BARK RIVER, Mich. (WZMQ) – After several years of uncertainty, a Delta County park is once again fully open to the public.
On Wednesday, Delta County Parks & Recreation celebrated the reopening of the O.B. Fuller Park day-use area. The reopening marks a major step forward for the park, with local boards having debated public access to the day-use area in recent years.
“We did get a grant from the Michigan Trust Fund to make sure that it’s open to the public, so we’ve been working really hard to accommodate that,” said County Parks Manager Heather LeDuc. “We’re just really, really happy to reopen this to the public.”
As part of the celebration, Parks & Recreation representatives dedicated two new playgrounds at the park. One is called Barkville, which was the community of Bark River’s original name from 1871 to 1900. It stands near a small boat launch, two cabins, a picnic area, and the beach.
The other playground is named Nono’s Playground, in honor of longtime camp host Pat Nault. Nault was affectionately known by campers as “Nono,” inspired by the Italian word for grandfather. One of Nault’s greatest hopes before his passing was to see the O.B. Fuller Park campground have a safe, fun playground for future generations.
The playgrounds are a long-awaited replacement for the aging equipment that was formerly located on the beach. LeDuc says the new equipment also makes the site more welcoming for both locals and tourists.
“We have such a beautiful place that we live in, and this is a great place for people to just stop and take a break, have a picnic, and take it all in,” she said. “We just enjoy the public to come in, whether you’re from the county or just passing through, and really see why we stick around here and what’s so special about it. We’re really happy to bring that opportunity to people.”
LeDuc encourages community members to visit O.B. Fuller Park to swim, camp, walk the shoreline, launch small watercraft, and spend time together in one of Delta County’s most treasured resources.
O.B. Fuller Park is located at 850 State Highway M-35 in Bark River. For additional information about the park, the campground, or the day-use area, call Delta County Parks & Recreation at (906) 786-1020.
