Nov. 9, 2009

The Department of Natural Resources today announced that a fully accessible hunting blind is now available for reservations at the Rifle River Recreation Area in Lupton.

The Huntmaster Classic hunting blind will be available for use at two different hunting locations, strategically selected in an active wildlife corridor. The hunting locations are dispersed along a short, primarily flat one-quarter of a mile trail constructed with compacted aggregate and adjacent to accessible parking.

The cab of the blind is insulated, offers six feet of clear space and can be raised from ground level to 20-feet in height from a solar powered control system. The blind is affixed to a trailer and will be placed by park staff upon reservation and request. In the non-hunting seasons, the blind will be available for wildlife observation and photography opportunities.

"We're very excited to offer this amenity to create universally accessible hunting opportunities for all outdoor enthusiasts," said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. "We believe this is a first of its kind opportunity for outdoor recreation enthusiasts, and an important one considering the popularity of hunting in Michigan."

The hunting blind is just one component of additional accessibility upgrades at Rifle River and six other state parks and recreation areas across the state. Additional Access to Recreation (A2R) improvements at Rifle River include trail upgrades at the Pintail Pond area.

This adaptive equipment was purchased with A2R Initiative funding, made available through a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

The hunting blind can be reserved by persons with disabilities by contacting the Rifle River Recreation Area at (989) 473-2258 (TTY/TDD 711 Michigan Relay Center for the hearing impaired). If there are no reservations, it can be used by the general public on a first-come, first-served basis.

Rifle River Recreation Area is located at 2550 E. Rose City Rd. in Lupton. Visitors can take I-75 to Exit 202 (Alger/Rose City exit), and then go 20 miles north on M-33 to Rose City. Rifle River Recreation Area is four and one-half miles east of Rose City off F-28 (Rose City Road). For more information about this new opportunity, the recreation area, or accessibility, contact the recreation area or visit www.michigan.gov/rifleriver.

All motor vehicles entering a state park or recreation area must display a Recreation Passport.