the county road, so we will continue to park folks in the morning.”
Park rangers and task force volunteers will assist at the entrance gate and in the parking lot to make sure that visitors have all required permits and that parking space is maximized. Customers should secure these permits prior to arriving at Silver Lake State Park to make access more efficient:
Recreation Passports
ORV licenses
ORV trail permits
Recreation Passports and ORV permits will no longer be sold at the ORV entrance area. This will allow for a steady flow of traffic through the ORV entrance gate. Customers may purchase required permits at the Welcome Center (formerly known as the Voucher Center), the park headquarters, or other locations. ORV permits also can be purchased at DNR retail sales agents.
The Department of Natural Resources has worked with a volunteer task force over the last several months to develop an improved access plan for the Silver Lake State Park ORV Area (SLORVA) that will include a more efficient check-in process.
The SLORVA Task Force, which is comprised of various business owners, commercial users, residents and off-road enthusiasts, made recommendations to the DNR to improve the ORV area. Specifically, members strategized how to make dune entry for both local and traveling dune users faster by reducing unnecessary wait lines. The task force unanimously voted to eliminate permit sales at the ORV area entrance and eliminate the "dune-ready" vouchers.
To improve communication updates on SLORVA, the DNR also announced the new Silver Lake State Park Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SilverLakeSP. This page will allow Facebook users to stay up to date on the latest information related to the dune area, along with other updates and events at the park. The department encourages both first-time and longtime dune enthusiasts to “like” and share the page to help keep everyone better interconnected. Additional updates will be announced via press releases and ORV Trail email updates and on the Silver Lake State Park ORV Area webpage.
A Recreation Passport grants vehicle access to any Michigan state park, boat launch, state forest campground or nonmotorized state trailhead parking. Residents can purchase the Passport for just $11 ($5 for motorcycles) at the time of Michigan license plate renewal through Secretary of State. Forgot to check “YES” during renewal? Residents and nonresidents can purchase a Recreation Passport window sticker during regular business hours at state parks. Learn more about how the Recreation Passport supports state parks and local outdoor recreation opportunities at www.michigan.gov/recreationpassport.
May 12, 2015
Contact: Silver Lake State Park, 231-873-3083
Parking vouchers required at Silver Lake State Park ORV Area and new Facebook page created for Silver Lake State Park
Access at the Silver Lake State Park ORV Area (SLORVA) in Oceana County, Michigan, has changed to speed up the entry process. Dune-ready vouchers will no longer be required; however, those requiring parking must obtain a voucher to secure a spot.
Visitors requiring a staging or parking area for their tow vehicle and/or trailer will need to pick up a parking voucher the night before they visit the ORV area. One parking voucher is allowed per person, or four vouchers maximum, per vehicle. Parking vouchers can be acquired at the Welcome Center (formerly known as the Voucher Center) according to the following schedule, until the line is gone or until all vouchers have been handed out:
Starting at 9 p.m. Friday for Saturday morning parking
Starting at 9 p.m. Saturday for Sunday morning parking
Vouchers will be validated when they are picked up (visitors will enter their tow vehicle information in the spaces provided and park staff will “stamp” the voucher), so visitors are asked to have ready the driver’s name and tow vehicle license when they pick up their voucher.
A parking voucher will guarantee a parking space for the day in the ORV area parking lot as long as it is redeemed between 7 and 9 a.m. on the assigned day.
Dune-ready vehicles that can be driven straight from the road to the dunes will no longer require a dune-ready voucher. With the elimination of the dune-ready vouchers, visitors must make sure they are prepared when they reach the ORV area entrance.
“By keeping the parking voucher system in place, we can manage the traffic flow through the entrance gate more efficiently,” said Tim Schreiner, Cadillac District supervisor for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “Having controlled time slots for dune parking will assist in managing the vehicles lined up at the entrance throughout the rest of the day. We know from experience that mixing tow vehicles with dune-ready vehicles causes traffic issues on the county road, so we will continue to park folks in the morning.”
Park rangers and task force volunteers will assist at the entrance gate and in the parking lot to make sure that visitors have all required permits and that parking space is maximized. Customers should secure these permits prior to arriving at Silver Lake State Park to make access more efficient:
Recreation Passports
ORV licenses
ORV trail permits
Recreation Passports and ORV permits will no longer be sold at the ORV entrance area. This will allow for a steady flow of traffic through the ORV entrance gate. Customers may purchase required permits at the Welcome Center (formerly known as the Voucher Center), the park headquarters, or other locations. ORV permits also can be purchased at DNR retail sales agents.
The Department of Natural Resources has worked with a volunteer task force over the last several months to develop an improved access plan for the Silver Lake State Park ORV Area (SLORVA) that will include a more efficient check-in process.
The SLORVA Task Force, which is comprised of various business owners, commercial users, residents and off-road enthusiasts, made recommendations to the DNR to improve the ORV area. Specifically, members strategized how to make dune entry for both local and traveling dune users faster by reducing unnecessary wait lines. The task force unanimously voted to eliminate permit sales at the ORV area entrance and eliminate the "dune-ready" vouchers.
To improve communication updates on SLORVA, the DNR also announced the new Silver Lake State Park Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SilverLakeSP. This page will allow Facebook users to stay up to date on the latest information related to the dune area, along with other updates and events at the park. The department encourages both first-time and longtime dune enthusiasts to “like” and share the page to help keep everyone better interconnected. Additional updates will be announced via press releases and ORV Trail email updates and on the Silver Lake State Park ORV Area webpage.
A Recreation Passport grants vehicle access to any Michigan state park, boat launch, state forest campground or nonmotorized state trailhead parking. Residents can purchase the Passport for just $11 ($5 for motorcycles) at the time of Michigan license plate renewal through Secretary of State. Forgot to check “YES” during renewal? Residents and nonresidents can purchase a Recreation Passport window sticker during regular business hours at state parks. Learn more about how the Recreation Passport supports state parks and local outdoor recreation opportunities at www.michigan.gov/recreationpassport.