An amazingly calm lake. Came here to watch the sunset one evening and just had to come back the…read morenext day for some fishing. Seems to be somewhat of a "hidden gem," as our group was alone the whole time. There are some trails around the lake as well, so there are various other activities to do here. The lake is meant for only sixteen years or younger children to fish in as noted by the sign. We managed to catch a bass which was exciting. The water was very calm. We occasionally pulled out some weeds but that's to be expected. We will definitely be returning.

I added this location on here, because it is listed on Village of Elk Rapids. It started from the…read moreHydro Power Plant off Ames Street, the Dam Beach is a favorite location for residents and families to spend time. There are lake houses in between public access, but since there are not a lot of traffic, so there are not a lot of concern about personal space or noise. Beach area is clean, sand are soft, and please keep it that way.

Very nice beach. The public access parking lot was small with a picnic table to sit at. The beach…read morewas very clean and the view was lovely. It seems that most of the beach is private but that doesn't take away from the charm of the public portion.

Finally found a weekend 4 of us could all be same place same time so we decided to go fishing. 7AM…read morestart we got there at 645. Never heard from the "captain", waited until 715 and left. Luckily in that half hour of waiting to see or hear from ultimate charter, we were able to get all the info of the other charter in town. If we find ourselves another weekend together we will definitely be trying out Reel Addiction instead. It literally couldn't be any worse than a no call no show to your own business? Tough look.

What an amazing hidden gem! We are from Florida and have done several charter fishing trips at…read morehome but we have never been lake fishing, so we thought our Michigan vacation would be a great time to try! Captain Dale was AWESOME! He and his mate made us feel so comfortable! We really had no idea what we were doing with lake fishing but they did everything for us and really worked hard to make sure we were having a great time! And that hard work paid off for us, we caught tons of fish!! It was so simple from beginning to end. We met them at the slip, purchased our fishing licenses there, fished and then they cleaned our catch! If we ever happen to be in this area again we will definitely be back!

Great Lake fun for everyone. Not super packed and great for water skiing and tubing. Lots of good…read morefishing out here as well.

One of the things I hate most about the breakup with the ex is not getting to go visit his family's…read morelake cabins on Lake Bellaire. When I used to come up here I would be so surprised that the lake bottom was sandy and that the water was clear. What a shocker right?? This lake is the perfect size. It's small enough that as a good swimmer you can swim across it, but large enough that you can take out the ski boat and ski, pontoon boat and relax, or sail on the catamaran. Being part of the Chain of Lakes means that it's connected, through a series of rivers, to multiple other lakes so you can spend the day boating through nature areas and rivers to gain access to other local lakes. You can also boat your way over to the Dockside, park, and hang out on the porch. The other great thing about this lake is that it is located next to some really cute little towns like Bellaire and Alden. Day trips out to Traverse City (the only large city around) take about 45 minutes and Charlevoix is close as well. For a slightly longer trip away, about 2 1/2 hours, you could go to Mackinac Island which is an island filled with historic houses and no cars, only horse and buggies are allowed (in the summer at least). Finally, my favorite thing about Lake Bellaire is the fact that the majority of lake cabins are truly cabins, not monstrosities of the like that line the shores of southern lakes. You really feel like you are going back in time and that there is nothing better than a day at the lake minus tv and outside influences.

Young State Park. located on Lake Charlevoix, was my first campground of the season this year! We…read morehad a great time here and this state park has a solid campground. You don't get too many views and the campgrounds are all open and organized into 3-4 loops that you can easily see and access from wherever you are by foot or car within the campgrounds and to one side they are all bordered by a line of trees that have walkways cutting through them at each loop to the beach and shore of Lake Charlevoix! Because of this, you can typically see the lake through the trees, but no campsite has direct access or prime views of the lake all that much, so no stress about there being a better campsite closer to the lake over a different one. Given that I camped here in early June, the weather was still a bit rainy, so we didn't get to spend too much time on the beach given that every time we did, it would start sprinkling. We tried a couple of the hikes, but they were all pretty muddy and one in particular was boggy and my friend's foot sank in deep past her knee! So just a few things to watch out for if you've gotten some rain leading up to your camping trip here. Other than that, there is plenty of great beaches here for laying out if the weather allows, plus Lake Charlevoix is wonderful for taking the boats out and they have a boat launch at a different spot within the park. It's wonderful for all the activities with the whole family and the furry family members as well! We had a great time even with the rain!

Review 1 for State Park 1 on the Circle Tour…read more This State Park is 5 stars all the way. Reason it ranks high is location, location, location. Nestled on Lake Charlevoix this state park was a toss-up when we were choosing. Sleeping Bear Dunes was packed and we were in search of accommodations to reserve so we didn't have to mess around. We opted to come to Young State Park. It turned out to be a diamond in the rough and a perfect place for us to spend our first nights on the escape! Our campsite was spot on, especially having chosen the site without having been there before. It wasn't secluded but it was perfect considering it was the Fourth of July weekend.It was also dog friendly and had some really cool well marked and unmarked trails. Some of the trails were a bit muddy and some were just perfect. There was one trail though that was the best and led us to the perfect view of Lake Charlevoix. There we enjoyed a day of chilling on the beach and watching our mutt romp around. This was truly the biggest highlight and I'd come back for this access alone, time and again. The sunset, the fires and the hustle and bustle of the Charlevoix area all made for a great time. We ventured into town and perused the scene with our pup as well as ventured around the surrounding area to soak up the sites. This State Park was clean and an enjoyable stay for us! Get here, relax and enjoy! Nuff' said!

One of our hands-down favorite places to hike. There's tons of hike-in camping spots along the…read more11-mile hiking trail, which largely follows the shoreline of the Manistee River with a few inland jaunts on a few of the oxbows. Despite being fairly well known, it's pretty pristine and doesn't feel overly busy but it's also never completely vacant. The river views are lovely, there's plenty of wildlife (great fishing & birdwatching), and there's a cliff swing over the water (huge adrenaline rush for this 43-year-old) on an off-shoot path just past the suspension bridge and a waterfall at mile 3.5 if you're coming from the north. You can return on the main path or on the other side of the river on a section of the North Country Trail.

What a great hiking trail! Parking wasn't bad at Red River Bridge Access…read moreOnce on the trail it is well marked. Campsites were clean and it looks like the hikers who enjoy the trail take good care of it. I didn't see one bit of trash the whole day. It was pretty busy, with folks heading both directions, everyone was very friendly and they all seemed to be enjoying the day! The views are beautiful. Absolutely the best hiking we have done in the lower peninsula. We will absolutely be back!

I've been going here for as long as I can remember. Apparently, it's one of the most popular…read moretourist places in Michigan... mainly just so your kids can jump off the dam and go swimming. The campground itself is very rustic: no electricity, hand water pump, outhouse toilets. The park is free to enter and is a popular fishing spot. The dammed side of the river is very rocky and strong current, and the water level fluctuates from flooding into the forest to a bunch of rocks depending on the season. It certainly offers a rewarding fishing challenge if you can fight off the crayfish, snags, and kids jumping in the way to splash in the water. For a better fishing experience, go to the lake side. Shore fishing is met with blobs of grass and minimal catches, but if you take a small boat out into the reservoir, it's filled with sizeable bluegill, smallmouth bass, and the elusive northern pike. I go to this area several times a year for fishing, photographs, and nostalgia.

I gravitate toward Leland's Fishtown every time I am in the area. It's my favorite little spot to…read morechill by the dam, watching the fish, shopping, & good eats! It's a must when doing the M22 tour, or when you are visiting Traverse City.

This is a pretty area to visit with lots of shops and nice restaurant on the water. Definitely…read morerecommend when the area.

loved my trip! Offered beverages! And caught some great fish! great stories, Deven was great with…read morethe kids!

We had a blast on Torch Lake Fishing. We got very lucky with the weather and fish. For us, it was a…read moretrip of a lifetime! The lake and water are beautiful. It was a perfect day. We highly recommend this experience! Very fun! Sean does a great job!

Where to start! I almost don't want to write a review out of simple selfishness. I want there to be…read morea cabin open anytime that I want to use one! We were greeted by the owner at the party store who then took us over to the cabins and have us a tour and showed us all the amenities that were included at no extra fee. The cabin we stayed in was cabin #4 it had a great view of the lake and was closest to the fire pit, hammock, dock, and trail! The cabin was clean and comfortable! I would recommend anyone for a stay (unless it's on the days I want to book the cabin!)

From the owner: We have four beautifully updated cabins nestled between the shores of Otsego Lake and snowmobile…read moretrail #7. Three cabins sleep four guests and the cottage house sleeps six guests. Summer activities include boating, fishing, swimming, kayaking, yard games and warm camp fires. Winter enjoy the use of a garage to store your sled and gear over night as well as immediate access to snowmobile trails located just minutes from your front door.