A TALE OF TWO TRAILS Really, it's kind of more like three,…read morebut there's no catchy header to be had from that, is there? And the variations between the different areas of Oakland County this epic trail cuts through aren't as night and day as the difference between Oakland and Lapeer counties here. The southern trailhead near Joslyn and Waldon is pretty inauspicious, easy to miss in fact. Good luck finding parking, too. We ended up parking in nearby condo or apartment complex. There are official Polly Ann Trail parking lots, just not anywhere near where the trail begins. Google maps took me to near one of these lots, but maybe a quarter mile away, on my first trip to the Polly Ann, rolling solo that day. I had to do a bit of detective work, finding a dirt road that intersected the main drag I was on. That was between Oxford and Leonard, which is really the trail's sweet spot. Very chill, shaded and bucolic. Horse friendly, too, as I had a couple horses with riders go clopping past me. (No galloping allowed!) I saw a turtle on that stretch, too. South of Oxford, the trail vacillates between being very suburban and non-scenic and the more natural setting you'll find past Oxford. There's even a very annoying gap in the trail in Oxford where you have to cycle a good long way through the city to find where it picks back up again. The day I went cycling with Jenna we got lost trying to reconvene with the trail proper, and had to get directions from a passer-by and double back to pick back up on the trail. Unless you're a completist itching for the day when they complete the connector that links the Polly Ann to the Paint Creek Trail I'd probably just start your journey in Oxford after that rude intermission or find that lot Google maps took a swing at and whiffed on. The stretch from Leonard to the county line is lovely, but once you cross into Lapeer that's where things get really wild and wooly. The trail is actually managed by two different entities, one for Oakland County and one for the Lapeer and you can really tell the difference. In Oakland the trail is either pavement, crushed limestone or fairly manageable dirt. In Lapeer there's a short stretch - 1800 feet I believe I read - in Imlay City that's paved but beyond that the trail is either bumpy dirt with big stones and tree branches jutting out, or just grass. It's been mowed to a reasonable length both times I've biked out there, but it's still slow going. No way would I try this part of the trail without a mountain bike. It's almost better just for walking out here, or horseback riding though I didn't see any horseback riders on the Lapeer stretch. I barely saw anyone else on the Lapeer leg of the Polly Ann either, apart from people on the more domesticated Imlay City span the day I hit the trail with Aaron. So if you want real solitude and pretty backcountry the Lapeer stretch really delivers but you really gotta work for it. In addition to the speed-sucking, sweat inducing grass there were a couple places where felled trees necessitated disembarking from the bike and sliding it under or lifting it over. There was also one area where I could hear someone's shooting practice in the distance go on at length. It's Trump country out here so use caution! But like I said, oh! the nature! Besides the aforementioned horses and turtle, I've seen plenty of rabbits, squirrels, butterflies, several deer, frogs and a blue Heron on this trail. You might come across some mosquitos, too, depending on the time of day and year, so I'd recommend packing bug spray. I've now made 4 trips to the Polly Ann trail, and still haven't covered much of the Lapeer end, missing a span between the Peg's Place bridge and Imlay City and anything north of Bowers Road where Aaron and I turned around. It's 34.2 miles and the Macomb Orchard Trail is about 10 miles shorter but I did that whole trail in 3 trips. So yeah, there's a reason most people don't continue into Lapeer as the pace slows down to that of maybe a brisk jog. There's plenty of adventure to be had here, the question is how much do you want? With other trails around southeast Michigan I might just wait til improvements are made up in Lapeer County to try and finish off this monster.

What a cool nature park. It's located in a beautiful location. The walking paths are very nice…read more Nice spot for a romantic date.

Beautiful place! Very peaceful and clean. Easy place to relax and just take in nature! Has an "up…read moreNorth" feel.

This is such a great little park. Pavilions are available for rental and there's a waterpark/splash…read morepad with a slide that's fun for everyone on hot summer days. The staff is friendly and available when needed. All in all, a great place to host a family reunion or similar get-together. We have been having an annual event here for almost a decade and I have yet to be disappointed!

This is the most charming water park you will ever go to. Do you want your kids to have a water…read morepark experience like when you are a kid? If yes than this is the place, beautifully nostalgic piece of happiness. To the people that run this place bravo

After a long school day, we took the kids to Innovation Hills Park, and they had a blast! The park…read morewasn't too busy, and the kids explored everything, from the playground to the jungle gym. I loved the artificial turf--it keeps the area looking nice year-round. This park has everything--playgrounds, walking trails, a serene area with ducks, and even bathrooms. I'd recommend it to any family looking for a fun day out. Definitely a great spot for outdoor fun!

Let's get this part out of the way - The park itself? Amazing. It is modern, has plenty of options,…read moreis well maintained, and has some great nature paths outside of the playground area. In an area that features many great playgrounds and parks to take your family to, Innovation Hills has always stood out. There is a lack of options for younger children though (no infant swings?). The three stars? One of the new features of this park is the addition of Park Mobile being introduced for the main parking lot. Signs everywhere reminding you that you better have paid your $1.50 an hour! There is of course a free dirt lot across the busy road for your convenience. Or a parking 'annual pass' you can purchase from the Rochester Hills website. Our society struggles with the concept of 'the third place'. Parks and playgrounds are a haven for families and a community builder outside of work and home. What in the world is the motivation behind suddenly charging for parking? 1 - The City of Rochester Hills wants to prioritize park access for its citizens? Charging for parking doesn't keep out non-residents and in fact just causes Rochester Hills citizens to pay more for something they are already paying for. 2 - The park is often extremely crowded so charging for parking may reduce visitor count? If this was the motivation I am confident this strategy is not working. 3 - We want to encourage more families to park in the dirt lot across the street and attempt to cross a highway? I have more faith in humanity than that. Oh, I think I got it! To quote Tim Robinson's sketch 'The Driving Crooner' - "I gotta figure out how to make money on this thing..it's simply TOO GOOD!"

This place is an absolute treasure. I found it while just out exploring and am so glad I stopped by…read more- I feel I might be visiting this place quite a bit more when the weather's nice. By the general park area, as I understand it to be, there is a botanical garden and tree library which is still being constructed, but it is gorgeous right now and will only continue to become more awesome. There is a big sliding hill that I don't fully understand, but looks exciting. There's a playground and a pavilion area by which you can BBQ. I believe the main park area closes at 9 or 9:30 pm. Deeper in, there is a fishing lake that has a gorgeous area surrounding it. I came here and just spent some time along the grassy shore, which has swings and a playground (I think) around it. Very serene and quiet; a lovely peaceful place to relax and have a picnic. This lake requires a state park pass, which I have, but there was no one at the booth checking as I rode in...? I did not even see the camping area, as mentioned by Jennifer, but this whole place is awesome. I met the man in charge of planning the main park area, including the botanical garden and such, and he is committed to making it a wonderful place for people to enjoy. Good, noble work that brings a figurative tear to my eye. Come here. It's gorgeous.

Our first family camping trip happened here at Ortonville Recreation Area at their Equestrian…read moreRustic Camp. We went from a Mon-Wed and we were the only people on the campground. There are 25 rustic sites. Some are full sun, some are shaded with trees. We had our pick and stuck to the back area that was shaded with many trees. There are two outhouses (vault toilets) that are kept very clean. There is one water pump (potable and cold!) for the whole campground. Each site has a metal fire ring and a picnic table. There is also a grill that can be used that is next to a shelter full of picnic tables. You need a Michigan Recreation Passport on your vehicle to stay but you can pay for it when you get there if you don't have it already. It's only 10 dollars. Camping is 17 dollars per night. There is no one to collect the money so you fill out an envelope at the Self Pay Station at the entrance of the campground. Basically it's the honor system. The DNR does come by in the morning to collect and they patrol at night briefly just to check on the area. It is an equestrian camp so if you have a horse, you can bring it with you and there are posts to hitch the horse to. There is also a 6 mile trail that you can hike or ride your horse down. Warning: Many piles of horse poop. Easily avoided though and not too stinky. Looks like they keep the grounds pretty clean and tend to shovel the poop to the side of the trails. You can easily drive to Big Fish Lake which is a park that has swimming, picnicking, barbecues and a small swing set. There is also another park close by that is great for kids just down the street on Hadley Rd. from Big Fish Lake. This is a PERFECT campground for those looking for rustic camping who don't want to be bothered with people in RVs or don't need all the hoopla that some campgrounds offer.

I've been on a slow mission these past few years to visit all 13 of the Huron-Clinton Metroparks…read more I've notched 10 so far and Delhi is my least favorite. It's not a bad little park, nestled on the winding Huron River with a couple ball fields and well maintained bathrooms. But little is the operative word there. Delhi just doesn't have that Metropark feel. At just over 80 acres I knew Delhi was the runt of the Metropark litter and had my expectations set low. Both Kensington and Stony Creek sprawl for well over 4000 acres. I knew I wasn't walking into anything like that and I had something to attend to in Ann Arbor so I wasn't making a special trip for this park. Even still Delhi underwhelmed me. It might be a lovely place for a picnic or family gathering but damn, the single trail doesn't even venture into any woods! The single lane orange bridge leading here is a pleasing quaint sight, but the traffic light that lets only vehicles from one direction move through is another flashing sign that Delhi is pretty small potatoes. There is an area west of said bridge I didn't even explore, not knowing it was there, but I can tell from maps it's a lot smaller than the main chunk of the park and not enough to boost my ranking here. There is a livery for renting canoes and kayaks there, but for all I know it has a separate listing on Yelp. And it's still several amenities short of a typical Metropark. Also, good God, there was a tremendous amount of goose poop on the early July evening I visited Delhi. I mean, Mother Nature and Mother Goose will be what they'll be but anywhere near the river i. e. what little scenery this park has was a veritable minefield of gander dander. Belle Isle can have this problem after the first spring thaw but I was surprised to see the grounds of a subsidized park look like this in the middle of summer. I guess Huron-Clinton Metroparks only saves the tiniest sliver of its budget for this red headed stepchild of the chain. (I read this park was given to the chain and they obviously decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth.) I'm sure there's locals that love this place but Delhi Metropark is more like Delhi micropark.

What a great park! And it was so beautiful on a slightly foggy morning. A weekday too so we had the…read moreplace mostly to ourselves, though I understand that on a summer weekend it be different. Lots of grassy areas, "real" bathrooms in a nicely separated facility though not far from the picnic tables. We took our fresh pressed cider and donuts from the Dexter Cider Mill here to eat. And then we played along the Huron River which flows gently though this part of the park though there are rapids a bit farther away. But we had nice views of the geese on the river here. There is a very nicely designed and rather unique play structure, designed as a ship, nautical themed all around. It was good for even a toddler but with adult supervision. Since it was an uncrowded weekday, no competition with older kids but I suspect it would be a very different experience when it's very full. The parking lot is large but I imagine even it will be full at certain times. It's an easy drive from Ann Arbor and a very nice part of the MetroPark system.

Everything was really well organized. The safety instructions were thorough. The lines and ropes in…read moreexcellent condition.

Fun, safe experience! well organized. We attended a birthday party there and it was great!read more

We came here as a guests visiting Family (that had rented a site) for a Halloween event. I was…read moredelighted with how large and well maintained Groveland Oaks County park is. There are walking paths all throughout, wooden bridges, multiple playgrounds, a lake with a groomed beach, small arcade, cozy camp store, yurts, group sites, full hook-up or tent sites; you truly have a plethora of options available to you. My extended family has camped here multiple times, and they have enjoyed every stay. I would have no problem booking a site for ourselves, for a staycation, next summer after seeing what they have to offer.

I am so very disappointed have been bringing my grandchildren here for quite a few years.We show up…read more& the beach is so small it is for very small children now. I tried too get a partial refund & they wouldn't even work with me.Never will I stay there again. When I made the reservations I told them I had two grandchildren & it was my 4th year staying they never mentioned about the beach just so disappointed wouldn't even work with a partial refund

Bloomer Park is an excellent place for hiking and mountain biking. It's has technical mountain bike…read moretrails as well as moderate and casual. These levels are the same for hiking, so you can get a great workout regardless of experience level. There are multiple wood staircases of varying lengths, so it's great for stair climbing exercise. I've been coming here on/off for several years and have never had a bad experience. I've gone to other state parks where I've gotten swarmed by a lot of bugs, but for whatever reason, not at Bloomer. It's also great that it's located next to downtown Rochester, so food and drink after a casual stroll is accessible. I highly recommend Bloomer Park for hiking and biking activities.

My family and I went to Bloomer Park for their recent, Fossils and Riverside Campfire event (cost…read morewas $10 per person). We had a great time. It was our first visit to this city park, and I was happy to see it was nicely maintained. We only stayed and hiked through a small section of the park, but it was very clean, bathrooms were available, there was a playground for kids, small grills in sections, bike repair areas could be found, and the trails had been recently upkept. The paths we followed were simple and good for families, although I would not recommend dragging a wagon or anything like that with you. There were easy to hike sections, as well as smaller, more off-road trails perfect for those that enjoy mountain biking. There was plenty of wildlife around to view, wooden bridges for crossing streams and marshy areas, and beautiful areas to relax near the Clinton River. It was honestly a great outing, and we'll definitely be back.

Great place for kids to play and perfect nature trail for a September walk . Myself and my three…read moreboys really enjoyed the park . It was clean well kept and many people enjoyed the day with us

This park is huge and the play ground is really nice. Definitely recommend. We like to travel…read morearound and visit as many parks as we can. This one is definitely on top of the list. They also have a concession stand! Plan on returning again soon!!