cool trees. cool branches. small waterfall. but big river! many bugs, many ticks. bring bug spray.read more

I love this place. And hesitate making it more known. But this place, even with the summer crowds…read moreis extremely peaceful and soul feeding place. It's beautiful and relaxing. I've had my kids get their senior photos taken here. It's out of the way, but it's so beautiful, it's a place you have to go to. Historical information, the falls are one of the key locations that the lamprey were discovered to be in the Great Lakes and a great deal of research still takes place within a few miles of this location.

We visited Hoeft State Park for the first time last weekend. It wasn't our favorite state park we…read morehave visited but it was still very nice. The sites are very small and they are not very level. We were on site 72 and we had to move our tent three different times to get it staked into the ground. The site was very unlevel and rocky. There are a handful of nice sites throughout the park but it felt very crowded because the sites are so small and everyone is so close together. They do have a bathhouse with showers and toilets. They do not have an updated shower house but it did the job. The staff were very friendly. It was a quiet park because it is so secluded. It is right along the shore of Lake Huron. There is beach access. The water was warm in mid July. The cell service is spotty if you have AT&T. I don't think we would camp here again but we were glad to visit and check it off our list!

Once we visited this park, we had officially visited all 5 Great Lakes…read more.. ...And this park immediately made Huron one of our favorites. The water is so pretty and clean! I grew up on Lake Erie and lived on Lake Ontario for a little while, so I'm not used to seeing such bright blue-green water at a Great Lake. (Erie & Ontario are very brown) Aside from a perfect Lake Huron experience, this is just a nice park in general. Plenty of places for kids to play (including playgrounds), hiking trails, and other activities. All the facilities are in acceptable conditions and there weren't very many people there when we were, which made it feel like we had the park to ourselves (on a Sunday!)... There is a fee to get in. The ranger told us we could pay $9 and have access to ALL Michigan state parks, which of course we did.

For a person who likes to party in a campground, this place is for you! But I personally like my…read morespace in a campground. The sites are packed close together and you can tell they packed in as many stilted as possible. (There are around 300 sites). There is always noise, kids riding their bikes everywhere, and campers packed up like sardines. If you like staying up late with your friends, this place is great, but I personally could've had a better experience.

Best camp ground in Michigan! The water is great and super clear, there's events for the kids…read moreeveryday ran by the awesome park rangers. Highly recommend spending a weekend here.

We found the sawmill while driving along the coast from Cheboygan. We decided to stop as it said it…read morewas historic site and place to visit. This place was great! The tour guide was just very enthusiastic and really into milling. She was able to explain everything and it was quite fascinating to see. Well worth the price of the admission tickets. Definitely a must do when in this area.

This is a historic park on route 23 - about 5-10 minutes drive SE of Mackinaw City. There are a…read morehandful of structures restored from the 1800s. The main focal point is a water powered sawmill that existed there - where one can see the engineering skills of the day. This was the first industrial-like setup of the time. There are scheduled demonstrations run by people who help out at the park to first explain the wood cutting, first the manual effort, then the new way. For our tour, the demonstrator asked for a small child to help - making it interactive in a way. Beyond the tour there are hiking trails - complete through the woods, around, up and down hills and around ponds. For $9 per person additional, there is an adventure tour - great for older kids. Includes ziplining, treetop walking, rock climbing, and a view from the tower. Be prepared though, we showed up at 3:30 (the adventure tours are on the hour) and the last tour (5:00) was already sold out. Very shaded throughout, well maintained... allow 90 minutes without the adventure tour unless you get ambitious and do hiking trails... Allow 2.5 hours otherwise (either hiking or adventure tour).

We love this spot for a bit of a view and some great stairs! You can also choose to go the 'back…read moreway' and hike through the woods to get to the overview which is what we do! I prefer going down stairs than up them so that is my secret hiking too! Always a lovely time to hike here as there is quiet and lots of tree cover so it is cooler and restful. The hike is not too strenuous but also not just a walk which is perfect. We didn't get many bugs which was also nice and could go without a walking stick too. I love that they have separate trails for biking and hiking as well as a disc golf course that meanders through the woods. We are usually almost alone when hiking which is perfect if you want to just focus on nature. The overview tends to be a bit busier so we did meet up with more people toward the end, but everyone is very kind and friendly. Love this spot and we go as often as we can!

The hike starts off rough if you're unable to walk up 450+ steps. It definitely makes you wonder…read morehow good of shape you're in. There's plenty of benches along the large staircase to assist your travels. The overlook at the end of the stairs makes it worth it. Absolutely stunning. The view of all the house, trees, and lake blew me away. I could sit up there for hours. Once you reach the overlook, the hikes starts. It's a beautiful 2+ miles hike. Plenty of trees, animals, and plants to keep you company on the walk. I would live in the woods here If I was able.

This campground is pretty great! The spots are spacious, there are plenty of trees to hang up a…read morehammock, and the views are gorgeous! Black lake, being the size that it is, has many good fishing spots and sights! The spot I was in was a little unfortunate as it was on a bit of a slope, but other than that, it was pretty great!

Beautiful state park in a tiny Northern Michigan town that is more known for fishing than for being…read morea touristy hot spot. I stopped up here recently during fall color peak. The park was alight with brilliant shades of red and amber leaves falling from the trees. It made for a beautiful drive to see the color. The park does require a star park recreation pass or sticker on your vehicle to drive around, but the office appeared closed for the season, yet the park was still open, so it didn't matter. It's a nice sized park and is well-maintained, with plenty of nice spots for taking in scenery, lake views on one side, restrooms, and picnic areas. I recommended it for anyone who loves nature. Visit in the fall while the trees are turning color, yet weather seems temperate.

I came here for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and will be returning in September. This is…read morean absolutely beautiful dark sky park with spectacular views. The park offers various educational programs and experiences throughout the months, has a unique gift shop (the staff was great as well), and has several walking trails to enjoy. I love that you can learn on your walk by reading the various signs posted. It would be fun if they did an educational scavenger hunt on their educational trail, as that would be a fun way to learn. I look forward to visiting again in another month!

It's just a short drive from Mackinaw City and this place has been on our bucket list for a few…read moreyears. The place is nice but it is not exactly what we were expecting. The path is well marked with red lights (no white lights allowed). They do have bathrooms there too. It just felt a little underwhelming and over populated (and we went on a cold fall night). Some people were packing in wagons and had flashlights which was annoying since the white light ruins your eyes when they are adjusted to the dark.