Door County is known for having five state parks within its boundaries. Could the county add a national park to the list? It’s possible. The Friends of the Grand Traverse Islands group is working to encourage a national lakeshore in the Grand Traverse Islands, stretching from Newport State Park to upper Michigan’s Garden Peninsula. Supporters of the idea say it will encourage tourism and economic growth. The National Park Service estimates that, on average, the benefit of having one of its units in a given area means as much as $36.4 million to gateway communities every year. According to the Friends of the Grand Traverse Islands say the designation is well deserved. The island chain represents an important portion of the Niagara Escarpment, one of the densest concentrations of 19th and early 20th century lighthouses in the nation, and, a critical stopover site for migrating bats, birds and butterflies.
