IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – With many heading to parks and campgrounds this weekend, Dickinson County officials are taking extra steps to enforce rules on boat mooring at Lake Antoine Park. This enforcement goes beyond just the Memorial Day weekend, aiming to maintain order throughout the entire season.
Due to an increase in illegal boat and watercraft mooring, Dickinson County has decided to more strictly enforce the Lake Antoine Park ordinance. Park manager Eric Robinson emphasized the importance of compliance. The county reminds the public that storing or leaving a boat without written consent from the park manager is illegal. Violations could result in a $100 fine and a ban from the park.
Robinson elaborated on the necessity of these rules, explaining that they help alleviate issues such as blocked access for boaters, water enthusiasts, and dog walkers. “We’ve just had some issues in the past couple years with both campers and day-users of the park who feel there are too many pontoon boats and other boats parked along the shore,” he said. Robinson stressed that too many boats on the shoreline impede access for others recreating at the park.
Registered campers at Lake Antoine Park will be issued non-transferable ID tags for their boats, which must be displayed to avoid issues with local police. Mooring space for campers will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Robinson advised guests with boats to follow DNR regulations, stating, “Every boater has to abide by DNR boating regulations.”
He highlighted the importance of having necessary safety equipment on board: “That would be your life preservers, your horns, your lights. I don’t believe you have to wear them, but you do need them in the boat. And our DNR officers are pretty good at their jobs. We’ve had them meet people at the boat landing to do their boat checks. So I suggest you play by the rules.”
Camp store employee and campground attendant Jacob Pellow urged campers to be considerate and clean up after themselves. “Cleaning the fire pits is the worst. Dumping those are like a hassle, we have to dump them out, and then we have to come back and then clean all that out. So putting your trash away.”
Robinson advised registered campers with boats to inform the campground upon arrival to receive a yellow tag with their campsite number and camping dates, which will help avoid any issues with the local sheriff’s department.
- The complete Dickinson County Lake Antoine Park ordinance can be viewed at the following link and clicking on the ‘Parks’ tab:
