The best time to view the peony is end of May and begin of June. This blooming only happens on the…read moreshort duration of time. We were lucky to visit arboretum during this time on our trip to Ann Arbor. The peony garden can be reached in two locations. The best parking is near Ronald McDonald House of Charity Ann Arbor. That parking lot gets you direct access to the garden. The other parking near Nichols Drive and go the entrance by taking the first right trail to the top and reach the garden. The garden has 28 bed of flower beds. Each bed has the name of flower indicated. During the blooming time, there are a lot of visitors. Parking may be full. The flower is beautiful and the pedal open wide and bright. I got my peony moment during my visit. Some flower has fragrances smell. So don't forget to smell the flowers during your visit.

The first time I came here in April and there were no flowers or green and everything was brown!…read more I came back on the last day of May with my husband and it looked completely different!! There is a lot of green everywhere and soo many different flowers (especially the peonies before they were vandalized)!! We parked in the back where it is about a 15-20 min walk to the peonies. It was a nice and mostly shaded walk. We even saw a new bird (Great Crested Flycatcher)! I think it's only worth coming for the peonies but otherwise, it's free (unless you park in the front and then you have to pay).

Bandemer Park is an awesome park located right in Ann Arbor. Although it's close to everything,…read moreit's completely hidden. You can hear the cars driving by but can't see them. It's a beautiful place to walk and get closer to nature, and convenient because it is right in town. It could use some upkeep from the city or county. Some signs and the bike park are showing their age and not looking as maintained as they could be. Still a great place to swing by.

I stumbled on this park after a failed attempt at a nearby park…read more I would say this park is roughly only abou 1.10 miles in total but plenty of connecting areas. honestly I did I did part of this trail that's why pretty much turned around but I was happy to say that restrooms were available but unfortunately wasn't the cleanest. Would I go back here... YES! Happy Hiking!!!

One of my favorite local parks to walk with my dog! We typically get on the trail from the south…read moreentrance, which has plenty of parking, fields for sports, a play structure, and some pavilions. Hike is on the easier end, with wide paths. Would note that that it is prone to get muddy so expect that after rain and dress accordingly. Note - they've taken down the old boardwalk. Not sure if they are just removing it or if they are creating a new one? Pittsfield township also often has fun activities in the park, like Halloween or St Patrick's Day themed walks/"scavenger hunts". Cute little touch.

Uncrowded park for jogging or walking 2-3 miles near Ann Arbor! I drove here (about 9 minutes)…read morefrom the Hyatt Place. This park has two sections (North and South). I took time to walk along the path from the parking lot, past the soccer fields toward Turtle Pond. You'll need to walk about 0.5 miles to see the pond, but it's a lovely respite and seems dog-friendly. One downside is the proximity of I-94 which means that you'll hear the background noise of cars and trucks in the distance. It's not super-loud, but noticeable if you had expected a serene walk. Another downside is that the trail does not have clear signs or color stripes - but you can figure out the main route by using the pond as your guide. Would recommend folks staying in the hotels on the south side of Ann Arbor to give this park a try - it was really nice for jogging or a long walk.

We had a great experience booking a last minute swim lesson. The pool area is great and they had…read morelots of sections for young kids to play in if they wanted out of the water time. It was awesome!

Awful staff for the POOL. Disgusting locker rooms and entrance. Unorganized check in pay system…read more Distracted front attendants on phone instead of helping guests. Dirty. Weird Mandatory 2 or 3 people a lane can jump in with you in laps and cant say no very uncomfortable. Worst staff I have ever seen no lie. There is literally a new updated 2026 article on how bad fuller got and not to go next summer for worst Ann Arbor Pool.

Charming park with two different gardens and a cute farm themed playground! And of course lots of…read moretrails. Loved the flowers they had (some were as big as my face)! Will definitely be coming back!

A perfect community park with enough to please most folks. An amazing playground adjacent to a…read morelarge picnic pavillion. For those without kids, there are well maintained crushed gravel walking paths. Perfect for joggers and those who want to take a stroll. You would never know this is located off a busy road.

Yet another beautiful free Michigan park!…read more This is connected to Furstenberg Park by a short trail that is mostly boarded by wood and has some small bridges. I like to bird watch and saw a cool Wood Ducks in the water, a tree swallow, and a swan! You can also stop by the water (very close to the shore) in the short hike at least 3 times and see some turtles. And there are many chipmunks and some other birds along the path. And there are a lot of people canoeing or kayaking on the water.

Gallup Park (broader than just the Canoe Livery) is one of my absolute favorite parks in Ann Arbor!…read moreEasy but varied and interesting trails, paved and unpaved, with great views of water, nature, and animals. Great park for distance running - when I was training for a half marathon, I would come here for anywhere from 3-8 mile runs. I actually typically like parking at the boat launch entrance off Geddes, but there is plenty of parking at the main entrance as well. It's just a little bit of a quieter entrance to the park. Over the last couple of years, they've had some fantastic art displays there as well. Very dog friendly, kid friendly, bike friendly, all of the above! Tends to be one of the busier parks, but for good reason.

Finally went into the actual park and wow, it is beautiful!!…read more I didn't realize I have driven by this lake so much on the freeway until my husband pointed it out! They have a playground (with bathrooms in the back) and the trail goes down a paved steep decline that then leads into the boardwalk path way. It is not the most stroller friendly mainly because you are dodging a TON of swan and geese poop the whole time. And it can be bumpy on some parts. But the whole pathway is pretty unique with bridges connecting it (at least 5 bridges) and there is one lookout spot you can go to. We went on a beautiful sunny and windy day and loved it!! Saw so many birds (I have never seen so many swans together before) and nests!! Lots of people fish here too. What a gem! Definitely coming back!

It's always such a beautiful time at North Bay! My husband and I are avid birders and have been…read morecoming here for years. The boardwalk through the wooded trails are beautiful but the real beauty is the boardwalk that goes through the lake. It is amazing! There is sooo much wildlife there, too. There are several spots with picnic tables and benches throughout the trail as well as workout equipment in different spots throughout the trails. It's a beautiful park and I highly recommend checking it out.

Wonderful picnic with my son! We came here to play in the sandbox and swing on the playset. I…read moreenjoyed my day with him so much!

Even on a hot day, even when the restrooms are closed due to Covid-19 restrictions, on a picnic…read moretable under a tree at BP is a pretty good place for a take-out lunch.

Amazing park for riding, running or bicycling. Trails are well kept and great sceneryread more

Gorgeous park along the Huron river between Ann Arbor and Dexter. Tons of amenities including an…read more18-hole golf course, disc golf course, picnic areas, playgrounds, baseball diamonds, biking and hiking trails, nature trails, river fishing, and boat launches for canoes and kayaks. My husband and I brought our pups here for a little outdoor time during social distancing and despite it being a gorgeous Saturday early-evening we didn't run into any one else on any of the trails we explored. So it's a really great spot to enjoy some outdoor adventures without worrying about getting too close to other people. Beautifully maintained, tons of parking and pup friendly! Just remember bug spray if you get into the woods/near the river. I forgot and got eaten up quite a bit!

This County Park is a hidden gem! Well maintained, great trails and play structures, lovely beach…read more A great outdoor experience including easy access to the Blue Heron water park and Independence Lake boat/canoe launch. A true GEM!

Check the county website or facebook page before you go!! Recently, the beach at Independence Lake…read morehas had to be shut down several times for high e coli levels. One of the posts said that this is because of the amount of geese that have been frequenting the lake this year or because of runoff from rain. We went once before we knew about the e coli issues and actually had a great time. The beach (we thought) appeared clean and the water was the perfect cool temperature on a hot summer day. The swimming area went deep enough that we could float away from the littles on the shoreline. There were two life guards on duty. They have really amazing facilities where a get together was being held under the pavilion. They have a snack station, but we brought our own chips and sodas. They also have a splash pad with water slides. This area was closed when we went, and you have to pay a little more to access this area. They also have some cool trails and a frisbee golf course. You can bring dogs, but not to the designated swimming area. I hope they figure out the e coli issues because we would love to go back.