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!"

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!

Many years ago I hosted a bridal shower here but recently I have visited to walk around the pond…read moreand explore the woods. The location is great! Right by I-75 but still wooded and the comfort of being outside. Clean bathrooms, with diaper changing table. No swimming or fishing allowed. It doesn't offer as much as other nature centers but if you know what you're getting into, it's still nice. I'm looking forward to renting the cabins in the fall.

I wanted to try a new place for hiking around me one day because I felt like I had been everywhere…read morenearby when I found Hawk Woods! It feels so close to the highway, yet also completely secluded from it as well. There was only one part of the hike where I felt like I could hear the highway sounds, but otherwise, it felt like a cool little sojourn into nature. The overall size of the park is very small, I believe the outer loop was about one mile MAX, so definitely a very quick, very easy hike you can do! You can honestly do the loop a few times if you so please as well. Very little elevation gain, perfect for all skill-levels, some variance in scenery as you go about the hike, dog-friendly, and filled with little nature, educational signs throughout. A delight and a perfect way to do a quick little getaway into nature!

Sylvan Glen Lake Park is a hidden gem right off Rochester Road…read more It is great for a walk, picnic, and fishing. The back and forth walking path is paved leading around the lake into a beautiful forest area. Only about a third of the lake is accessible since the neighboring golf course locks the northern side. The accessible lakeside is shallow. Along the lake you will find benches to rest at or fishermen young and old. The onsite restrooms and water fountain were super helpful! Sylvan Glen Lake Park is a great spot to spend for the day or even stop on the way home from work for a fresh breath of air!

There is now a new paved bike and walking trail around the lake that opened up this past Spring…read more2021. It is part of the Troy Trails and such a great addition. Since the trail was completed more people are coming here to walk, bike, and fish especially in the evening hours. The trail doesn't go around the whole lake but a semicircle from the side opposite of the golf course. It's a short .75 mike tail and at the end goes through the woods and leads you into a neighborhood subdivision. The only thing this place needs now is an outdoor bathroom and water fountain.

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.

Beautiful walk - 8.9 miles if you walk the full trail according to the signage. Construction is…read morehappening now but there are detour signs along the way.

There's no greater slice of heaven on Earth than the Paint Creek Trail. I still remember the first…read moretime my boyfriend and I walked down it 4 years ago--it was mid-October and the leaves were turning golden reds and browns. We walked about a mile and a half into downtown Rochester Hills, passing by a police horse, a family of seven deer, and many bikers, runners, and walkers like us along the way. The path was clean, the nature was beautiful, and everyone we passed was just as happy to be enjoying this trail as we were. It's just as magical today as it was then. This trail is, in short, an absolute gem. If there was a list for best casual walking trails near a downtown in the US, this would top it. We've easily put thousands of miles of walking into that trail--which has its unique history of its own as a former railroad line. Through every season, from rain to sun to snow, we've been blessed to watch its beautiful trees and flora evolve throughout the years. The best part, however, is that everyone respects the beauty of it. There are trash cans spread out, but you'll never find a candy wrapper or doggy bag left in a stray bush. Bikers make themselves well heard before safely passing around a group of idle walkers. It's rare to hear runners blaring loud music, and I swear children are visibly calmer when walking through Dinosaur Hill with their parents. I genuinely believe every city in America's overall happiness levels would skyrocket if they had a trail like this. But that's what makes the Paint Creek Trail special--it's uniquely one of a kind in its simplicity and beauty.

Large beach in a large park…read more Great place to meet up with a large group of friends or family! In the summer months (pre-Labor Day) they have an inflatable obstacle course courtesy of Warrior Island great for teens and adults I have seen dogs on this beach (and in the water) multiple times so clearly the NO ANIMALS sign is often ignored The changing rooms are interesting... no doors necessary since they're around a corner The singular outdoor shower is not private There's goose poop everywhere Biggest perk is how far you can go while it's still shallow

I love Bald Mountain and have been coming here for years. Great trails to walk with a beautiful…read morewooded area. What more can you ask for? There's also the beach area which is nice for the summer although I don't really go to it because it gets really busy. Great photography opportunities for any nature lover and is an okay spot for mushroom hunting. Definitely go off the beaten trail if you want to find mushrooms. Only thing I wish was that they reopened the main entrance because I've always struggled finding out how to actually get in other than parking off the dirt road and walking in. Hardly any parking spots on the dirt road which can be slightly annoying. Overall this is a nice park!

First time here, and it was beautiful. Hilly trail with packed dirt, paved, wood stairs, and…read moreboardwalk sections. Be aware that there are many roots and rocks on the trail so keep your eye out for tripping hazards especially with the fall leaves. The Rouge River runs through the grounds so there are little pockets of flowing water. I saw at least 7 deer, including a young buck with a small rack hiding in the brush. There were many different birds including a few woodpeckers, cardinals and blue jays. I'm pretty sure I saw a falcon too. I'll be back to enjoy the trails and wildlife again

Stage Nature Center offers relaxing hikes through some well-marked wood chip and boardwalk trails…read more The trails are beautiful and even for not being that large, you could enjoy it for hours. Rouge River runs through for a nice natural water source. There are plenty of benches along the trails so you're never without the option to sit for too long. There is plenty of wildlife. I always see tons of deer wandering about. There is a resident racoon family, rescued owls, mallard ducks, and even the wild turkeys!! Plenty to see that will entertain young and old.

This place is SO fun and I can't believe I never knew it existed. It's definitely geared a bit…read moretowards kids in the beginning of the hike with a bunch of fun, interactive things set up near the parking lot, but this is a great little hike you can do with your friend and/or dog with a lot less traffic than Paint Creek Trail, which connects to Dinosaur Hill, or the Rochester Municipal Park, which is located right next door. A very short hike, clocking in at about 1 mile, with the nature preserve seemingly split in two by Paint Creek. It was fun and is a very quick hike with changes in scenery that keeps the hike interesting. Another great option in the Rochester/downtown Rochester area for all skill levels to take advantage of! :)

Nice place to take your dogs or your kids. The trails are well kept and connect to the Paint Creek…read moretrail. The trail map is posted at different locations which makes it very easy to know where you are and how to get to where you want to go.

I've driven by this park quite a few times over the past year and always was impressed with how…read moreclean and cool looking it was. I finally had the time to stop in yesterday with my date and his kids to check the place out, and we both were pleasantly surprised with how much fun it was. For starters, the park is really well kept. Grass was cut, parking lot was clean and well maintained and all equipment was in good working order. After walking around for a bit, we both realized there was more to do then meets the eye from the road. There's plenty to do for both kids and adults. The one thing that drew my eye initially was the picture of the fire truck on the wall of the building they have right next to the parking lot. The park itself is named after a fire chief, thus, the fire truck theme going on here. They have tons of stuff to do here. They have a lovely covered pavilion with plenty of seating and well maintained picnic tables. They also have a play area for the kids, soccer fields, a horse shoe area, tennis courts and a sand volley ball area. They also had an area that appeared to be a Bocce Ball court, but no equipment to play the game. Also, there was a building with the fire truck painted on that I assume has bathrooms or a tribute area inside. I can't say for sure because the doors were locked and you couldn't see much through the doors. The only downfall to this park is no obvious place for bathrooms. I assume it's in the building but I cannot say for sure. I also saw a few adults walking with fishing poles and equipment. I guess you can go fishing around here as well. I believe there's hiking trails as well if your interested in that also. This park is a great addition to the community and everything about it was impressive. I am sure I will be back in the future!

The splash pad at Chief Gene Shepherd Park is beautiful. The park is beautiful and clean, updated,…read moreand filled with exciting water features for children. My family loves visiting the splash pad on hot days and I love taking them. This splash pad is perfect!