Michigan Beaches Left Trashed After Fourth of July Surge

The Fourth of July/Independence Day/National Hot Dog & Beer Day has come and gone, and it was an eventful one here in Michigan. AAA reported a record number of 2.6 million Michiganders traveling for the holiday weekend. Whether it was a staycation or someone coming into town for the week, people flocked to the lakeshore to relax on the beach.

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State Parks like Holland State Park (HSP) and Grand Haven State Park (GHSP) were packed with people, with HSP announcing that it had reached its parking capacity by early morning. With all these people coming and going, it seems that many visitors are not taking home everything they brought to the beach, as evidenced by the large volumes of trash GHSP's staff collected and shared photos of.

Litter on the Beach

Summer days in Michigan are spent at the beach, but the busiest beach days of the year take place around the holidays. The HSP issued a warning nearly a week in advance for parkgoers, stating that state parks would be busy on the Fourth of July weekend and that parking would fill up quickly.

READ MORE: Can You Drink Alcohol on Michigan Beaches? What the Law Says

However, it was GHSP that provided the most vivid example of just how busy the park was, and that example came in the form of trash. The park shared a heartfelt thank you to its staff on Facebook for their hard work, and wanted the public to know that the staff spend most of their time just picking up after guests. By 11 am, park staff had completed three rounds of trash runs like the one below.

Per the post:

On our busy weekends many just simply walk away, leaving tents, coolers, food, and trash behind for staff to clean up. This isn’t acceptable. We ask everyone to please respect the park, respect others, and take responsibility for your belongings and trash before you leave.

The tents and coolers left behind are often damaged, adding to the workload for park staff already dealing with trash. Some campers at the park step in to help staff, but ultimately, it is up to you to take care of your trash. If you bring something to the park, bring it home with you!

Staff have more important things to do than clean up after you.