What an incredible metro park! For $10/car you gain entry into this vast park filled with so many fun 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. read more

Kensington Metropark - Views from the car - Parks Near Me - Milford, Michigan

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

I really enjoy this park - definitely recommend just walking/exploring around. Very peaceful in the fall/winter season! Been here several times and will come to return. Happy hiking!!! read more

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What an incredible park, and it's not far from where I live. There's a ton of wildlife and plenty of things for families and active people to do including paddle boat, canoe, trail riding or walking, fishing, and camping. It's one of Michigan's best kept secrets! read more

Great place to walk or ride your bike! This park is kept clean and the pavement is smooth read more

Kensington Metropark - Lake and bridge - Parks Near Me - Milford, Michigan

It's large and beautiful. There's something to do for everyone. Bike , hike rentals for water, and waterpark for kids. The only problem is they force adults to wear helmets while riding a bike. You don't even need to wear helmet riding a motorcycle in the state of Michigan so we should let adults decide. read more

If you want to attend the fireworks, the splash pad beach has the best view. You'll want to get there early!!

Kensington is a gem of a park with something to do for everyone. You can host a family picnic, rent a kayak/canoe/paddleboard or paddle boar and explore the lake, you can hike the trails, go on a bike ride and so much more. We enjoy renting kayaks here as it is cheaper than the other options close by. $10/hr for a single or $15/hr for a 2 person. We pack a lunch and explore the lake looking for wildlife and enjoy our lunch while getting some sunshine. Afterwards, it's nice to take a walk on the trails, go down to the beach area or check out the nature center where you can see a very cool hawk. Be sure to have a metro park pass otherwise its $10 daily fee to enter the park. read more

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One of the larger metroparks and my favorite for a long bike ride around the lake. Multiple hiking trails and picnic spots. read more

Kensington Metropark - Biking with a view - Parks Near Me - Milford, Michigan

Lots of things to do and see here. You can rent kayaks, canoes, boats, pedal boats, etc. biking trails and plenty of bbq grills for cooking out. Also several beaches you can go swim at. A great place to spend a summer day. Looking forward to going back. read more

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Best place to spend a day during the summer months... the park s having sooo many activities for all age groups. A full day can be spent in this place if well planned. read more

Up until this spring I had been to this park maybe once or twice. Then came 2020 and Covid 19 and lots of time indoors. When the weather finally got nicer I needed to get out but a lot of businesses and activities were still closed. Perfect time to go to the park. The nature trails were peaceful and therapeutic. There really something for everyone to see and do here. Picnicking, fishing, hanging out in the beach, learning about nature in the nature center, and my favorite, photography. The variety of birds is unbelievable, not to mention squirrels, chipmunks, cranes, turkeys, and eagles. It's summer now, the worst of Covid-19 is hopefully over and things have started to reopen, but I will continue going to Kensington because it's quickly become one of my favorite places. read more

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As an eastsider I've only been to Kensington twice but it's nice enough I can wish it was closer than the western outskirts of Oakland county. My mom asked me to compare it to Metro Beach, er, Lake St. Clair metropark, but it's a lot more like Stony Creek. You get a lake to enjoy but there's much more sprawling park besides. I first visited Kensington in 2017 and cycled the bike trails around Kent Lake, and then some. The trails jut off clear out of the park, onto Island Lake Recreation Area on one side, and who knows where on the other. Not me, as I smoked too much herb that day and got myself good and lost on my maiden voyage here. Not exactly the park's fault, and my experience was lovely up to that point, so word to the wise, keep your eyes on maps and signs, and have your phone at least somewhat charged. I rolled up to my car at like 7% in the dark, thankful for Google maps that day. My second trip to Kensington was on August 24th of this wacky year of 2020 where the main draw was the beach. A friend and I descended upon Maple Beach, one of two this park has on Kent Lake. The water was refreshing but pretty shallow almost all the way to the buoys. Not a lot of real estate for floating, swimming or just standing in shoulder deep water for folks of a taller persuasion, but all in all not a bad beach on a hot summer evening. Maybe some other time I can try out Martindale beach on the other side of the lake and offer my thoughts on that. After beach time my homie Aaron and I hit up the bike trails with no directional mishaps. He knows Kensington better, has disc golfed there, and we didn't embark on anything as epic in length as the full Kent Lake loop. Still, we cycled some smooth paved paths with sweeping curving elevation changes that were exhilarating in some places, and easier to just disembark to walk your bike uphill in others. A lot of fun though we cut it short in the dwindling daylight. This park is a gem. Maybe sometime I'll make it out here earlier to make a day of it, and wander over to the adjacent Island Lake Recreation Area since I might as well if I make the haul out to the west side exurbs. read more

Kensington Metropark - What? No beach at Lake Erie Metropark? Kensington to the rescue! - Parks Near Me - Milford, Michigan

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This place is so much fun to visit. Great place for nature walks and seeing the birds. Love the water to look at as well. Nice place to go during this pandemic. Great for a picnic and also highly recommend to explore during the fall. read more

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We visit Maple Island rather than Kensington. A couple of the male parks workers/officers are creepy. One "relieved himself" in the woods off the trail. It was early in the AM, but still inappropriate and weird. read more

When I need a change from the busy city life that I live in, I come here! Can't hear the busy honking traffic and planes flying above lining up on their flight route to land. As you approach the park from Milford Rd you've just encountered at that moment what nature looks and feels like. On the right you'll see Kent Lake filled with at least 100+ white swans sitting with some black swans and sandhill cranes. All those birds together make it sound like there's an orchestra being performed naturally and but loudly. We make our way to the farmhouse and the staff there are always friendly and willing to assist us when needed. Lots of the areas are locked up due to it being closed for the season hours, which changes often. So get there early to take advantage of all what they have to offer. Such as the hay wagon ride, feeding the animals for lunch, observing the chicken laying eggs and being shown how to make maple syrup from the forest. There is so much more that I can continue to write more but that would take for ever. (Stay tune for reviews to come). Just remember to bring some wild bird seeds for your bird and chipmunk trail walk, they eat it right out of your hand. This is my first choice in the Southeast Michigan area to come to first. If your looking for fun, romance, picnic, skating, horseback riding, skiing, love, sledding, bike riding, etc.....I can go on, but this place is the heavenly place you'll find near you. Give it a try and let me know what you went looking for! read more

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Kensington is a GREAT park. There are so many things available to do there in the summer time, and all seasons actually, but summer is when it really shines. They really have it all--a water park, beaches, walking/hiking/biking trails, nature walks filled with animals to observe, picnic areas with grills, fishing, boating/kayak rentals, a petting zoo (I once saw baby pigs being born!), and plenty of shady trees to just lie under for an afternoon. There's a daily entrance fee of $10 and there's lots of parking at each "attraction" which is nice. Most recently we came during Labor Day weekend and though it was probably at its peak visitor numbers it didn't feel overwhelming in the least. FYI--not the most dog-friendly, though. No dogs on the beaches, the boating rentals, the nature trails (this makes the most sense to me since you don't want dogs barking at the animals), etc. I brought my pup with hopes of taking him to the beach portion for a swim but alas, it was not meant to be. But we picked a few trails to explore and sat and had snacks under a tree and relaxed for a few hours instead. read more

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The park is very well maintained and nature is alive all around you no matter what the season is. I can't imagine a better place to come and get away from the daily busyness of the city. Activities such as sledding, cross country skiing, boating, canoeing, walking, running, swimming, fishing and there are trails everywhere to explore. read more

This is my favorite park for biking and walking. I go all summer long, it's always well maintained. Great place to have a family event or just to have lunch by the water. read more

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It's a very nice park. Beautiful trails and lots to photograph. Loved the Island Queen boat tour. We saw the eagle's nest and a couple eagles. We enjoyed the fishing. Sadly,some people do not follow the rules about not feeding the wildlife. You can feed the smaller birds though. Their are many signs that tell you not to feed the wildlife and it's for the good of the wildlife and people. Since to many people are not following the rules the wildlife expect and beg for food.They are too aggressive. Also,be careful this time of year with the Sandhill cranes since they have babies. We did not provoke them and they were aggressive towards us. I came a few weeks ago and had no problem with the cranes,that was before the babies were born. So that was the difference. This time once on the trail and once near the boardwalk. On the trail we came across two cranes so we stood still to let them walk by us. One of them came right up to me and hissed. I was afraid he was going to hurt me. Thankfully a women came and distracted them and they walked away. She told us they have pecked at her before. Then further down we were about to walk on the boardwalk when we saw two cranes again. They ran towards us so we ran across the road and they followed us. Thankfully we were close to the Nature Center. That kind of shook me up. Please,follow the rules! We will come back definately to fish. I will come back to walk the trails but never again this time of year. I told the man working at the Nature Center what happened. He said if a crane does that to spread your arms out wide and to clap once loudly. They will leave you alone. read more

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The beauty of the park is unmatched. There is an eight mile bike trail or walking trail. Many little secluded picnic areas. A few boat launches. Beaches. Wading pad for kids, slide. Have been going there since 1952 with my parents have taken my grand kids there too. read more

Love coming back here. So many activities you can do. Be it kayaking, rollerblading, swimming, biking, walking, taking pictures and barbecue. I see a lot of group celebrating birthdays, reunions etc. There's a wood table, chair and grill on certain areas, all you need to bring is the charcoal, gas and light. If you need a bigger shade for a party, you might want to call the caretaker for reservation. Entrance fee will be per car. $7 for a one time visit, or pay the $30+ for the annual fee with unlimited visit. Parking is free. Restrooms with flush, water sinks and drinking stations available. The shower room is open the same time as the water park. You'll have to pay extra for the water slide. If you don't like to cook, there's hotdogs, pizza, ice cream concessionaire open during summer time. It's a great metro park. There's a golf course, bird view area, bike and walk route. You can swim on the lake or let the kids play with the sand. I saw someone set up a volleyball net either on the sand or the grass area of the park. read more

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I just loved our time spent at Kensington this summer. It's a little bit of drive for us, but we have really spent a lot of time this summer trying to get outdoors as much as possible, when his allergies are not giving him a challenge. We enjoy hiking the through the nature trails, finding a private quiet area to enjoy our picnic lunch, and simply enjoy time with each other. Believe it or not, I have tried many outdoors activities, but this was my very first time kayaking....crazy, I know! lol Kensington is a HUGE park and lucky for us they also rent kayaks. The rentals are on $10 an hour, which we found to be very reasonable. My friend has kayaked many times, so he was able to assist me. I can't tell you how much fun we had. We have decided that we are going to purchase some kayaks, as we plan to spend more time enjoying Michigan and the beautiful lakes. We've been able to travel the state a lot this summer and we think it will be a good investment. If you happen to be in the area, or you are willing to take a little drive, Kensington is a true gem! read more

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I visit this great park almost daily. The wildlife is abundant and the park is beautiful. I bring my grandkids to swim. I go to hike. Lots to enjoy. Even a petting farm. read more

Wildlife and beautiful views abound on the many trails. Great for walking, birding, skating, biking and picnics. read more

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Had the pleasure of visiting Kensington Metropark twice in the last week, after never having visited before. On the first visit, I met a friend for a weeknight hike around the nature trails. It was a great walk, with a surprising amount of wildlife including sandhill cranes (give them a wide berth if they're with their babies), wild turkeys, bunnies, and a variety of birds. It was fairly well-marked and well-maintained. While the Nature Center at the trailheads closes at 5, the bathrooms are open until dusk and were clean. Based on this experience, I would have rated 5 stars. I returned that weekend to rent kayaks to go around the lake. While we were lucky to be able to rent kayaks without a wait on a beautiful weekend day, the service here was less than helpful and the bathrooms were in disgusting condition. You are told where the paddles and lifejackets are, but there were no employees in the room to provide guidance. Being 5'2", I picked the smallest paddle, and when I asked the employees at the kayak beach if that looked right to them, they had no idea (first day working that area). The paddle was too small, so I had to come back in and swap out the paddles, which took about 10 minutes (the kayak beach is a little walk away from the facility). Furthermore, the footrests on my kayak were both broken, so I had my legs straight out in front of me for the duration of the trip, which is pretty uncomfortable and makes paddling more difficult. When I mentioned that when paying, he just made an offhand comment about how it was late in the season (it was the first week of August) and so a lot of the kayaks were broken. Maybe fix them? Or tell people (we were assigned specific numbered kayaks) so they can decide if they still want to rent them. I would rate the kayak experience 3 stars (only that high as the rates were reasonable at $10/hr, with the first hour having some leeway to acknowledge that it takes some time before you're actually out on the lake). read more

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Been going to Kensington since I was a kid and love it. Great playgrounds by the lake, we enjoy the farm in the spring and nice level trails for everyone. read more

Came here to kayak & paddle board over the weekend. Lines can get pretty long for the boat rentals. The few people who work here are pretty good at keeping the peace and keeping things somewhat under control, but they could definitely use one or two more people during the busier summer months. One thing to note is that you must have an ID of some sort to rent a boat. They have this printed on signs everywhere, but it's kind of amazing how many people clogged up the line, only to find out that they needed to have their ID once it was their turn. They take cash and/or plastic for boat rentals. They do require a full deposit, but do not fear- you only pay for the time you used. Kayaks and paddle boards looked to be (mostly) in good shape. The seat latch on the kayak was broken, so the seat stayed folded down, making it awkward to get in. Definitely a nice way to spend an afternoon. read more

What a beautiful park! And it is huge! There were a lot of people out and about on this gorgeous summer day but it was still possible to find peaceful and serene places at Kensington. We loved walking around the farm with our little one. Adorable goats, pigs, donkeys, bunnies, cows, chickens & horses. Nice barn with some interactive and educational displays. Took a walk in the woods on the Aspen Trail ... saw wild turkeys, deer and cranes. Nice trails. Definitely want to go back and hike some of the different loops! Brought a picnic and found a great spot in the shade and by the water to enjoy our lunch while watching the geese and kayakers. There is so much to do here. Totally worth the $5 day pass! read more

Kensington Metropark - Crane on the trail - Parks Near Me - Milford, Michigan

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Whenever I come here for a walk, I love feeling completely carefree and at peace. I love that there are so many different places to park, different sections for either sightseeing, the walking trails, and the two different 'beaches.' The only downside is paying for parking...if I lived closer, I probably would get a season pass, which would be well worth it! read more

Kensington is an awesome park with something for everyone! Being so centrally located for SE Michigan, it's a great place for reunions, and no one should end up bored! In addition to the beaches and picnic pavilions, there are nature trails and a nature center, boat rentals, a petting farm and other farm animals, and a paved path around the park. I think it's eight miles long, and perfect for a save, limited auto-traffic exercise place after a day at work, or on the weekends. read more

Great Metropark! Perfect for the kids with so much to do! Farm, nature center, beach, splash pad, etc. plus, it's a beautiful area!

Awesome park!!! They take great care of everything, especially salting in the winters

I don't know about you, but I've been coming here for 40 years. This place has gone to the dogs. The booth attendees are very rude. The place is falling apart. Shame on who hires these mean rude lazy people. We saw a law official there playing on their phone not doing their job. A new system for entry needs to be implemented. If a single family struggling with money should be forced to adhere the park sticker to their windshield, and the car breaks down and have to use another car, they again a subject to an additional entry charge. Thats stealing. Who gives a booth attendee the right to issue permission to who they want to have enter not their park? read more

I primarily come here to walk and ride a bike and it is very enjoyable. Really pretty park. Don't use other facilities much so can't comment on the nature center or snack bar. read more

Love all the options and can spend the day here for sure! With the beach, water park, the countless trails that individuals can ride a bike on, skate, or just simple walk is beautiful. The wild life nature exhibit is pretty clean and the trail near it has chipmunks and birds that'll eat out of your hand! Countless picnic tables for the family. Of course boat rentals and the farm too. Just so many things that can occupy one for the day! read more

The park is breathtaking but if your allergic to Spiders don't ride the paddle boats, they were dirty and full of bugs. The boats are not very well maintained and the gears are really hard to get going or steer. Enjoy the park skip the paddle boats. Your welcome read more

I've been to Kensington many times and I've still yet to take advantage of all that this park has to offer. Usually, I ride my bike around the 8 mile paved loop 2-3 times, or I sometimes run it, when feeling ambitious. The loop is somewhat hilly, which is a nice change from running/biking the streets of pancake-flat Royal Oak. Other stuff to do: there are trails (which I have not yet explored), rowboats, kyacks and paddleboats to rent, a beach, fishing, as well as sledding hills and a toboggan runs (the latter of which I really need to check out this winter)! AND there's a petting zoo. That said, the reason why I gave Kensington only 4 stars is because of the stupid rule that requires you to wear helmets when on a bike (or rollerblading...but who the hell rollerblades anymore?!). I, for one, am not a fan of wearing a helmet. It totally cramps my style, ok? Furthermore, I don't appreciate ordinances/laws that are overly-paternalistic, i.e., helmet laws for non-motorized bikes! Caveat: I do realize that there are quite a few laws that are paternalistic in nature that are also reasonable, but I draw the line at non-motorized bike helmet laws. Let ME worry about keeping my skull and brain intact, ok? Notwithstanding the foregoing, Kensington is great! read more

I can only write this review in regards to Martindale Beach and the Farm Center areas of this park. It is HUGE and I've never seen all of it. I plan on fixing that in the coming year since I just bought an annual pass for...$25! Best deal in the metro area! Martindale Beach has acceptably clean restrooms and showers, a snack shack that isn't outrageously expensive, and the water park area called Splash n Blast. There are water slides, but we have only used the water play/sprinkler area. It is pretty expansive. You get discounted admission to the Splash n Blast after a certain time of day. 5pm maybe? The Farm Center is totally free with your parking pass, and there are many cute animals to learn about and to pet. The goats are particularly friendly and come to you for a head or belly rub! There are programs throughout the year, like sheep shearing. A daily pass is only $5, so take the family and make a day of it. Lots of walking trails where you will see tons of swans (babies too) and other wildlife. Enjoy! read more

Kensington Park is the definition of relaxation. This sprawling 4,500 acre metropark has everything you need to get out and enjoy nature. During the summertime, you can enjoy the warm waters of Kent Lake (itself 1,200 acres). You can fish, kayak/canoe, or go for a swim (the water has been cleaned up dramatically over the years). There is also a large water park with slides and splash pads (additional charge to enter the water park). There is a nice paved trail for walking/biking that circles the lake. It is a hilly 8 miles with beautiful scenery the whole way around. They also have 7 miles hiking trails. There is a well maintained golf course, disc golf course, nature preserve/bird watching, horse trails, baseball, basketball, and multiple play areas for the kids. The farm at Kensington is a family favorite. It is clean and well maintained with friendly staff, a cafe, and hay rides on the weekends. They have many animals for viewing/petting and there always seem to be babies popping up. During the colder months, Kensington has a great network of cross country skiing trails. Not sure if they allow ice skating on the lake though... $30 will get you an annual pass to all 13 metroparks, which is a bargain. Get out and enjoy nature at Kensington! read more