The Re-Wilding of Waterloo

continued

Only the Cedar Lake Outdoor Center remains in operation, now leased by the state to the Michigan United Conservation Clubs. The MUCC provides school, youth, and church groups with outdoor experiences and education while promoting conservation. The administration building and Unit A of the original structures remain little changed, while other buildings have been removed or altered by renovations.

Fifteen of the original twenty-eight buildings at the Mill Lake Outdoor Center remain today but are deteriorating with disuse. Four years ago, South Bend native and NASCAR driver Ryan Newman's Racing for Wildlife Foundation announced it would partner with Michigan International Speedway on renovating and reopening the Mill Lake center. However, plans have not moved beyond the concept stage since the announcement.

Camp Waterloo, where the CCC and WPA workers lived while building the park, served as a prisoner-of-war camp and a training center for military police officers during World War II. Thereafter, it was used by the MDOC as a minimum security prison until 2001.