Out-of-towners to be charged fee at Fort Gratiot County Park this summer

St. Clair County will begin charging out-of-town visitors for access to one waterfront park this summer.

According to the county’s parks and recreation office, an admission booth has been added at the entrance of Fort Gratiot County Park in order to collect a $20 admittance fee for non-county residents.

The change applies from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend.

“In the last year or two, we’ve noticed a lot of non-residents are coming in, and our county residents are not able to come in,” said Jennifer Catanzaro, a parks and rec spokesperson.

Now, to balance the scales, she said the county is “following in the footsteps of what Port Huron has done,” charging out-of-county visitors to park at Lakeside and Lighthouse beachfront parks each summer. When the city began charging for parking, she said visitors started heading north to the next park along Lake Huron for beach access.

St. Clair County residents who can show their residency on identification will get a window decal upon entry to Fort Gratiot County Park to be displayed on their windshield for free parking.

Fees for everyone else will only be charged Friday through Sunday and on holidays during the park’s summer hours. Parking passes will be non-refundable and only issued upon arrival.

Fort Gratiot County Park is a 30-acre site with an 852-foot shoreline. Its facilities include the beach, picnic areas, a children’s playground, and 85 miles of paved walking trails.

Current reservation holders for the ceremony plaza can request 10 free parking passes prior to their event for non-county residents. All others will need to pay the fee.

So far, Catanzaro said it wasn’t clear how many visitors the fee was expected to affect, nor how many passes would be needed. However, as of Tuesday, she said she’d ordered 10,000.

During the summer season, the park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information, call the county parks and rec office at (810) 989-6960.

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.