I give this lake 5 stars because it fulfils all I require from a laking experience. Some folks like…read morea mini jobie nooner every weekend, I like to chill. I don't want to hear other people's children "playing" or whatever it is they do that's so loud. I don't want to vie for space on the sand bar. I don't want to hear other people's music, or see them dancing. You get the point, I'm not into the social scene that can be typical of Michigan lakes. You might be saying "why don't you get your own lake then you anti social jerk?". Well, that's basically what Orchard Lake is. It's amazing. There is literally like, no one on this lake 99% of the time. If you're lucky enough to be able to boat during the weekdays, you can often be the ONLY person on the water. You could totally lay out nude and no one would even be around to see you. The busy weekends don't really seem busy, and I have yet to feel crowded or annoyed. It's silent, peacful, serene and relaxing. Perfect. This is a VERY clean lake, and I believe it's the second or third largest in Oakland County. The water is clear and sparkling in most areas except for the very deepest parts. There is only seaweed in a few spots but these are not the chill areas and are easy to avoid. I love the variety of wildlife that can be seen on this lake including egrets, swallows, hawks, ducks, swans and lots of cute little fish that seem happy to hang out by the humans. The sandbar is spotless, probaly due to the "no drinking" poloicy that we, of course, follow to a T. LOL. The no drinking policy is most likely what keeps this lake fairly empty, and it works for me.

Nice walking trails - I think it's about 1.3 miles around the trail one time. Little benches to sit…read moreon and reflect on the world's problems or to just be in nature. Lake is pretty and calming. I saw a couple deer and some little furry friends while on my walk. Not sure if you should stay on the trails but some others who were walking were not......

Beautiful walk, perfect for a quick afternoon stroll. Some areas are nice and shaded and others are…read moresunny!

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.

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.

Very cute. Lots of wetland to see without risk of getting lost. There were lots of birds to see! I…read morewish there was a pier to fish from.

An excellent Novi community park with well maintained facilities, which is a double-edged sword…read morebecause it is popular over the weekends. Thirteen miles of hiking/MTB trails. Two bikers for every hiker. It can get crowded if you aren't hiking alone with bike traffic. Surprisingly not too many bugs even though it rained the day before. TH at the very end of the parking lot. Numerous pavilions, fishing piers, playgrounds, and a small beach. I took a dip in the lake after hiking and it was refreshing, but the shoreline is small and the swimming area doesn't go much deeper than four feet. Water was clear, to the point where I could see a band aid in the sand. On another note, coming from Detroit you will run into construction on HWY 96 (Summer 22) as you near Kensington Park. I had minor delays at 9AM, but on my way back there were massive delays with only one operating lane. Check before you go.

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...

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.

Located at Brighton State Rec area in Bishop lake. Anchored huge inflatable…read moretrampolines/mountains/giant slides. There is a pricing scheme for 45 minute sessions running all day, depending on the package you get 1 or 2 sessions, or all day use. They provide a life vest, assemble the children in the beach area, and release them en masse to charge the inflatables. One life guard at the structures, one ashore to overwatch. This is for kids, but very strenuous. Small kids and those with mental difficulties had a very hard time (and obviously those with physical issues are not able to play). Plus the slides do not have water pumping down them. No social distance in the age of covid

This place is awesome. I run a youth program, and the kids love this place...and I do too! I spoke…read morewith the manager there, and she offered us a group rate. She was super nice, and easy to deal with. We enjoyed our time there so much, that we returned several times over the summer. Thanks Jump Island! One thing I will note: There are a lot of negative comments about the staff there. I will say that some of the life-guards seemed a bit nonchalant sometimes, but were never rude to us.

This Metropark is very mid. The trails are decent even if it was very buggy on the August afternoon…read moreI hiked a couple of them. I applied bug spray very liberally and the 'squitos were still all over me like I was the blood buffet. If only I cross country skied I wouldn't have to worry about that sort of thing. Trails, fishing, golf, a couple ball fields and picnic tables. Huron Meadows has nowhere near the amenities of the upper tier of the Metroparks but you can probably find some zen spots out in nature here. I will say it's pretty savvy for the chain to put a park out in Livingston County as they can soak the taxpayers with a millage for the whole park system. Sure, Kensington, the crown jewel is barely over the border into Oakland County but with Huron Meadows, Livingston gets to have a Metropark of its own. It could use some improvements - disc golf, a sledding hill, a paved bike trail or dirt mountain bike trails and a pool would all help round out the park's offerings. Even one or two of these would do a lot for this park. As it is, there's some pretty scenery here, but it's not worth heading out of your way unless you're being a Huron-Clinton Metropark completist like me. Kensington and Hudson Mills are far nicer parks.

If you must hike I definitely suggest coming here especially in the fall. It was so peaceful - No…read morebugs in sight. The markers for hiking are more in the trail so if you're expecting to see them as soon as you walk on to the park then you might not. Restrooms were clean and available also benches and picnic tables were available throughout the trail. Highly recommend this park even if it's just for a slow stroll. Happy hiking!!!