Woodland Park, Michigan
Woodland Park is a small, forested African American resort community located in Newaygo County, Michigan. Founded later in 1921, Woodland Park served as a “quiet retreat without the disruption of show business”. It shares a symbiotic relationship with Idlewild, which was 15 miles away, with residents and visitors attending events and vacationing between the two resort communities.
Today, Woodland Park continues to honor its history through local events, historic markers, and intentional plans to support community and economic development.
“They had found Woodland [Park] more suitable to their lifestyles. Here they could fish, hunt for deer, and raise enough food to sustain themselves.”
— Annetta Gomez-Jefferson, “In Darkness with God”.