I love this place. And hesitate making it more known. But this place, even with the summer crowds…read moreis extremely peaceful and soul feeding place. It's beautiful and relaxing. I've had my kids get their senior photos taken here. It's out of the way, but it's so beautiful, it's a place you have to go to. Historical information, the falls are one of the key locations that the lamprey were discovered to be in the Great Lakes and a great deal of research still takes place within a few miles of this location.

Fun place to explore and very beautiful. You don't have to walk that far to get to the falls.read more

We visited Hoeft State Park for the first time last weekend. It wasn't our favorite state park we…read morehave visited but it was still very nice. The sites are very small and they are not very level. We were on site 72 and we had to move our tent three different times to get it staked into the ground. The site was very unlevel and rocky. There are a handful of nice sites throughout the park but it felt very crowded because the sites are so small and everyone is so close together. They do have a bathhouse with showers and toilets. They do not have an updated shower house but it did the job. The staff were very friendly. It was a quiet park because it is so secluded. It is right along the shore of Lake Huron. There is beach access. The water was warm in mid July. The cell service is spotty if you have AT&T. I don't think we would camp here again but we were glad to visit and check it off our list!

Once we visited this park, we had officially visited all 5 Great Lakes…read more.. ...And this park immediately made Huron one of our favorites. The water is so pretty and clean! I grew up on Lake Erie and lived on Lake Ontario for a little while, so I'm not used to seeing such bright blue-green water at a Great Lake. (Erie & Ontario are very brown) Aside from a perfect Lake Huron experience, this is just a nice park in general. Plenty of places for kids to play (including playgrounds), hiking trails, and other activities. All the facilities are in acceptable conditions and there weren't very many people there when we were, which made it feel like we had the park to ourselves (on a Sunday!)... There is a fee to get in. The ranger told us we could pay $9 and have access to ALL Michigan state parks, which of course we did.

This campground is pretty great! The spots are spacious, there are plenty of trees to hang up a…read morehammock, and the views are gorgeous! Black lake, being the size that it is, has many good fishing spots and sights! The spot I was in was a little unfortunate as it was on a bit of a slope, but other than that, it was pretty great!

Beautiful state park in a tiny Northern Michigan town that is more known for fishing than for being…read morea touristy hot spot. I stopped up here recently during fall color peak. The park was alight with brilliant shades of red and amber leaves falling from the trees. It made for a beautiful drive to see the color. The park does require a star park recreation pass or sticker on your vehicle to drive around, but the office appeared closed for the season, yet the park was still open, so it didn't matter. It's a nice sized park and is well-maintained, with plenty of nice spots for taking in scenery, lake views on one side, restrooms, and picnic areas. I recommended it for anyone who loves nature. Visit in the fall while the trees are turning color, yet weather seems temperate.

Walloon Lake will always have a special place in my heart... I swam in this beautiful lake numerous…read moretimes as a kid and as an adult and I've taken all kinds of boat rides too. With gorgeous homes all around it as well as Camp Michigania, Barrel Back restaurant, and more... I am a huge fan and the view of Walloon Lake from Camp Michigania never gets old. I hope to visit again and again!

There is probably not a nicer lake in this state It is also probably the most expensive of the…read morebunch too What a surprise Kenneth S Merriman

We came north to see the elk in the forest. We hit 4-5 viewing areas during dusk and dawn, and…read moredidn't see any. That's not the reason for the three stars. Signage for the viewing areas is non-existent. Get a map of the park (not of the viewing areas) before you go, as GPS will not take you to the right places, in my experience. Also, maybe check out a trail app. We were told to check out viewing area #9. We were told to follow the "trail." Um. There is no trail. It is tree and branch covered path that I can't imagine trying to get through in the dark. Also, viewing area #9 is a FAR walk from the road, through and over and under branches and logs. Be prepared.

Well marked trail system. With river, sinkhole lake, natural lake, backcountry camping etc. the…read moretrail loop can be as short as 5 miles to 11 miles. It has a bunch of drive in front country campgrounds too. This nature forest is popular for elk hunting.

I'm not much of a nature walking person, but it's been a very long time since I've been up to this…read morepart of Michigan. We discovered this place while on our way to the tunnel of trees, and I said "hey, let's stop here and check it out!" So we did. Pulling in, the parking and area isn't all that huge, but it's cute none the less. It's kind of an off shoot of the Tunnel of Trees, and we also wanted to catch a glimpse of the water if possible. There was a nice gentleman who greeted us and told us about the paths. He said to stay on the trails, check out the water and it's about a mile and a quarter of a walk. So, off we went. There's a nature center at the front with bathrooms and some educational stuff, but we skipped it and went right to the trails. They have a little map area at the front, but basically this place is one big circle and a designated path so you can't really get lost here. While it is cool to look at, it's also a lot of dead and down trees. They have signage throughout about what you're looking at, and tells you a little bit about it. Things like flowers, trees, bugs and birds. It was pretty busy even for a cooler September day, which was impressive. The coolest part of the walk was getting to see Lake Michigan. It was really super cool and you walk right onto the beach. It's not a huge area at all, literally enough to have one person at a time. There's some great photo opportunities along with a view of the lake and boats, which was fabulous to see. Overall, the place is a good stop to get some exercise at if you've been cooped up in the car and start getting antsy like me. LOL. There is a bathroom along the trail, but it's not a flushing toilet one of those holes in the ground with very little privacy. No doors just walls. Kind of weird because I was afraid someone was going to walk in. Anyway, go check it out, you can do this in less then an hours time!

Our family never tires of visiting Thorne Swift. The pathways are easy to walk, some are wood and…read moresome mulch. There are steps down to the beach area and an overlook of the dunes. The pond is lovely. If you are fortunate, you may catch a glimpse of some wildlife, today there were a number of cedar waxwings at the pond. All the paths are mostly shaded. Caretakers are on hand to answer questions and give information. The nature house features some interesting animal facts and specimens. Monarch butterfly releases are scheduled and an aquarium with the caterpillars is just inside the door. A variety of classes and talks are offered. Informative signs are scattered along the trails, some with photos. Many of the trees and plants are labeled with signage. There is a donation box in front of the nature house, and ample parking.

For a person who likes to party in a campground, this place is for you! But I personally like my…read morespace in a campground. The sites are packed close together and you can tell they packed in as many stilted as possible. (There are around 300 sites). There is always noise, kids riding their bikes everywhere, and campers packed up like sardines. If you like staying up late with your friends, this place is great, but I personally could've had a better experience.

Best camp ground in Michigan! The water is great and super clear, there's events for the kids…read moreeveryday ran by the awesome park rangers. Highly recommend spending a weekend here.

Great place for rockhounds! Found some small pudding stones. Tons of different sized rocks all…read morealong the shore.

Nice little park on US 23. It has picnic tables, grills, and bathrooms. My family enjoyed the great…read moreview of Lake Huron while we ate our picnic lunch.

This is a beautiful and well maintained park. There's a nice playground for the kiddos and plenty…read moreof scenery to take in. There's free parking right up front. You can walk right up to the water. A great park to stop at if you're in the area. Or even if you aren't in the area.

Nice park area near the marina. Has a breakwater that you can walk out on to to a small lighthouse…read more It was getting ready to rain when we were there so the walk out to the lighthouse was very chilly. Nice place to search for stones and watch boats come in.

This is a fun walking/biking path near downtown Petoskey that makes you feel as if you have left…read morethe city for the woods also instantly. There is a creek/river running through the middle of the trail so you can walk in either side and get plenty of nature experience. The trail is quite lengthy so choosing how long to go is the only tough choice as each bend in the trail provides a new vista. I loved how the rushing water masked any city noises, and it did feel as if you were out in deep woods. It was nicely shaded and yet the sunlight streamed through for a gorgeous view. We have been here several times and highly recommend a visit for a short or long walk!

Husband loved fishing here. He waded into the shallower part of the stream but loved fishing off…read morethe rocks near the deeper faster rapids! I sat with a book and enjoyed the atmosphere. Feels like you're in a forest, the river and trees drown out any traffic noise! We'll definitely come again on our next visit up here.