Michigan Outdoor
Summit
Traverse City, MI | Sept 30-Oct 1, 2026
TICKET PRICES INCREASE August 15th!
The Summit
Michigan Outdoor Summit is a gathering for all sectors of the state’s outdoor economy to connect, learn, grow, and build together with a vision for the future, health, and vitality of Michigan’s outdoors.
When
Sept 30 – Oct 1, 2026
Where
Timber Ridge RV & Recreation Resort
4050 E Hammond Rd, Traverse City, MI 49686
40+
Speakers
300+
Attendees
think of us like a base camp for the outdoors — we’ve Got a big tent, so everyone should fit just fine.
Where to Stay
We partnered with Best Western Plus, Cambria Hotels & Suites, and Comfort Inn to secure a block of standard rooms at a discounted rate.
Or camp right on site at Timber Ridge! Sites and cabins available at their regular rates.
All hotel locations offer a complimentary shuttle service (including transportation to Summit events!)
Best Western Plus
305 Munson Avenue
Traverse City, MI 49686
Reservation Info
Monday-Thursday Availability
Single Queen: $159/night
Double Queen: $179/night
Make reservations by August 28th.
Comfort Inn
460 Munson Avenue
Traverse City, MI 49686
Reservation Info
Monday-Thursday Availability
Single King: $169/night
Double Queen: $189/night
Make reservations by August 28th.
Cambria Suites
255 Munson Avenue
Traverse City, MI 49686
Reservation Info
Monday-Thursday Availability
King Suite: $229/night
Double Queen Suite: $249/night
Make reservations by August 28th.
Timber Ridge
4050 E Hammond
Traverse City, MI 49686
Reservation Info
Sites and additional lodging options can be found on Timber Ridge’s website. Camping rates (off-season) can be found here.
Schedule Snapshot
SEPTEMBER 30TH
Pre-Summit
2PM-5PM | EXPERIENTIAL SESSIONS
â–² River Restoration Guided Kayak Float with Grand Traverse Conservation District
â–² Trails as the Third Space with TART Trails
â–² Lake Ann Gravel Ride with Benzie Conservation District
6PM-8PM | KICKOFF WITH BOARDMAN REVIEW + LAND OF OUTSIDERS
OCTOBER 1ST
MI outdoor summit
8AM-9:30AM | MORNING MEET-UPS
â–² Self-guided hike or bike on the Vasa Trail
8:30AM-10AM | REGISTRATION, COFFEE BAR + FOUNDER’S FAIR
â–² Registration check-in in Basecamp
â–² Coffee Bar provided by Aldea Coffee
â–² Meet Michigan-based founders + network
10AM-11:45AM | SHAKEOUT SESSIONS
â–² State of the Outdoors – Paul Kendricks
â–² Plenary Panel
11:45AM-1:15PM | LUNCH BREAK + FOUNDER’S FAIR
1:15PM-4:00PM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS
4:15PM-5PM | TAKEOUT SESSION + NA HAPPY HOUR
â–² Conversation with Becky Humphries + Dan Wanschura
Programming
Focus Areas
Through programming, networking, and outdoor activities, the Summit focuses on how we strengthen our communities and the outdoor economy and improve health and quality of life for all Michiganders.
The Summit is a space intended to elevate the crucial conversation about the importance of the outdoors.
Conservation + Stewardship
Education + workforce training
Economic Development
Public Health + Wellness
Opportunity + Experience
Dig into the sessions
Plenary Sessions
State of the Outdoors
The stakes are real, and they hit close to home. Michigan's open spaces generate billions in outdoor recreation revenue, support thousands of jobs, and define the quality of life that makes this state worth fighting for. With federal funding under pressure and conservation programs being scaled back, the question facing our industry isn't whether to care. It's how to act. Paul will share why access to nature matters, what's at stake for Michigan's outdoor economy, and how brands, organizations, advocates, and outdoor enthusiasts can all get involved.
Paul Hendricks
Plenary Panel
Description coming soon!
Paul Hendricks
Power of Nature
Description coming soon!
Dan Wanschura
Passion + Purpose
Restoring What Connects Us
The world of conservation is one where funding is competitive, resources are limited, and support can waver. Encouragingly, it’s also a field driven by passion, grounded in collaboration, and strengthened by partnerships that create opportunity. Together, we can achieve far more than any of us could alone. The Crystal River Initiative demonstrates what is possible when tribal nations, nonprofit organizations, local governments, and community partners come together around a shared vision for conservation. Explore how collaboration restored a healthier river system while improving public access, strengthening recreation opportunities, and honoring the cultural and spiritual connections that people have with the landscape. Using the Crystal River as a case study, presenters will share lessons learned from building partnerships, navigating complex restoration projects, and balancing ecological, recreational, and community priorities. Attendees will leave with practical insights into how collaborative conservation can create lasting benefits for both people and nature, and why protecting what connects us requires working together.
Brett Fessell
Nick Killian
Stewardship through hunting, a love story of engagement and deer management
Deer overbrowsing is stripping habitat value from Washtenaw County’s parks and conservation lands, undoing years of stewardship work. In response, Washtenaw County Parks partnered with the DNR’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman program to build a mentoring pipeline that turns interested women, at any experience level, into confident hunters. The program combines training, community building, and a full season of guided hunts, resulting in harvest numbers significant enough to give overbrowsed habitats room to recover. Hear about the partnerships, planning, and logistics behind this program, along with what it takes to recruit new hunters in ways that strengthen both healthy natural areas and the state’s recreation economy.
Allison Krueger
From Consultation to Co-Creation
Collaborative work is hard work, but it is necessary for a project to be authentic and meaningful. Using the City of Marquette Cultural Trail as the case study, participants will see why collaboration is worth the effort. Along seven miles of Lake Superior shoreline in Marquette, MI, the Cultural Trail is a storytelling project that uses public spaces, narrative, artwork, and history to connect us more deeply to the water, land, and one another. This session explores how to cultivate and nurture partnerships that become your network of support. We will discuss how to embrace the strengths of a multi-sector leadership table and move beyond 'consultation' towards 'co-creation'. Participants will learn to identify the stewards of a place and activate them by sharing ownership rather than working in silos. We will discuss how to observe what already exists so that projects build up, not parallel. This session will ask participants to self-reflect on who sits at your leadership table, which voices are missing from the conversation, and who might complicate your project in productive ways? No matter the project specifics, meaningful stewardship and effective conservation requires collaborative work. Join us to discuss how to leave room in your plan for the beautiful interruptions and foster community investment that lasts long after the ribbon-cutting.
Outdoors For All
We Are Our Founding Fathers
America was founded in 1776 under the principle that all men were created equal. Sometimes, in our American story, we fail to live up to that principle. Although we may fall short, we’ve been continuously striving to live up to the principles established by our founding fathers. This constant drive towards equity gives us hope for a better nation. It also shapes our work in the outdoors. We’ve sometimes fallen short, but we will do better. But have we really fallen short? Using 1776 as our north star hasn’t actually helped us build an equitable outdoors. Instead, 1776 is preventing us from creating one. During America’s 250th anniversary, this session revisits the 1776 narrative. It re-examines who our founding fathers are and outlines a new model of outdoor inclusion modeled after leaders of a different era.
Brandan Freeman
Business of the Outdoors
Beyond Tourism: Outdoor Recreation as a Community and Economic Development Strategy
Michigan communities are investing in parks, trails, and outdoor recreation. But what if these became more than amenities, and instead formed the backbone of an economic development strategy? That's what Jackson County is testing through Drive Jackson, a 20-year community vision shaped by input from over 1,300 residents. Residents loved their lakes, trails, and parks, but many didn't fully know or connect with these assets. The answer wasn't more amenities. It was better connection to what already existed. Jackson County is now executing on that insight through a coordinated set of initiatives: a Quality of Place Dashboard, an Outdoor Recreation Accelerator for recreation entrepreneurs, a countywide recreation brand and digital platform, and Build In Jackson, a leading homeownership-based talent attraction program. Build In Jackson pairs homebuying assistance with a curated introduction to local lakes, trails, parks, and businesses, including a free bike or kayak. This session shows how any community can activate its existing assets to build identity, attract talent, support entrepreneurs, and drive long-term economic resilience. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for place-driven economic development.
Ryan Tarrant
Alexie Milukhin
From Promotion to Stewardship: Funding Sustainable Outdoor Communities
Michigan's trail towns are booming. Visitors are flooding in. But there's a catch: the taxes those visitors pay only fund marketing, not the roads, trails, and emergency services their visits actually wear down. Residents are left covering the difference through property taxes. This session asks a simple question: what if tourism dollars paid for tourism's real costs? We'll look at how Kent County expanded its lodging tax under House Bill 5048, and what new bills (HB 5138, 5139, and 5140) could mean for the rest of the state. The idea is to let lodging taxes fund the infrastructure and amenities that make a destination worth visiting in the first place, not just the ads that bring people there. We'll also tackle an outdated blind spot: lodging taxes usually only apply to hotels and motels. But today's travelers are staying in campgrounds, RV parks, cabins, and Airbnbs, places that pay nothing into the system while putting real pressure on local infrastructure. It's time the tax caught up with how people actually travel. This session isn't about whether tourism growth is good or bad. It's about making sure the places people love to visit can still afford to be great places to live.
Jeremy Johnson
Meet Our Friends
We’re working to bring outdoor companies and organizations across the state together to solve the unique challenges Michigan faces and create a thriving outdoor economy for years to come.
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Paul Hendricks
The Conservation Alliance
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Dan Wanschura
Points North Podcast
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Allison Krueger
Washtenaw County Parks + Recreation Commission
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Brandan Freeman
Shades of the Outdoors
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Brett Fessell
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa + Chippewa Indians
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Nick Killian
Crystal River Outfitters
Paul Hendricks
Executive Director
Dan Wanschura
Executive Producer + Host
Jeremy Johnson
Owner
Ryan Tarrant
President and CEO
Alexie Milukhin
Community Growth Fellow
Nick Killian
Recreational Operations Manager
Brett Fessell
Restoration Section Leader/River Ecologist
Brandan Freeman
Founder
Allison Krueger
Stewardship Planner
Amplified By
Generously Supported by
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Fuel Sponsors
In-Kind Sponsors
What to expect
FAQs, who’s going, maybe some trivia…
Sponsors welcomed!
We’re down to get creative — check out our sponsorship packages and give us a shout!