Amazing family fun park/pond. With small sandy beach/water access and volley ball courts…read more They have picnic tables and grills. Restrooms but no shower. There is no lifeguard on duty but there is always some one from the department patrolling for other violations. Talking about violations. NO alcohol/bottles, No animals. Plenty of parking. The sand, grass area, water is clean and well maintained. It does get dirty during peak hours but they do come clean few times a day. This pond is isolated from other water bodies around it. Keeps it little cleaner. Makes it good for scuba diving and there is some fishing as well. The have amazing trail system in the park for cycling and hiking. There is a trail around this pond. If you hike to the back of the pond, there is some water access (private beach). Or a spot to take your girl friend. There are two sand volleyball courts with net. One shed which can be reserved. This park is ideal because it's away from the crowded beaches around the area. Only thing, there could have been more trees in the lawn area for shade and tie your hammock.

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.

Gorgeous park along the Huron river between Ann Arbor and Dexter. Tons of amenities including an…read more18-hole golf course, disc golf course, picnic areas, playgrounds, baseball diamonds, biking and hiking trails, nature trails, river fishing, and boat launches for canoes and kayaks. My husband and I brought our pups here for a little outdoor time during social distancing and despite it being a gorgeous Saturday early-evening we didn't run into any one else on any of the trails we explored. So it's a really great spot to enjoy some outdoor adventures without worrying about getting too close to other people. Beautifully maintained, tons of parking and pup friendly! Just remember bug spray if you get into the woods/near the river. I forgot and got eaten up quite a bit!

It was an awesome sunny afternoon in early May with temps approaching 60 degrees...the perfect time…read morefor a bike ride. Michigan's Washtenaw County has created a 35-mile "Border-to-Border" paved bicycle trail that winds from Dexter through Tree Town (Ann Arbor) and on to Yipsilanti. Much of the trail is off-road and provides plenty of welcomed shade and river views on a hot summer day. Today, my wife and I chose to ride 10 miles of the B2B Trail in the Dexter area that winds through the Hudson Mills Metropark. Given the pandemic, we saw plenty of courteous walkers, joggers and bikers sharing the 10-foot wide trail which enabled effective social distancing. The Hudson Mills Metropark section of the trail in Dexter is a true gem that offers fresh air, sunshine and the opportunity to get some welcomed exercise. We look forward to the time when we can once again stop into the Riverview Restaurant after our bike ride and enjoy a breakfast or lunch. Until then, we're staying safe in Dexter. 5 stars!

One of my favorite local parks to walk with my dog! We typically get on the trail from the south…read moreentrance, which has plenty of parking, fields for sports, a play structure, and some pavilions. Hike is on the easier end, with wide paths. Would note that that it is prone to get muddy so expect that after rain and dress accordingly. Note - they've taken down the old boardwalk. Not sure if they are just removing it or if they are creating a new one? Pittsfield township also often has fun activities in the park, like Halloween or St Patrick's Day themed walks/"scavenger hunts". Cute little touch.

Uncrowded park for jogging or walking 2-3 miles near Ann Arbor! I drove here (about 9 minutes)…read morefrom the Hyatt Place. This park has two sections (North and South). I took time to walk along the path from the parking lot, past the soccer fields toward Turtle Pond. You'll need to walk about 0.5 miles to see the pond, but it's a lovely respite and seems dog-friendly. One downside is the proximity of I-94 which means that you'll hear the background noise of cars and trucks in the distance. It's not super-loud, but noticeable if you had expected a serene walk. Another downside is that the trail does not have clear signs or color stripes - but you can figure out the main route by using the pond as your guide. Would recommend folks staying in the hotels on the south side of Ann Arbor to give this park a try - it was really nice for jogging or a long walk.

I've known Brian for long time, but i'm not much of a fisherman. He took me out last winter and…read morebesides catching a dozen fish or more, he made it so easy and we had a great time! He now has his Walleye King guide service online. Way to go!

From the owner: I snow plow drivewaysread more

So, after daytripping Waterloo for years I finally camped there. Met some family for a…read moremini-reunion at the Sugarloaf Lake campground. I didn't have high expectations, but came away with a very favorable impression. What I liked most? Probably the quiet. Yes, there are times of the day that got a little noisy due to kids playing and dogs barking, but you're going to get that in any state park campground, and I gotten it much worse. Little to no road noise and generally pleasant neighbors. Bathrooms are fairly clean though in need of an update. Hot water never ran short in the showers. What I didn't like? My site. I picked what had to be the spot least shaded in the hottest parts of the day. Fortunately the rest of my family had shadier spaces and we hung out with them. Avoid site 92 unless you're camping early or late in the season. Generally, the camping area is fairly open, though a lot of it has at least fair shade most of the time. Our sites were on the far edge of the campground loop--it seemed like things were generally busier and louder close to the driveway into the camping area. Ice and firewood are available at the check in station and both are reasonably priced. Great for a chill weekend getaway without driving too far from urban southeast Michigan.

Waterloo Recreation Area is AWESOME! The trail system here is incredible and you just feel like…read moreyou're surrounded by an endless sea of nature that we are privileged to recreate on. The paths are so wide and there's just so much room to PLAY. My mind and heart feel open when I'm at Waterloo. My friend and her dog and I and my dog did the Waterloo Pinckney to Lakeview Trail, which is just so much fun. It's almost 5 miles long, but is pretty doable, with a lot of interesting things to see and check out along the way. There was a little natural playground we stopped at, we checked out those on the water ice fishing for a bit, and more. Tons to do here and I absolutely loved it! Looooove Waterloo so much though and I love that it's part of the greater recreation area of Pinckney-Waterloo as well. There are endless opportunities to recreate in all various forms when you're here and it's definitely worth the trip during all seasons!

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.

Lakes Area Bait Shop is an absolute gem. Ted, the owner, is a great dude--super knowledgeable and…read morealways willing to help. It's honestly impressive how much fishing and hunting gear they pack into that store; they seem to have everything you could need. We're really lucky to have such a solid, local bait shop right in our own backyard. Can't recommend it enough.

Great owner who loves fishing. My go-to bait shop. Wide selection, if they don't have something…read morethey can order it for you. Great prices. Worms do not taste the best, but the fish seem to like them

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.