​During the "Stay Home. Stay Safe." order, many Michigan residents were getting outside on public lands, trails, and parks. Things changed by the day -- state parks in many states closed, and guidance on social distancing grew more stringent by the week. In some states, public health officials had raised alarm about people congregating in outdoor spaces like beaches, climbing areas, and trail heads, and in some cases these areas were shut down by authorities. We highly encouraged the use of these outdoor spaces, but with some serious adjustments.

​Heart of the Lakes, mParks, and Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance worked together to share some important guidelines to follow when getting outside. The guidelines have since evolved since the launch of the national Recreate Responsibly Coalition.
Heart of the Lakes is the collective voice for Michigan’s land conservancies and friends dedicated to the conservation of Michigan’s environmentally and economically significant land and water.
The voice of Michigan's parks and recreation community mParks is committed to proving parks and recreation matter; that they improve quality of life and contribute enormously to our economy. 
Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance is the statewide voice for nonmotorized trail users, helping to build trails to connect people and communities for a stronger Michigan.

Evolution of Recreating Responsibly

During and after a pandemic.
Getting Outside During a Pandemic
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Recreate Responsibly - Michigan + Winter Edition
Old guidelines
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Recreate Responsibly - Michigan Updated Edition​
Current Guidelines
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