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.

Very nice park. Clean water , beach , trails. Not too…read morecrowded. It's hidden in backroad. Definitely will be back again. My daughter enjoyed this park.

Such a great spot! Came here on a Sunday as a family and friend meetup. We had ages ranging from…read moretoddler to teenager and adult. To enter the metro park it is $10/car. The splash pad cost an $8/person but allows in and out entry and was nice for the kiddos. The playground was pretty small-kid focused. Lots of beach sand and grassy area. The concessions and Kona ice were also a nice convenience on this hot summer day. Love that the restrooms had warm showers, toilets, sinks and a person cleaning during the peak busy hours. Only thing we wished was that there was a basketball court nearby for the teen and adults to play.

There are bathrooms, showers, and changing stalls. Keep in mind the changing stalls are not large…read more There's a lot of beach/sand. Water has a sandy bottom, not rocky. Water isn't clear, plenty of seaweed/algae both in the water and floating on top. That didn't stop us but definitely have enjoyed better beaches. The main attraction is the splash pad with water slides. It's fenced in but if you have wristband you can come and go. You must be 42" to ride the slides. When we went they had green wristbands for 42"+ and white bands for those under 42". It was $7 for 42" and $6 for under. Super reasonable. There were signs with rules but nobody followed them. There were 1-2 slide attendants at a time and the rules stated no jewelry or goggles but I saw so many people (adults and kids) with both. People went down the slides with sunglasses and cell phones too so nobody really cared, but they did do a great job of making sure people at the top of the slides didn't go down until the people at the bottom were done. At one point we saw a bunch of the teenage employees standing by 2 preteen boys and then a serious looking manager guy walked over and the boys confessed they were cussing. Not sure the before/after of that, but I'm glad it was dealt with. I didn't witness it but saw so many young kids standing in the slide line without an adult that I wouldn't want them hearing inappropriate stuff. **The tube slide goes way faster than the other one. There's one line on the staircase and then at the top splits off for which slide you want to go down and sometimes there wasn't a line at all for the non-tube slide. It would ideal for first-timers, or those that don't want to go fast. Coolers/food is allowed at the splash pad as long as you're sitting at a table while eating, which was so helpful for us. There's also a concession stand for beach goers with a lot of typical convenience options and I thought the prices were reasonable for beach food. $3.25 for soft service ice cream, for example.

What an incredible metro park! For $10/car you gain entry into this vast park filled with so many…read morefun outdoor activities. While many of the activities such as the splash pad, paddle boating, golf, etc. cost extra, you have access to the lake, so many beautiful nature preserves and all the luscious green you can imagine. Definitely worth checking out! You can easily spend an entire day exploring.

Kensington Metropark is a huge playground for year round outdoor fun. The options are nearly…read moreendless.

A very large park built around 2 lakes. Over 11000 acres with over 40 miles of trails…read more This area offers camping,fishing,boating just to name a few of the many activities offered. Trails are marked but are unpaved and hilly and they can get muddy and slippery when wet so bring hiking gear. Some trails are also used for mountain biking. Plenty of parking is available .

Love these trails in the fall--when the mosquitoes are not bad. Many trails have good hills--but…read morebe careful because there are lots of rocks and roots, and fall leaves make them less visible. Dogs love it here, too. There are endless possible routes...we often do Crooked Lake.

Nice family park with beach. Clean the little beach is great for small children and adults. My…read morehusband and I both have mobility issues but this park lets us take the grandchildren out for adventures without losing sight of them like at larger parks or having to worry about trying to keep up with them constantly.

A great way to spend the day. Relaxation seem to be a number one thing in this place.read more

There are lots of lakes nearby for swimming and hiking. Brighton State Rec is not one I would go…read moreback to. The beach at Bishop Lake was too small for the amount of people and the water quality wasn't great. The water was shallow, murky, and slimy. The trail around the lake was also crowded and not peaceful. Many people were riding their bikes or walking in between the camp grounds and the beach. Some signs or trail activities were falling apart and in need of repair. If you want to be around a ton of people while enjoying the outdoors, you'd have fun. It wasn't for me.

I visited on Saturday, October 4th driving a rental vehicle registered through my insurance…read morecompany. We purchased a grey rec sticker attached to the windshield. My family purchases rec passes for all of our vehicles. When the booth worker, Connie, asked if I have a rec pass on my vehicle, I replied yes, and she waved me in. She did not stand up to view the sticker. I parked in the Bishop parking lot and soon after noticed a white vehicle speeding through the parking lot. Connie the booth worker blocked the back of my car into the parking space with her personal vehicle and jumped out screaming, so angry she was nearly foaming at the mouth. Connie jumped out of her car, and ran to my driver's side window screaming at me as I sat bewildered in the driver's seat of my car. "What do you mean you have a rec pass, you don't even have a Michigan plate?!! Go back to the booth!!" I asked Connie to remove her personal vehicle from blocking my vehicle and obstructing my movement. I told her I don't feel comfortable with her behavior and that I wanted to leave the park. Connie said, "Good, leave!" I stopped at the booth and asked for Connie's name and the contact information for a park's supervisor. Connie replied- you don't need my name. They know who I am in the park's office. She then walked into her booth and slammed the door. I had Deb with DNR drive to the booth to speak with Connie and address her bizarre and over the top behavior. When I asked Deb whether booth workers are deputized or authorized to pursue and block parks goers with their personal vehicles, she smartly replied, "What do you think?" MI Legislature allows DNR officers to write civil tickets only to visitors without a rec pass. Under no circumstances should a civilian booth worker impersonate an officer, chase, pursue or physically block a person who they believe is not carrying a rec pass.

Soft sandy beaches, no seaweed in the swimming area, and lots of space. There's a sidewalk between…read morethe grass and beach - Lots of tables and grills too Electric vehicle charging stations Bathroom/changing rooms but the open air kind (see pics) Would be nice if there were any vending machines or snack stand of sorts

Beautiful park, wasn't over crowded. The beach area was…read moreclean and raked. The water is crystal clear and there's plenty of wildlife...