You Could Live in a Michigan State Park All Summer Under This DNR Program

If you’re a Michigander, you already know camping here isn’t just something we do a few weekends a year. It’s a whole personality.

You have your gear, and, of course, your favorite site: the campground that you personally swear is the best, but won’t share because you don’t want it to get too busy.

Now imagine not packing up every Sunday and heading back to real life, but instead staying all summer long.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is looking for volunteer campground hosts for state parks and rustic forest campgrounds across the state, and honestly, it might be one of the best “jobs” Michigan has to offer. If you’ve ever joked about wanting to camp non-stop from April through fall, this may be the perfect fit for you.

Joining the program is easy. Campground hosts volunteer around 30 hours a week, helping out where they’re staying. That usually means being a friendly face for campers who have questions, helping with simple upkeep around the campground, and sometimes planning or supporting small activities.

In exchange, your campsite fees are completely waived and you get to keep your campsite as home base for the season.

Host positions typically run from April through October, depending on the park. Some are in busy, well-loved state parks while others are tucked away in more rustic forest campgrounds, where things are quieter and nights are darker. It really depends on what kind of camping life you’re dreaming about spending your summer doing.

And this isn’t just for retirees or hardcore outdoors people, either. Plenty of hosts are couples, solo campers, or people who work remotely and want to spend their summer somewhere that smells like pine instead of printer paper.

If you already enjoy talking to fellow campers and don’t mind pitching in a bit, you’re already qualified.

If this sounds like your version of a perfect summer, the DNR has a full list of current campground host openings on their website, broken down by location so you can see what’s available right now.

Fair warning, though. Once you start scrolling through the list, it’s very easy to start mentally rearranging your entire summer around a campsite with a lake view. Living in a Michigan state park all summer might not be everyone’s dream job. But for the right person, it’s pretty close to perfect.