Avid anglers, school groups, vacationing families and curious Michiganders making the trek to Platte River State Fish Hatchery in Benzie County will notice several upgrades, including an accessible paved trail, thanks to a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant.
"Now, more guests can explore this historic facility and learn about Michigan's hatcheries and fisheries," said Paul Stowe, natural resources manager at Platte River State Fish Hatchery. "These improvements have met and even exceeded Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines for accessible design, improving the experience of visiting our hatchery for all guests."
Platte River State Fish Hatchery was established nearly a century ago, in 1928, and became the state's primary salmon hatchery in 1972. This historic hatchery is considered the birthplace of Great Lakes salmon; some of the first coho salmon in Michigan were stocked on-site in the Platte River by Dr. Howard Tanner (chief of the Fisheries Division of the DNR, then known as the Michigan Department of Conservation) in 1966.
The hatchery is open to the public, and more than 10,000 people visit every year. Given the age of the facility, renovations were needed to better accommodate visitors, and the Disability Network of Northern Michigan conducted a site audit and made recommendations to enhance access. In 2022, the hatchery was selected in a competitive process to receive a Trust Fund grant of $300,000 for accessibility upgrades.
The Trust Fund provides funding for public acquisition of lands for resource protection and outdoor recreation, as well as for public outdoor recreation development projects. It is funded through interest and earnings on revenues of state-owned oil, gas and minerals.
The first phase of the project at Platte River State Fish Hatchery, completed in 2025, included:
- Curb cuts and van-accessible spaces in the parking lot.
- An accessible paved trail to the Upper Platte River Weir and new interpretive signs.
- Wider doorways and soft-closing doors.
The second phase, finished this summer, completes a fully accessible paved trail through the entire hatchery grounds, an accessible pavilion that will be used for large groups or school tours, and a bicycle rack near the visitor center. The trail allows guests to take a self-guided tour of the hatchery through buildings, along raceways (specially designed holding tanks) of fish, the Upper Platte River, the weir structure and the ponds where coho salmon are held and spawned each October.
"We love to share what we do with our guests, and now everyone who visits the Platte River facility can now have a much more enjoyable and educational experience," Stowe said. "How great is that?"
You can plan your visit to Platte River State Fish Hatchery at Michigan.gov/Hatcheries. For more information about Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund projects, visit Michigan.gov/MNRTF.