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October 02, 2026
Visitors asked to use caution around work areas, park in designated locations
Anyone planning a visit soon to Gourdneck State Game Area in Portage is asked to be patient as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources moves a construction project toward completion.
The DNR Wildlife Division is wrapping up work on improved visitor parking and broader outdoor recreation access, with amenities that include paved parking, a vault toilet and a trail to a kayak launch and fishing platform at Hampton Lake — all designed to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines and improve visitor experience.
A $300,000 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant and additional funds from the DNR Wildlife Division support this project phase at Gourdneck SGA. An earlier $113,000 Trust Fund grant improved the west entrance along Angling Road, upgraded the parking area, provided a comfort station and added a wheelchair-accessible trail complete with resting stations and benches overlooking the Hampton Creek wetland.
Construction is underway, with most of the heavy work expected to finish early this month. During this time, there will be some closures to Hampton Lake Trail while construction is ongoing, but the land surrounding the trail remains open to hunting.
Visitors should park in the parking area adjacent to Centre Avenue and be careful not to block the drive entrance, which is marked with construction cones.
“We know Gourdneck State Game Area is a popular destination for hunting, hiking, bird-watching, fishing and other outdoor pursuits. Everyone is welcome, but please put safety first,” said Don Poppe, DNR wildlife biologist for Allegan, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties. “We wish hunters good luck and a safe, successful season, and urge everyone to be careful around work sites and to follow signage and other markers denoting caution and closures.”
Follow updates on closures at DNR-managed sites and facilities at Michigan.gov/Closures.
Gourdneck State Game Area, in Kalamazoo County, is divided into four distinct sections totaling more than 2,290 acres. Almost entirely within the Portage city limits, Gourdneck is a popular destination for hunters, and a hub for diverse wildlife populations and habitats. It is unique among state game areas: Gourdneck covers all the typical elements you might expect — good hunting, interesting terrain with lowlands, creeks and hills — but also serves as a stronghold for rare plants, animals and natural communities like prairie fens.
Note to editors: An accompanying map is available below for download. Caption information follows.
Gourdneck SGA parking map: An overhead map showing designated parking along Centre Avenue during a fall 2026 construction project at Gourdneck State Game Area in Portage, Michigan.
Here are a few of this week's stories from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
On Sept. 28, 2026, the Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint regarding an 85-year-old male who had been reported missing. The subject was known to have dementia and short-term memory issues.
To ensure plans for Van Riper State Park in Champion and the 120-acre property that surrounds the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee best meet the needs of visitors and the community, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is seeking public input on new management plans for both popular Upper Peninsula properties located in Marquette County.
Upper Peninsula staffers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will appear live on television Thursday night to answer viewer questions on “Ask the DNR” on WNMU-TV13.
Straddling the Lake Superior and Lake Michigan watersheds and encompassing a wide range of forests, habitats, trails, rivers, lakes and trout streams, the Great Lakes Basin project is a truly exceptional part of Michigan.
Traverse City community collaborations focus of final Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund 50th anniversary event
Following a Saturday morning rescue effort involving Michigan Department of Natural of Resources and U.S. Coast Guard personnel, a father and son were hospitalized for hypothermia after they became stranded in Lake St. Clair offshore of Grosse Pointe (Wayne County).
There’s a new way to make the journey across the Detroit River: on foot or by bicycle. When the Gordie Howe International Bridge opened its pedestrian and bicycle path on Aug. 5, it created something new for travelers — a simple, toll-free way for people to cross between Detroit and Windsor without ever getting behind the wheel.
This week, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources assisted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey to stock 7,500 snuffbox mussels in several locations on the Clinton River (Oakland County), Huron River (Livingston County) and Cass Lake (Oakland County).
