I was just driving through and seen this pier on the map and thought I'd stop for a break…read more What a fantastic river front park. Peaceful and lots of nice waking paths. Many on the paths go out over the water which was super cool. If you driving though this would be a great place to stop and have a picnic or just wander around. With all the piers I bet I'd be a cool place to do some sunrise photography .

Beautiful views and awesome bridges. My husband and I came on a quick walk here while we were in…read moretown. It was very peaceful.

I went here for a quick day hike after kayaking to Turnip Rock. There's actually two trailheads-…read moreone official one with campgrounds and bathrooms, and one with a bridge over the river. I parked at the trailhead with the bridge, which does not have any amenities. If you're nervous about trying to find it, it's right next to the Dark Sky Lodge and Tavern so you can plug that into your navigation system. It's also well marked with a small gravel lot. When I went, the trailhead lot was full so I parked at a grassy lot across the street. The trail runs though the beach and forest ecosystem and it's pretty well maintained and well marked. It's impossible to get lost. As you go near the beach there's plenty of offshoot trails leading to the beach. Just watch out for ticks!

Absolutely breathtaking shoreline!…read more The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was because we only noticed one trash receptacle during our trip, and it wasn't near the parking lot but instead was appropriately placed next to a (closed) pavilion. It was overflowing, and I'll give them a pass because of the pandemic, but I was disappointed by the lack of trash cans and only one (closed) bathroom. The dunes were great though! A nice adventure and great place for a picnic! Also, heads up, there are signs that clearly state no glass or animals on the beach but plenty of people brought their dogs. Thankfully we saw owners cleaning up after their pups.

An awesome lake! Everyone you know and their grandma comes here! May not be like thee cleanest…read moreLake but definitely not the dirtiest either! A few years ago they put a campground in and everyone loves it.

We were here just after Labor Day so the beach was pretty much dead which was awesome for us as we…read morehad the whole place to ourselves. The wind made it a bit too chilly to do much outside from walk along the beach but had it been a bit warmer it would have been a great place to go swimming or wading. I hadn't realized that nearby is also a dark sky park so I imagine you'll have some dynamite night sky gazing if you're there after sunset. I'd love to come back and take some astrophotography shots with my camera this coming summer. Also worth noting, not sure if this is the case in peak season times but the park has a solid public restroom as well. Very clean!

2020-07-25. Oak Beach County Park, Port Austin, MI…read more In Michigan, everyone boasts of the beauty of the mitt; the scenic scapes of the UP (Upper Peninsula), the old world charm of Mackinaw and Mackinac Island, and the great outdoors of the Grand Traverse County. But there's another part to every mitten, and today my travels took me here, to Michigan's thumb. Well, to what I call the Thumbnail to be more precise. The thumbnail I refer to is the coastal areas of Michigan's thumb, from Bay Port to the West, to Harbor Beach to the east. One thing this area isn't lacking are beaches, beautiful sand beaches bordering Saginaw Bay or Lake Huron. While many a property here gets a piece of the water, there are many pubic beaches as well. The beaches are smaller and encompass only a few hundred feet of waterfront, but they make up for it in how many there are within close proximity to one another. Caseville has a decent size beach, but is often very crowded, and with COVID still looming around, we decided to go further north to Port Austin. Our day began at Bay Port to pick up some smoked fish, then to the Port Austin Farmer's Market. After that I had 3 beaches picked out. Oak County Park, Veteran's Park, and Bird Creek Park. Bird Creek Park is a 1000 foot expanse of beach to the immediate east of the Port Austin State Harbor. From here, you would be able to see personal boats come and go. The parking lot has enough space for about 70 vehicles, and spaces fill up by early afternoon. Not finding any spots within social distancing guidelines, we moved to the west side of the Port Austin State Harbor to Veteran's Waterfront Park. It's about half the size of Bird Creek with approximately 500 linear feet of beachfront. This side has the breakwater, so if you're in to boat spotting, it's not the optimal side to be on. While these two parks are adjacent to each other with only about 500 feet between them, there is no direct path to get there on foot. You will need to drive from one lot to the other. The parking lot is proportionally smaller here with about 40 parking spots. Not having any luck at Veteran's we moved to my original choice of Oak Beach. During our journey west, we passed by several other beaches. 4 miles away is Port Crescent State Park. Being a State Park, a Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry. We had ours, but if you don't have one, no worries, you can purchase one at the entrance. The cost is $12 for the year + $5 convenience fee for not purchasing it when you renew your License Plate tabs. This beach is the largest of them all by far, and spans about 2 miles. There's one central lot, and despite the price of parking, many come to enjoy this beach. This was my backup beach, so we pressed on westward. The next beach is at McGraw County Park. A small pubic park with no pavilions and only about 400 feet of beachfront. After this one is our destination, Oak Beach County Park. This park is much bigger compared to McGraw with two large pavilions, a playground, 2 horseshoe pits, and about 700 feet of beachfront. Here, we were lucky enough to find both a spot on the beach and in the parking lot. In addition to the pavilions, fixed charcoal barbecue grills are scattered throughout the park for public use. There are restrooms with one shower stall in each as well as a rinsing well to get the excess sand off your legs before heading home. Still on the Lake Huron side, the water is much cooler and the water remains shallow throughout the buoy markers for swimmers. At spots there are pockets where the water does get about 5 feet deep, so if you have little ones, take care to make sure they don't wander off to far on their own. If you venture past these deeper wells, it gets shallow again (about 3 feet). The bottom is sandy so muddy waters are kept to a minimum. Overall a nice beach with nice amenities. 4 stars. The great thing about this beach park is that there is a nature center about a half mile away. The Huron County Nature Center has many hiking trails that are well marked and pets are welcome. Overall, Michigan's Thumbnail Coast boasts many smaller beaches which is quite a nice change from the densely populated ones of Metro Park and Stony Creek. The water is cleaner and cooler, a bonus on those really hot days. There is one more beach if you continue on the Journey to the West. Thompson County Park is very similar to McGraw County Park, with about 400 feet of beachfront and no pavilions or playgrounds. So don't give up if you can't find a spot straight away. Our day trip was to conclude with a stop at Rybak's Ice Cream, but they were closed due to COVID, so we checked out The Grindstone General Store and Blue Moon Ice Cream Shoppe. If you would like to experience more, come dine-with-me.yelp.com I'd love to have your company... Bon Appétit!

Great place to relax and take the family, you can sled in the winter, go hiking, fishing, play disc…read moregolf, or bring the camera and get some amazing pictures.

Who made the maps of this place? The park is beautiful, Chippewa River runs through it.read more

What a stunning beach! Everything about the Oscoda Beach Park was perfect. The sand was super clean…read moreand the water. Cute shops, ice cream, restaurants, and much more within walking distance. Dog friendly.

If you're itching for a day at the beach but can't leave the Mitten, Oscoda Beach will scratch just…read morethat itch for you, and leave you ready to come back another time! On a recent hot weekday, I found myself off of work with no particular plans. I had heard about how beautiful Lake Huron was, especially up by Tawas Bay and further north, and decided that today was the day to check it out. I grabbed my partner in crime, and off we drove! Just a few hours later we were at the short, and kept driving until we reached Oscoda Beach Park. There we were greeted with a clean sandy beach, clear water, and clean restrooms, all in a place that also boasted free parking. We set out our chairs on a quieter stretch of the shoreline, and enjoyed the beautiful day. I closed my eyes and listened to the seagulls calling from above, and the gentle roll of the waves as they hit the shore. Shore, I miss the salty waves of the ocean, but when you can't stand your cabin fever anymore, Oscoda Beach Park is a great place to go for that escape!

300 stairs. From the top of the springs to the Au Sable river below, that is how many stairs it…read moretakes to descend the nearly 200 foot vertical drop at this local North Eastern Michigan outdoor adventure spot. And while it might not seem like much while you are walking DOWN them, in this antigravity paradox just remember, what goes down must also come back up--unless you plan on sleeping down there. Once you've descended the 300 stairs (actually, even on the way down), the views are absolutely spectacular. The setting is tranquil and relaxing, and there are several placards along the way which tell the story of the Springs and describe so many interesting aspects of this Huron National Forest site. Feel free to take your time meandering about in the shade of the canopied forest--for your looming ascent will have you longing for that serene setting. Once you've read all the informational signs and committed the gorgeous views to memory (or at least snapped some memorable phots thereof), its time to climb. Yep, those same 300 stairs that seemed so innocent on your decent now become your nemesis. In the mid summer heat, you also gain a deep appreciation for the perspiration-evoking power of Michigan's humidity. And, for those ultra-tough cross fit types out there that may scoff at those panting, wheezing, sweating souls such as, perhaps, me, maybe you should attack the 300 stairs Rocky Balboa style and enjoy yourself a victory dance at the top (after which, if you are feeling a little humanitarian urge, you could send down a tow rope or some other means of pulling my kind up the 186 stairs I still need to climb).

I guess I'm really only reviewing the 22 mile river road scenic byway. A beautiful late winter day-…read more60 degrees and sunny, left water over ice on all walkways and lookout points. Tennis shoes weren't going to allow that to happen. Turned into a nice drive, nonetheless.

A Place of Beauty…read more Always something of beauty to be found here, no matter the time of year. Right along the Saginaw River is a special location for those seeking respite from life's worries and trouble, no matter the rationalizations that caused them. It is a pretty safe place for contemplation and reflection as the boats of various types float by at a Small's pace, allowing you more than enough time to be open and honest with the world; or let others do it for you. There is a playground and boat launch near by.

This park is a hidden gem! We stopped in town to grab lunch, and we were looking for a place to…read moreeat and for the kids to get their energy out. The gentleman who checked us out at the register recommended this park, so we drove this way, and we were pleasantly surprised! The park is scenic, has an amazing jungle gym for kids to play, plenty of benches, beautiful walkways, public restrooms, and much more! The kids loved the all wood jungle gym. The park is very clean and well kept. We will definitely be back!

Love this park in downtown West Branch!! They have a little something for everyone. Walking…read moretrails, basketball courts, tennis courts, a covered bridge, a giant playscape, a little stream with ducks, a pavilion, and lots of green grass. Kids and adults can sled on the hill in the winter and ice skate on the court in the winter as well. A definite community gem!

We spent some time exploring Bay City on our way home after spending a weekend up in Port Austin…read moreand the highlight was definitely walking along the waterfront at Wenona Park. They've got plenty of seating, a bandshell for concerts, bathroom facilities, public art and more. My husband and I grabbed a pizza at the nearby Brooklyn Boyz and enjoyed a lovely picnic of sorts on one of their covered tables while watching the boats and the sun go down around us. It was lovely and one of the easier outdoor dining experiences I've had in recent memory. Parking on the adjacent street (just across from the Planetarium and the entrance to the park by the fountain) was very easy. It was a metered spot but it was on a Sunday so I believe it was free. A great place to spend an evening or an afternoon when the weather cooperates.

The downtown side of this river offers a surprisingly developed space, with an outdoor…read moreamphitheater, various boat docks, public art, and restroom facilities. While urban, the river did offer a nice shimmering blue, and a large cargo ship made for an interesting sight as it passed by. Parking is no trouble, and it's easy to walk around the downtown here, so there's no reason not to stop by this park if you're there.