Grand Haven State Park facility

Green facility courtesy Grand Haven State Park

Grand Haven, Mich.—Grand Haven State Park is making some notable strides in clean solutions to the not-so-clean business of restrooms and showers. According to The Associated Press, the park’s installed a new $750,000 toilet-and-shower facility that’s a first among state parks.

Designed by Grand Rapids-based Integrated Architecture LLC, the building’s systems include reduced-flow shower heads, on-demand water heating, low-flush toilets, natural daytime lighting, and nighttime lighting that only turns on when the space is occupied. Add to that a new sanitary sewer line, rooftop solar panels to supplement the electricity used for the ventilation system, and materials carefully chosen for their longevity, and you’ve got one green restroom. (The state’s Department of Natural Resources estimates the new facility, which was paid for with federal and state grants, will use about 40 percent less water and much less electricity than the 50-year-old building it replaced.)

The new facility won’t remain unique for long if officials have their way. Otsego Lake State Park intends to debut a similar, though smaller, structure this fall, and officials hope to eventually replace all bathrooms along MI 97 with environmentally friendly lavatories.

Worth keeping in mind: campers nationwide need not wait for newfangled showers and toilets in order to go easiser on the environment. The National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) offers the following suggestions. — Alyssa Vorhies


  • Pick a campsite whose activities are within walking distance of your campground.

  • Avoid disposables whenever possible. (Rent equipment and bring reusables and recyclables from home.)
  • Carry an extra bag while hiking, and pick up any trash you happen to pass.
  • Don’t disturb the animals, and clean your campsite when you leave.