MUNISING, MI - The number of visitors to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore has doubled in the last five years, with nearly 800,000 people flocking to the park known for its colorful Lake Superior cliffs during peak times in 2017.

Now staff at the popular Upper Peninsula park are in the midst of developing a user management plan - a way to protect this outdoor resource while balancing visitors' experiences and what the population surge means to communities in the area.

The public is invited to comment and help shape the plan. The National Park Service has held open houses in the area, and online comments are being accepted through June 5.

It's honing in on visitor use issues in high-traffic areas of the park, from Sand Point to Spray Falls.

"In recent years, (Pictured Rocks) has experienced a dramatic increase in visitation, particularly at Sand Point and at Miners, Mosquito and Chapel Beaches. Visitors, on their own or with commercial outfitters and commercial guided kayak groups, are drawn to these areas during the summer, which is increasing congestion.

"In some areas, use is exceeding the capacity of the beach parking areas and restrooms and degrading visitor experience, safety, and the quality of the shoreline, trails and roads," Pictured Rocks Superintendent Dave Horne said in the park's spring newsletter.

Dealing with congestion and overcrowding at peak times has been something park staff have been talking about for the last few years. In 2015, the July 4 weekend saw 200 vehicles crammed into a Miner's Beach parking lot with 51 spaces.

Restaurants in the Munising area have reported running out of food on busy days, and hotels have run out of rooms.

Some outdoor businesses connected to the park have enjoyed the visitor surge, and others have opened because of it.

They, too, are taking part in sharing ideas to better manage resources.

Greg Scott, general manager of Uncle Ducky Outdoors/Paddling Michigan, which offers guided kayak tours in the area, said his company has been working with federal officials on the management plan. He hopes to see a designated area for businesses that use the lakeshore at Pictured Rocks, according to the Associated Press.

Some possibilities being explored include separate areas for commercial and public use, more parking, a visitor bus route, and more changing stations for visitors.

"We're considering ways to update our roads, parking areas, and transit connections, maybe even adding a new visitor center or contact station to orient visitors," Horne said. "We are also looking at managing use through control measures such as gates, fees, and timing restrictions for commercial services."

Pictured Rocks is one of five national parks located in Michigan.

It's become a favorite return destination among hikers and paddlers who love the many hues of its namesake sandstone cliffs and 40 miles of Lake Superior shoreline.

According to the National Park Service, here are the five key issues staff is trying to solve:

Summer Congestion:

Commercial Uses:

Resource Impacts from Visitor Use:

Inadequate Visitor Facilities and Infrastructure:

Need for a Park Visitor Center:

Gathering this public input is just the first step in a long process. Once the public comment phase closes, the NPS will analyze public comment and develop a draft plan between this summer and 2019. By winter of 2019, the park service plans to prepare its decision document.