This is probably one of the best playgrounds up north, the only real downside is the location…read more Kalkaska is a humble and honest small town, but beyond grabbing a bite to eat there isn't much else to do in town... this is only relevant if your traveling to the area from down state. Not much touristy things to do if you plan to come to this park.... downtown is cool but there isn't really shopping... back to the park: this park is tucked behind some buildings and easy to miss if you are driving through. The structure is completely wooden and connected completely through bridges, tunnels, and monkey bars. There's a sign with rules and restrictions and beyond guardians and parents the playground is meant for 12 and under in age. I brought my sister in law and nephew after we grabbed lunch at the up north grill in town (only 5 minutes away so highly recommend for lunch) my nephew is almost 2 years old but there was still tons of interactive stuff for him to do which was unexpected based on the size of this huge castle themed park. There's about 5 different slides so age shouldn't restrict enjoying. The structure is very well built and laid out so, as adults we were for the most part able to maneuver it with our little guy. A bouncy tire contraption that reminded us of a bull was a win as well as a swing that allows an adult to swing with your baby which was SOOOO COOL. Better that just pushing because it adds safety and gives you a chance to do something enjoyable with your baby while making eye contact. Wyatt was all giggles. The park was busy when we visited but it never felt crowded because how it's designed. It's both 40 minutes from my sisters house in grayling but left enoug of an impression that she plans to take Wyatt with my brother this weekend again!

I came here to camp (car camping/tents) for the first camp of the summer and what a great kickoff…read moreto camping season it was for me and my group! Everything here was top notch and well maintained, probably above average from the many state park campgrounds that I have camped at through the years! What that tells me is that this is probably one of the more highly trafficked campgrounds, so there is a lot of maintenance done on it! This campground had the most "modern" bathrooms. Everything was automatic, the toilets, the sinks, the hand dryers. This is by main indicator that the bathrooms are the latest and greatest update! We also loved our campsite. We had a few of Higgins Lake peeking out from around other campsites from ours and were able to enjoy the lake breeze and sunset view from our campsite alone. It was also an easy walk to the lake, where there was a little playground/swing set AND a dog-friendly beach just right off of that playground area as well! Super dog-friendly, which was great because I brought my dog along! Lots of trailers/RVs at all the neighboring campsites, which is to be expected, especially of a more popular campground! This campground also had the most campsites that I've seen as of late (minus Ludington, I'd say)! South Higgins Lake State Park also had some great hiking trails that we took advantage of! Marl Lake Trail is a trail that is very customizable for any of your time/energy level needs - 1, 3, or 5 mile loops can be done on this trail! Other than the hiking and the camping (spent 3 days and 2 nights here), we didn't do much else at the state park, opting instead to rent a boat (from the South Higgins Lake State Park Store - see my review there for details on boat rentals and our experience!) to spend a whole day on the actual lake, so I can't attest to the other amenities this state park has to offer. But for our purposes on this wonderful weekend, it was darn near perfect and we really enjoyed our time!! Hope to be back soon! :)

Park store charges $5 for a skimpy scoop of ice cream. Old owners gave you much more for your…read moremoney. Got a bad case of swimmers itch yesterday. Would be helpful if the park had nice feet washers and showers to wash the parasites off but instead that have a dribbling high in the air "washer" where the ground is covers with piles of sand and essentially of no use. The grass is long which makes it a haven for bugs. The beach area is so small and crowded. Need to clear more edging for beach use. Overrun with boats and have to wade through them all to get to a deep enough area to swim in. Lucky if you get in the park at all on the weekends.

For a small town park, I'm really impressed. There are swings for babies and big kids, playsets for…read moreyounger kids and older kids with mulch ground cover, a basketball court (though a little run down), drinking fountain, trails around the play area and over the bridge, benches and picnic tables aplenty, and really nice indoor bathrooms in the building on site. There isn't much parking right at the park (maybe five spots plus a handicapped spot) but there's more parking on the other side of the restroom building. I'd definitely recommend this park to anyone.

A nice state campground,well maintained very clean and right on the water. Plenty of large camping…read morespots with fire pits. The state park also has a large picnic area with grills over looking Higgins lake .

Both state parks are awesome on Higgins lake. North is a calmer park, more relaxing, family…read moreoriented. South is more active, on the lake and when camping

We stopped here to break up our trip on the way home from up north. I'd love to go back! The Old…read moreGrowth Trail was lovely to walk through in the fall. There's a cute little logging museum along the way. I loved the beautiful juxtaposition of the fall leaves with the pines and hemlocks. The path is fully paved, and a nice walk for a quick stop along I75 between Ann Arbor and up north. I'd love to go back there.

Our stay was very nice and somewhat quiet. It is summer so kids are out until after 11 apparently…read morebut... we still enjoyed our stay. It was pretty hot and we assume all were using their air conditioning units which kept causing the power to go out. But, the campground was on top of it and got it back up quickly. So, a huge kudos to the campground and its staff for taking such great care of this park. As newbies here we'd go back. We liked it.

I absolutely love this park! Amazing views, lots of smooth hiking trails and plenty activities for…read morethe whole family.

My husband and I took our fat tire bikes on a ride during December of 2018 here. Beautiful place…read moreto ride and enjoy nature. We rode on the seasonal road and enjoyed a leisurely ride through the park. You should definitely drive through this gorgeous area when in Rose City. It's well worth it. Looking forward to going back in the spring, summer and fall.

Great Lake fun for everyone. Not super packed and great for water skiing and tubing. Lots of good…read morefishing out here as well.

One of the things I hate most about the breakup with the ex is not getting to go visit his family's…read morelake cabins on Lake Bellaire. When I used to come up here I would be so surprised that the lake bottom was sandy and that the water was clear. What a shocker right?? This lake is the perfect size. It's small enough that as a good swimmer you can swim across it, but large enough that you can take out the ski boat and ski, pontoon boat and relax, or sail on the catamaran. Being part of the Chain of Lakes means that it's connected, through a series of rivers, to multiple other lakes so you can spend the day boating through nature areas and rivers to gain access to other local lakes. You can also boat your way over to the Dockside, park, and hang out on the porch. The other great thing about this lake is that it is located next to some really cute little towns like Bellaire and Alden. Day trips out to Traverse City (the only large city around) take about 45 minutes and Charlevoix is close as well. For a slightly longer trip away, about 2 1/2 hours, you could go to Mackinac Island which is an island filled with historic houses and no cars, only horse and buggies are allowed (in the summer at least). Finally, my favorite thing about Lake Bellaire is the fact that the majority of lake cabins are truly cabins, not monstrosities of the like that line the shores of southern lakes. You really feel like you are going back in time and that there is nothing better than a day at the lake minus tv and outside influences.

This park is a hidden gem! We stopped in town to grab lunch, and we were looking for a place to…read moreeat and for the kids to get their energy out. The gentleman who checked us out at the register recommended this park, so we drove this way, and we were pleasantly surprised! The park is scenic, has an amazing jungle gym for kids to play, plenty of benches, beautiful walkways, public restrooms, and much more! The kids loved the all wood jungle gym. The park is very clean and well kept. We will definitely be back!

Love this park in downtown West Branch!! They have a little something for everyone. Walking…read moretrails, basketball courts, tennis courts, a covered bridge, a giant playscape, a little stream with ducks, a pavilion, and lots of green grass. Kids and adults can sled on the hill in the winter and ice skate on the court in the winter as well. A definite community gem!

You can tell by the condition of the play structures that this park is underutilized and probably a…read morenew addition to the area. Once peak camping season kicks off at Higgins lake and summer is here, I'm sure this place will get busy. This playground is multi-dimensional because it also has a paved track to walk,jog or run with an exercise obstacle course along the route..very high quality at that. My husband and I stopped at the elliptical, the rowing machine and the chest press...the machines use your weight as resistance and honestly it was an awesome spot to be in a "gym" while completely submersed in nature. Tucked behind the park is a memorial cemetery. Markey dog park is also right here which is the reason we come. We have found this park to be a huge blessing these past 6 months with our new puppy. There's also a connecting trail to the marl lake loops right here! Super convenient honestly so even if your goal is to hike you can jump right into the 3.5mile red loop. As far as the playground itself there are a variety of structures for toddlers-full grown adults apparently because my husband and I really enjoyed the mini-zip line haha! High quality with amazing upkeep... this place is unique and perfectly located.