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    North Higgins Lake State Park

    4.0 (13 reviews)

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    Richard S.

    North Higgins Lake State Park offers a ton of sandy beachfront, and even on the busiest days, there's always spots in the sand to lay out. The swimming area is pretty tame and never more than a few feet. There's no park store like at South Higgins Lake State Park, but in the busy summer times, there is a small food trailer sometimes parked near the beach. Otherwise, there's not much else in the area. I've never camped here, since we have property nearby, so I can't comment on the campground. The CCC Museum across the street is actually pretty interesting. If you're intent is to just lay out in the sun, go to South Higgins Lake State Park in the early afternoon and then to the North in the evening since they face opposite directions. The northside is also less of a partying park than the southside and tends to consist more of kids and old people.

    Educational overview of the lake vis-a-vis ecology and conservation
    D. M.

    There is nothing here except some basic campsites, some picnic areas (with grills or fire pits), rudimentary boat launch, a very nice shoreline and parking spots. Just the way I like it. And, on the Saturday in late October that I visited, there were no other people there, even though it was brilliantly sunny day, albeit a chilly one. The lake itself is clean and clear, and the views are nice. Bring what you need for a meal, and dine al fresco by the water!

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    Our favorite beach. Clear water, sandy bottom and nice bathroom facilities. Kids also love collecting sea shells.

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    Review Highlights - North Higgins Lake State Park

    Slightly quieter than South Higgins Lake State Park, they have a beautiful sandy beach overlooking crystal clear water!

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    chalker park

    chalker park

    5.0(1 review)
    25.1 mi

    This is probably one of the best playgrounds up north, the only real downside is the location…read more Kalkaska is a humble and honest small town, but beyond grabbing a bite to eat there isn't much else to do in town... this is only relevant if your traveling to the area from down state. Not much touristy things to do if you plan to come to this park.... downtown is cool but there isn't really shopping... back to the park: this park is tucked behind some buildings and easy to miss if you are driving through. The structure is completely wooden and connected completely through bridges, tunnels, and monkey bars. There's a sign with rules and restrictions and beyond guardians and parents the playground is meant for 12 and under in age. I brought my sister in law and nephew after we grabbed lunch at the up north grill in town (only 5 minutes away so highly recommend for lunch) my nephew is almost 2 years old but there was still tons of interactive stuff for him to do which was unexpected based on the size of this huge castle themed park. There's about 5 different slides so age shouldn't restrict enjoying. The structure is very well built and laid out so, as adults we were for the most part able to maneuver it with our little guy. A bouncy tire contraption that reminded us of a bull was a win as well as a swing that allows an adult to swing with your baby which was SOOOO COOL. Better that just pushing because it adds safety and gives you a chance to do something enjoyable with your baby while making eye contact. Wyatt was all giggles. The park was busy when we visited but it never felt crowded because how it's designed. It's both 40 minutes from my sisters house in grayling but left enoug of an impression that she plans to take Wyatt with my brother this weekend again!

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    South Higgins Lake State Park - South Higgins Lake State Park

    South Higgins Lake State Park

    3.9(19 reviews)
    7.5 mi

    I came here to camp (car camping/tents) for the first camp of the summer and what a great kickoff…read moreto camping season it was for me and my group! Everything here was top notch and well maintained, probably above average from the many state park campgrounds that I have camped at through the years! What that tells me is that this is probably one of the more highly trafficked campgrounds, so there is a lot of maintenance done on it! This campground had the most "modern" bathrooms. Everything was automatic, the toilets, the sinks, the hand dryers. This is by main indicator that the bathrooms are the latest and greatest update! We also loved our campsite. We had a few of Higgins Lake peeking out from around other campsites from ours and were able to enjoy the lake breeze and sunset view from our campsite alone. It was also an easy walk to the lake, where there was a little playground/swing set AND a dog-friendly beach just right off of that playground area as well! Super dog-friendly, which was great because I brought my dog along! Lots of trailers/RVs at all the neighboring campsites, which is to be expected, especially of a more popular campground! This campground also had the most campsites that I've seen as of late (minus Ludington, I'd say)! South Higgins Lake State Park also had some great hiking trails that we took advantage of! Marl Lake Trail is a trail that is very customizable for any of your time/energy level needs - 1, 3, or 5 mile loops can be done on this trail! Other than the hiking and the camping (spent 3 days and 2 nights here), we didn't do much else at the state park, opting instead to rent a boat (from the South Higgins Lake State Park Store - see my review there for details on boat rentals and our experience!) to spend a whole day on the actual lake, so I can't attest to the other amenities this state park has to offer. But for our purposes on this wonderful weekend, it was darn near perfect and we really enjoyed our time!! Hope to be back soon! :)

    Park store charges $5 for a skimpy scoop of ice cream. Old owners gave you much more for your…read moremoney. Got a bad case of swimmers itch yesterday. Would be helpful if the park had nice feet washers and showers to wash the parasites off but instead that have a dribbling high in the air "washer" where the ground is covers with piles of sand and essentially of no use. The grass is long which makes it a haven for bugs. The beach area is so small and crowded. Need to clear more edging for beach use. Overrun with boats and have to wade through them all to get to a deep enough area to swim in. Lucky if you get in the park at all on the weekends.

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    South Higgins Lake State Park
    South Higgins Lake State Park - South Higgins Lake State Park

    South Higgins Lake State Park

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    South Higgins Lake State Park

    Lake Bellaire

    Lake Bellaire

    5.0(2 reviews)
    37.0 mi

    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.

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    Lake Bellaire - Hobie Cats on Lake Bellaire

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    Hobie Cats on Lake Bellaire

    North Higgins Lake State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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