There is no place like Crooked Lake in my book. It is the perfect size, big enough to spend the day…read moreon the water but not too big that it loses its tight-knit community. The Crooked Lake Association does a great job of hosting events and keeping the community cohesive- the most notable are the fantastic 4th of July firework show and 5k race. The water is clean and beautiful and very family oriented. There are two sand bars that are a great place to float, throw a football or let kids search for shells. The lake freezes over in the winter and is great for hockey, ice skating, ice boating, or ice fishing! It's one of my favorite places, it's truly beautiful.

A great little lake in northeast Indiana. Very quiet on week days and tons to do during the…read moreweekend. Nice beach with a great playground for small children. Boat launch just down the beach. Tons of parking and very quiet setting.

This beach is tiiiiny. Employee was very nice. Admittance fee is $4 and you have to hope you can…read morefind a spot to lay your towels. Half of this beach is maybe 3 feet across for sand. the other half is photographed

On the eastern side of Goguac Lake, this public access park isn't free. It's $2 per person or $5…read moreper car. This is Battle Creek's only park with lake access. Lots of parking, walking paths, several picnic areas with cover, picnic tables, grills, restrooms and playgrounds. I don't know if they have lifeguards at the beach area. Note that the park is only open during summer hours, so be sure to check first. [Review 11187 overall, 962 of 2019.]

I've been making an effort to experience my home state of Indiana a little more these days. From…read morestate parks to roadside attractions to smalltown diners, I've been trying to simply slow down and enjoy Indiana. Chain O' Lakes State Park is one of Indiana's state parks. Located in Albion, a small city of under 2,400 in northeast Indiana's Noble County (think Kendallville), Chain O' Lakes State Park has as its main feature, you guessed it, a chain of lakes. The park has a chain of nine "kettle" lakes (13 lakes total, 9 connected). Kettle lakes are glacial lakes that were formed out of melting ice blocks. Chain O' Lakes offers small boating, 23 miles of forested trails for hiking, a hillside family cabin, a Nature Center, campground, swimming beach, picnic shelters, and the historic Stanley Schoolhouse - a historic one-room schoolhouse. Chain O' Lakes has 426 campsites, 18 cabins, waterfalls, great fishing spots, and you can rent watercraft. This is far enough from Indy that I kind of recommend making it a weekend trip rather than a day trip. There's much to do in Noble County (which also has a decent-sized Amish community). You can canoe a great five-mile path through the park's nine connected lakes (This used to be an official "challenge," though I don't know if it is anymore). There are even canoe camping sites (more isolated than the traditional camping sites). Chain O' Lakes is one of Indiana's under-appreciated gems. It's definitely less accessible than some of the parks, though it has improved somewhat over the years. It's more rustic and natural. It emphasizes outdoor experiences and its just over 2,700 acres feel like you could just get lost in them. The park is only 19 miles northwest of Fort Wayne (Indiana's second largest city), however, it feels like a world away. As someone who typically goes to Fort Ben State Park, I have a major love for these parks where you get there and forget there's a world outside the gates. If you're not the camping type, I'd probably head to Kendallville rather than Albion for the overnight. However, Chain O' Lakes has everything from primitive to more comfortable camping. So, it's easy to find something that works. I hadn't been to Chain O' Lakes in a while. Returning, I was reminded just how much I enjoy the place and how relaxing it is. A few other basics - This is a state park, so there's a fee to enter unless you've gotten the State Park pass (which I recommend for Indiana's 24 state parks). Also, fishing requires the state license and it is enforced. Finally, a couple semi-fun facts. There's a "re-entry center" located directly in the state park with a capacity of 140 incarcerated individuals. It offers educational and treatment programs designed to help people transition into the community - it also helps maintain this park, Pokagon, and the surrounding communities. It's been here since 1967 (and yes, it is safe.). Chain O' Lakes State Park also hosts The HUFF 50k Trail Run/Relay, the 12th largest ultramarathon in North America. Doesn't all this make you want to visit? I'll admit that I tend to stick in the 4-5 star range for most state parks. I love them. In terms of accessibility, I'd go 4-star for Chain O' Lakes. Because it offers so much and is really under-appreciated (in my opinion), I'm bumping it up to 5-stars. The trails, occasionally accessible, really do require someone with mobility issues to have assistance and some simply wouldn't work. Word of caution, as well, with so much water you had best plan for mosquitoes. They can be really serious around here!

Great camping spot! It's always quiet and beautiful. The boat rental closes at 4 ( I couldn't find…read morethe hours) and we didn't know that and got there at 4:05 :( only downside. The trails are good and the Dairy Queen in town is always a nice backup if the hot dogs aren't enough for your hunger

I loved this lake growing up, so many amazing memories of my childhood here. Whether picnics,…read morebirthdays or family reunions. Great beach and lots of shade, perfect for young families.

More than 2,000 acres, one of the largest inland deep clear spring fed lake in west Michigan. In…read moreearly summer lake is very transparent Caribbean blue color. It is in Kalamazoo county!!. Love to go boating, sailing, 2 mile long from south to north end. OK, for swimming and we see sometime scuba divers!! You can see around the Island Park lake floor with google map satellite view!!!! Not only they have yacht club, country club but also ice sailing yacht club!! Since 1897!! http://www.gulllakeiyc.org/ This video is surreal, cool to believe some one ice sail in Kalamazoo County!? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYbLGYvqP8E

Couldn't ask for a better spot for a little Father's Day weekend camping trip! Although we didn't…read moretent camp and can't speak to that experience, we stayed in a mini cabin (87). The cabin was clean and functions well as a sleeping space but not really meant to cook in. This cabin does not come with a mini fridge as listed on the website, but does have an electric heater and small table in addition to a bunk bed and a full sized futon (bring your own bedding). There is also wall electricity. The site itself was plenty spacious and featured a permanent and very nice fire pit and cooking grill. This site was pretty close to the restrooms/showers, which were some of the most clean I've seen at a state park. The smaller lake is within walking distance and Wamplers was a short drive. The smaller lake has a fantastic fishing dock complete with pole holders and picnic tables. It also had plenty of fish! I'm told taking a boat on the lake would be a great experience for fishing. The campground itself was green with plenty of grassy areas and not dusty at all. They also have a camp host that serves complimentary coffee and hot chocolate on weekends, which was a very kind gesture. There is firewood for purchase at the entrance. All in all, would definitely come back. Not crowded, not loud and very clean!

I love this state park and Wamplers Lake. It is a clean family friendly area for bbq, get…read moretogethers, water sports, camping and my favorite the beach. I like the variety of rentals from kayaks, paddleboards, boats, and rafts. There are so many areas to soak up some sun and fun. I'm glad to live near this wonderful place.

This beach has a ton of dunes to climb in and plenty of parking…read more I could see how it might get congested with a very thin road, running in and out of the only entrance, but the beach is beautiful!

Bathrooms are well kept. The concession stand is so nice and the attendants at the booth are great!…read more It's my favorite beach and the saugatuck area has so much to offer. Coffee shops ice cream wineries in the area. Get there early and avoid lines up the winding road.

Beautiful beach. But... you have to pay to park so being from out of state, I assumed the hefty…read moreparking price would translate to nice bathrooms/snack shack. That was not the case. They employ people to patrol the bathrooms and beach and they were very respectful and helpful. The beach itself requires a trip down and UP a long steep dune. It was near impossible to get up the hill carrying items. Stairs near the bath house/snack area would be very helpful. Even a rope to help pull yourself up would be good. Also there is NO alcohol allowed and if the patrol staff see you, they do confiscate your beverage.

Not too bad of a hike to the beach! It's not super big or anything but a nice hang out spot. Other…read moretrails were fun to hike too!

I love walking at Millennium Park. I have been exercising here for many years. There are miles and…read moremiles of paths to explore. I enjoy mixing up my different routes to go different distances. There are several small lakes, one of which has a beach and other activities such as paddle boats. There are two different entrances to the park, which helps spread visitors out on really busy days like weekends. On the Secchia Meadows side, there is a nice pavillon where my friends had their wedding. I highly recommend Millennium Park for anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors, spotting creatures such as deer, turtles, muskrats, eagles, and more.

I've got lots of thoughts running through my head, simultaneously, all the time. So when I stepped…read moreup to the check-in counter at Millennium Park Boat Rentals, the thoughts in my head were: Wow! It only costs $8 per hour to rent a kayak? Sweet! Wow! These people checking me in and telling me safety information are incredibly young! Will they be able to save me and my family if our kayaks flip over and we fall into the lake? Wow! What a beautiful day! But I wonder how often people fall into the lake. I also wonder how deep the lake is. I also wonder if it's possible to be trapped underwater if your kayak flips over. In the end, I decided to kick it on the sandy beach and wave at my family as they happily paddled on the lake. They had a great time kayaking. I had a great time not kayaking. Like Hot Chocolate says: Everyone's a winner, baby. Kayaks are either single-person or double, and we used one of each. There are very few instructions given, which was a little alarming to me. (You mean you just assume we know what we're doing?!) But fortunately, my family knew what they were doing, so they didn't need much instruction to get themselves out on the water. As you paddle around the lake, you pass the Millennium Park beach and splash pad, plus little islands here and there. There is about four miles of shoreline to explore. I was told that the lake was nice and calm, and that it was a pleasant time on the water. We rented kayaks, but Millennium Park Boat Rentals also offers canoes, paddle boats and stand-up paddle boards to rent. Keep in mind that rentals are seasonal -- this place is only open from Memorial Day-ish to Labor Day-ish.

Nice spot. Limited parking. The stairs aren't as bad as they look. Small beach bc most is private…read morebeach.

Douglas Beach is now open. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held May 28 to dedicate a new stairway to…read morethe beach. In addition to the new stairs, large sandbags were added to the beach over the winter to prevent further erosion. Douglas Beach is on Lakeshore Drive in Douglas, about one mile south of Saugatuck's Oval Beach. It has free parking along the street (limited to about 20 cars) and modern bathrooms. Pets are not allowed.