The best local park around. Family friendly. Sprawling park, feat nature preserves, tons of hiking…read moretrails winding through the woods, some featuring varied terrain, with steep inclines along ravines, tons of local wildlife, and feat picturesque views of the Huron River which runs directly adjacent to several trails. Don't forget to pack your bottled water and bug spray during the spring/summer months, and be sure to wear appropriate footwear for current hiking conditions. Several of the more rugged nature trails are NOT stroller-friendly, due to narrowing of trails and steep, rocky train in various areas, making tripping/falls a very serious hazard, as there is a steep drop off on either side of the trail in certain areas. If you have small children or are pushing a stroller, I suggest staying on paved paths that run the length of the park, situated between the main roadway and the woods. My family has personally encountered whole families of deer at this park, owls, eagles, coyote, and numerous species of birds and butterflies (particularly during summer months). This park features tons of play areas for the kids, with a new, large, modern Space-themed playscape meant to entertain kids of all ages and abilities. Tennis/racquet ball/pickleball and basketball courts available on a first-come first-serve basis. Numerous covered pavilions with grills for family cookouts, available for rent during summer months. Modern restrooms scattered throughout park. The park also features a water park, open during summer months for an additional charge (Turtle Cove Family Aquatic Center), featuring a lazy river, large splash pad with dumping bucket, water slides, and zero-entry pools feat bubblers/spray features for the little ones. For about $50 (local residents), you can purchase an annual pass for the park itself (not including water park access, which must be purchased on top of general park entry fees). This park is gorgeous particularly during autumn months (my personal favorite time to visit), due to the abundance of trees and the colorful changing leaves visible in every direction. A great place to take family photos, with stunning natural backdrop! During the summer months it's common to spot fisherman on the pier within the park, on the banks of the lovely Huron River. A great place for families to unplug and enjoy some physical activity, in a large, picturesque park that never feels crowded regardless of how many people are there! 5 stars!

Good hiking and good views. Screaming children scare off the wildlife, but it's good to see…read morefamilies out and about I suppose.

This is the first time I've been to this or any metropark her in Michigan. I had mixed feelings…read more The trails were good and it looked like a great place to walk or bike and see some nature. The attractions and activities for kids were a bit disappointing. The wave pool looked like it was very run down and closed with weeds growing in the concrete. The playgrounds we're really cool, but being in a nature park and around so much water, they had lots of little bugs and spider webs everywhere. I tried to clear some for us to play but gave up after about 30 of them.

My low hanging fruit of forgotten reviews/throw shade at Lake Erie tour continues!…read more Between stumbling across Wolcott Mill in 2017 and sometime last year I made a project of visiting any of the 13 Huron-Clinton Metroparks I hadn't yet been to. Covid really accelerated this long languishing mission. I envisioned Lake Erie Metropark as one of the Crown Jewels, sitting as it does on the lower end of the horseshoe made by the park system, and sitting right on a Great Lake. (Even if it's Erie.) I also figured it to be some bizarro version of Lake St. Clair Metropark, the one park in the chain I've been to far more than any of the others. Back in the summer of 2020 I drove down here with my friend Aaron to go swimming at the non-existent beach. D'oh! My own damn fault there; I should have done three minutes of research instead of assuming LEMP (does anyone use this acronym?) had a beach since it just had to be the bizarro LSCMP. (I've never seen anyone use that acronym.) With as much pollution goes on Downriver I should have just figured no beach and I'm not even questioning that there's a damn good reason there. (See my review of Sterling State Park a few miles farther south into Lake Erie where the water still seems pretty grimy.) On that August day I drove way out to Kensington to visit one of their two beaches instead. Kensington is an outstanding Metropark by the way, the true Crown Jewel of the chain. I returned the next year to hike some trails. 2.75 miles of trails is comparable to its lake-hugging cousin up in Harrison Township I'm guessing but nowhere near the many miles you'll find at Stony Creek or the aforementioned Kensington. Some marshy areas, some woods. I haven't visited the nature center but judging by the ones at Lake St. Clair and Stony Creek I'm guessing it's kinda cool but nothing too stellar. Like don't expect a whole Natural History Museum. I haven't been to the wave pool either but it's odd to me they have that in lieu of a regular swimming pool. The lakefront itself is scenic but not as picturesque as Lake St. Clair. As another reviewer wrote it's strange large areas are so devoid of trees. Wetlands I get, they're essential, but big ol fields just stretching far and wide? Yawn. I hear this park is great for bird watching but that's a hobby I haven't yet picked up. And I've peeped a couple lovely sunrise pics from here which makes me suspect it's a pretty spectacular spot for that. It's just aways out of my way for me to make it at the crack of dawn. I do love my Lake St. Clair Metropark sunrises at the northern end of the metro area though. As I wrote of another Metropark, this place strikes me as being very mid. Let me say mid-tier. That sounds more sophisticated. Looking back over what I've written here this review reads a lot like a two star but it's not really that uninspiring here. There is beauty to be found. It's just the Huron-Clinton Metroparks set the bar fairly high and my constant, probably annoying comparisons to the other parks illustrate Lake Erie just doesn't meet some of the benchmarks. I'd probably have sentimental attachment like I do with Lake St. Clair Metropark (and uh, their beach is usually pretty unswimmable) but I'm not from around here. I'm very keen on going back to Lower Huron, Wolcott Mill and Indian Springs Metroparks (still incomplete grades for Yelp reviews - more to see!) but I doubt I'll return to the Southernmost park in the system.