What a nice small park along the river sporting a boat ramp, disc golf, a few picnic spots,…read morebeautiful views, and bathroom spot. Ample parking for boats and trailers which is a big time plus. Disc golf setup looks newish and wanting to be played! Seems quieter than Riverview Park across the river.

Beautiful playground, park, and dog park located in Stevensville, Michigan. We recently got a dog…read morefrom the shelter and we have been bringing her here. There is a fenced in area for small dogs as well as a separate larger fenced area for big dogs. My dog has done a really good job at this park and has had minimal other dogs while we were there. The first time there was a puppy in the other fenced in area, and the second time it was empty. If you need an area that isn't packed then I would recommend this park. I know other dog parks can get busy so knowing this one isn't makes Hickory Creek Park my go to place as of this moment. Only downside is there was no water fountain that I saw to refill her water bowl when she got thirty so I used my refillable bottle and also there was a distroyed toy someone else left inside the large dog fenced area which we had to throw away to prevent our dog from trying to get a piece of rubber off it.

Large splash pad!…read more The kids loved it. Lots of jets coming up so plenty for all the kids. I also loved how at the end of the night they turn on the outside jets that basically soak the whole concrete area. Cool to see. Bathrooms and tables right by the area.

Wonderful splash pad for the kiddos. The massive fountains turn on every 15-30 mins depending on…read morethe day. While the main blasters are off, there's water spouts from the ground that my niece and nephew loved covering with their feet and running around. Heads up that it operates from the first Monday in May through the last Sunday in September, opening at 10am or noon and closing at 8pm or 9pm depending on the day. Check their website for current hours :) A wonderful spot in St Joe!

Lake Bluff Park, aka The Bluff, is home to most events that occur downtown St. Joseph. The farmers…read moremarket is extremly popular in the summer, as is the Mike Yore Memorial Car Show, Antiques on the Bluff (a summer antique market) and the artisan fair. In the fall, the main event is St Josephs fall fair. They have a fun petting zoo situation with sheep, rabbits and such. There is also a luminary festival and a trick-or-treat happening throught the downtown area, including on Lake Bluff Park. Winter means pretty lights come out and you can walk the park basking in the beautiful glow. It may be cold, but it's worth the walk at least once a season. I usually walk it when I'm already attending an event downtown St. Joe. I often go to the Chili cook off or the reigndog parade. You can also attend the fun Winter Wonderland event that starts with the lighting of the lights at the park. Not many events happen on the bluff in the spring regularly but usually people are awakening from their winter hybernation and come out to wonder the Bluff (usually for pokemon hunting). There are 2 pokemon gyms on the bluff so if you are walking around grab your phone and go to the fountain and the fireman memorial. Speaking of memorials, there are lots of them on the bluff. Don't just walk by them and not look. They are there for you to respect and admire. Long story short, any time of year the Bluff is abuzz with activity. The most active time of year is definitely the summer but there are events all year.

Beautiful little park on the shores of Lake Michigan near where the St. Joe river flows into the…read morelake - and all right at the edge of the city center. You can walk here from the wine tasting venues in the city and stroll along the riverfront. The park includes a bandshell, a war memorial, and most of the other things you expect in a park. But the real deal is the view of Lake Michigan from this bluff - go see what it looks like.

The park is being updated. There are new bridges and cabins...of you look on the parks website…read moretheres a blueprint of planned upgrades and new features.

Love this place! Second oldest roller rink in the country. Very cool spot. Definitely recommend…read morechecking this place out.

This is a great Family place. The "creepy" bunk beds, as another reviewer put it, are where the…read morefamily can rest during All-Night skates because after being there all day and then all night, some of them are bound to need to rest at some point. However they have not had any All-Night skates since COVID so they have not been used in a while. This place offers a small arcade and a snack bar for those who don't skate. This skating rink also has a family plan where if the parents stay with the kids, they get in for cheaper! Sounds like quite a deal to me! The owner and his family are very nice and have been trying the best they possibly can to make this a safe environment for kids and they really do a great job. this is a place to have the kids burn some energy off in every season. We will be returning.

The city is really neat and slow paced. The parking here is absolutely ridiculous! A ticket ranges…read morebetween $20 and $40. I had an annual pass for Silver Beach, oddly there is a different annual permit for Lions Beach. Before getting the ticket I had no idea Silver Beach was county, the other beaches were city. Over the week I was here I watched tickets constantly being handed out around the little shops where tourists would go to. If us tourist bring in the cash to the city, why would we want to come back to somewhere that is wanting to ticket us constantly? There is free parking in the city, no free parking near the beaches

I have lived in the Saint Joseph, Michigan area my whole life (I moved to Benton Harbor in my 20s)…read moreand I honestly love it.  Other than the horrific winters we have between January and March, the weather is pretty decent.  Each season is treated like its a majestic time and many events are set up by 'St. Joseph Today'.  In the winter, the chili tour, Beer Fest, and Ice Festival are the spotlight events.  If you're looking to do some things not planned by the city, the carousel makes a great indoor activity and so does the Curious Kids museum if you have children.  Taking a trolley ride is also a fun option that I'd suggest doing at least once.  The trolley isn't just during the summer, meaning you can take a trolley ride in the fall to watch the leaves change or even in the winter (until December 7th this year).  Numberous shops downtown offer hot chocolate, my favorite being The South Bend Chocolate Factory. In the spring there is a wine & cheese walk that I am excited to attend this year and also a living mannequin display, both events being in March.  If it's still cold, the two indoor activities I mentioned before are open year around.  If it's warm, walking around downtown is a great activity. In the summer there are lots of events.  My favorites are the antiques on the bluff, farmers market, the artisan fair and chalk the block.  If none of the events strike your fancy, the beach is a wonderful place to go.  There are lots of ice cream shops around town and wonderful restaurants for a quick bite. In the fall I enjoy going downtown to trick-or-treat at the businesses with my nephew.  The air is usually still warm for a good walk through November.  Long story short, I shop in this city, work in this city, grew up in this city and went to school in this city.  I'll always love this city.

I'm still on my quest to hike all the SW Michigan Land Conservancy public trails. This past…read moreSunday we found the Jeptha Lake Fen located in Grand Junction. My first thought was boy, this was a hard place to find. We drove down the gravel driveway as stated in the directions but ended up in front of someone's home. Backed out and noticed a yellow gate. There is nothing at the gate stating this was the preserve. A neighborly guy came out from the house nearby and said you found it and that everybody gets confused when they try to find the preserve. We walked around the gate and followed a two track for a short distance and finally come upon the sign from SWMLC. My second thought was what is a Fen? From the US Forest: "Fens are an important and unique wetland type. Fens are peat-forming wetlands that rely on groundwater input and require thousands of years to develop and cannot easily be restored once destroyed. Fens are also hotspots of biodiversity. They often are home to rare plants, insects, and small mammals. Larger animals like deer and livestock graze in this type of wetland. Fens are valuable to humans as well. They are important as sites of groundwater discharge and are good indicators of shallow aquifers. Vegetation in all wetlands plays an important role in recycling nutrients, trapping eroding soil, and filtering out polluting chemicals such as nitrates. In addition, fens figure prominently in nearly all scenarios of CO2-induced global change because they are a major sink for atmospheric carbon." It's a rather rough preserve, but according to SWMLC, 148 species of wildflowers, 97 species of birds, 26 species of butterflies, eight species of frogs, and all sorts of other wildlife and plants have been found at Jeptha Lake Fen. . The two track was very rutted and filled with tall grass. Unfortunately, we saw no wildlife and very few birds. I would estimate the loop to be approximately one mile. The area sees very little traffic from what I could tell. There is a path that leads to a boardwalk which spans a marsh and ends at a platform to provide a chance to take a break and enjoy the lake view. The boardwalk provides an opportunity to get a close up look of plants and flowers that you normally wouldn't be able to see without disturbing the marsh and becoming a mess in the process. The walk was quick but enjoyable. It's very peaceful and I'm glad we found this little hidden gem in Van Buren County.