Accessible visitor trail, pavilion installed at Platte River State Fish Hatchery

The hatchery is open to the public, and more than 10,000 people visit every year.

“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.”

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 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, completed 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. Trail users can take a self-guided tour of the hatchery—through buildings, along holding tanks of fish, the Upper Platte River, the weir structure and the ponds where coho salmon are held and spawned each October.