Awesome hiking area. Saw the best views and the terrain was definitely a wonderful challenge. Went as a group but was able to break off on an individual hike and was definitely worth it to burn more calories and increase my pace. Love all of the hidden gyms in Michigan and this one is definitely one of them. I took mostly videos so the pic I have isn't that great read more

Bald Mountain Recreation Area - Trees - Hiking Near Me - Lake Orion, Michigan

Large beach in a large park Great place to meet up with a large group of friends or family! In the summer months (pre-Labor Day) they have an inflatable obstacle course courtesy of Warrior Island great for teens and adults I have seen dogs on this beach (and in the water) multiple times so clearly the NO ANIMALS sign is often ignored The changing rooms are interesting... no doors necessary since they're around a corner The singular outdoor shower is not private There's goose poop everywhere Biggest perk is how far you can go while it's still shallow read more

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I love Bald Mountain and have been coming here for years. Great trails to walk with a beautiful wooded area. What more can you ask for? There's also the beach area which is nice for the summer although I don't really go to it because it gets really busy. Great photography opportunities for any nature lover and is an okay spot for mushroom hunting. Definitely go off the beaten trail if you want to find mushrooms. Only thing I wish was that they reopened the main entrance because I've always struggled finding out how to actually get in other than parking off the dirt road and walking in. Hardly any parking spots on the dirt road which can be slightly annoying. Overall this is a nice park! read more

**During the pandemic** Let's start off by saying YES THERES A GUN RANGE near the park which it's affiliated with but besides that part it's still a beautiful place to hike. Today was my first time at this location I actually didn't know this place existed until a group of hiking ladies suggested the spot. Please note there are several places to park but the first parking interest is limited to about 15 cars, So if it's full you have to go down the road and you'll see some spaces available. Luckily I only hiked in the winter time here and everything look beautiful - we did not find any trash along the trail and I believe there's only one porta potty available. You have bikers runners and hikers throughout the trail so please be mindful. It's very hilly which give people a challenge and there's also several trails; each trail is 3.5 miles I do believe. I shall return here again to do more exploring. Happy trailing read more

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Came because I had never seen a bald mountain before. Turns out there's not even a mountain, let alone a bald one. What a scam.

We should have read the reviews. We were driven off of the trail by the mosquitoes! Definitely rugged trails, with little markings. May try again in the cooler months read more

Just an update on the road situation. The state invested in repaving the entire park in the summer of 2020. It makes a huge difference to bikers, walkers, and drivers alike! Maybe a better playground is in the works? read more

Bald Mountain Recreation Area - Hiking Near Me - Lake Orion, Michigan

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It's a park/recreation area. How does Mother Nature not get 5 Stars?! Located right off Lapeer Rd. a short drive from I75, it's easy to find and get to. They offer everything you would think a park would except there's no camping here. But definitely pack a cooler with snacks, drinks and food to cook on the charcoal grills because you can make a day of this place if you want to. There's nature trails for hiking and exploring. A full disc corse for disc golf. Sandy beach with plenty of picnic tables and grills for you to cook out (bring your own charcoal). There a ton of grassy areas to lay picnic blankets on too. The lake to swim in is clean and sandy, not rocky to hurt your feet on. They have port-a-johns and regular bathrooms with showers. But they were build circa 1970 and kinda creepy, LOL. They have a concession stand but only sell a handful of items that are super over priced. Again, pack a cooler with snacks and drinks and save yourself for being price gouged. Bald Mt. Recreation is the home of the Water Warrior Island!!! And this is a MUST!! It's a floating island of inflatables on the lake! How awesome is that! Check out my review for Water Warrior Island to get all the info on it. Entrance fee to get into Bald Mt. is $10 per day, unless you have a annual recreation pass, which I do. I pay $28 for the year and it allows me access into all the state and county parks. It's definitely worth it if you visit parks a lot like we do. Bald Mt. is a super great place to spend a summer day. Lots to do and well kept. This place will be in our regular rotation of summer fun! read more

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Whether you're at the beach, in the water, or walking around the trails, you WILL hear the constant echoing bangs of guns firing in the shooting range. Maybe that's not a problem for some people, but when I'm looking to connect to nature and hear wind rustling leaves in a forest, or the peaceful lap of water at lake's edge, it's very jarring to have those sounds punctuated with consistent gun shots. I was there on a Wednesday around 1PM, left within an hour because of this. Also: the road that winds through the park has recently been covered with black pitch and you can smell it often even from the trails. Not everywhere, but since that road zig zags through, I kept encountering it and its very non-nature smell. Michigan has a lot of great parks, for me this is not one of them. read more

A well run, and strictly maintained firing line. I quickly felt like I was back in active duty trying to re-qualify for basic weapons all over again. But this feels very much like a long-gun range that merely puts up with handguns. I gathered as much from the "three second between shots" rule which makes practicing your double-taps impossible, and means that it will take nearly a minute just to empty an 18 round mag. (A great way to charge people for more range time if you think about it...) The individual pistol stands were very busy with a complex wooden tunnel-like structure that I had to shoot through in order to reach my paper targets. I'm just thankful that I'm as tall as I am so that I can at least see over and what I'm shooting at. Having never shot there before that day, I quickly realized that this outdoor range operates with a couple of assumptions about how equipped the average shooter must be. 1. I hope you brought your own stapler, because you'll be scrounging for whatever intact pieces of toothpick shrapnel that you can find to attach your paper target to the drag-able cardboard and wooden frame. 2. I also hope that you're lucky enough to snag an on-hand brass discharge net before anyone else, and secure it / them around you. Otherwise, you'll be pissing off the shooter next to you as you rain hot brass all over them, or them onto you. I could be wrong in this assumption, but this does not feel like a range that caters to beginners very well. And if I'm right, that could be a good thing for other experienced (and well geared) shooters who don't want to deal with the potential hazards associated with being around firearm newbies. In the end, I would advise those who are simply looking for a quick way to put 100 handgun rounds downrange to either start (or stay) with an indoor range before working your way up to this one. read more

lots of space to kyak or small boating, only thing is that you can hear gunshots all day from the shooting range close by. read more

Bald Mountain Recreation Area - Hiking Near Me - Lake Orion, Michigan

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Very nice place to hike, especially since it's not too far off from my apartment. There are tons of trees that shade the trails, and unlike other reviewers, I actually thought the map system that was placed throughout the hike was super easy to follow. Besides shrubbery, there are a couple of lakes and streams throughout the hike as well. No mountains though. Don't know why they settled on that name. One thing that was disheartening were the gunshots. Bald Mountain has a shooting range and gunshots went off probably every other 10 seconds. It kind of took away from the peacefulness that you desire when your'e going on a hike. read more

Whyyyy would you name a place "Bald Mountain" if there is no mountain??? I love climbing/hiking mountains, so while in flat-ass SE Michigan, I am constantly starved for some incline. I head out to this "bald mountain" because I figure if you have the word "mountain" in your namesake, there must be some type of incline. Nope. just a few bunny slopes, terrible trail system, mosquitoes galore, and the constant ringing of guns going off. If you are walking, you also have to be constantly weary of roid-rage mountain bikers whizzing past you. I can't give anything less than 3 stars, because, well, it is nature... read more

This park is definitely not one to miss. They have a golf course, sledding hill and biking trails. I've done the bike trails all my life. I love the nature and beauty of these woods. The trail is moderately hard and has two sections. There are lots of ups and downs and even a whoop-Ty-do in the shorter section. Love that!! The sledding hill is the biggest in Oakland count and is a must do! You need to take out a group of friends or family to truly enjoy it! Go for it!! read more

Bald mountain also has a public gun range off of Kern at Greenshield, run by the parks service i believe. Friendly staff, not condescending at all. reasonably priced $10 for all day as much as you want, plenty of space. As for mountain biking, bald mountain is the best in lake orion if you're looking for some technical courses, especially bald mountain south (i want to say). read more

If you live in a city and want to get away from everything this place is perfect for hiking. Amazing scenery all seasons with peace and quiet. Also great for mountain bikes. Maps are displayed everywhere to assist you with deciding the path and the distance. read more

Very good steep trails. LOVE mountain biking there. Now, maybe I should lower the amount of stars because I am remembering what I do NOT like about it- the horrible trail sign system. My wife and I once got lost on the trails and ended up behind the Lake Orion High School. I disagree with the other reviewer saying that it is mapped out nicely. You will see that when you come to a fork, you have to really be sure you are going the right way. Print out a copy of the map from online before you go. Beautiful woods, great trails, nice mixture of woods/hills. After you go a few times and "figure out the trails" you will have a great time. Make sure you wear bug spray also. It is mostly wooded so there tends to be a lot of mosquitos. read more

I agree with Afton, the signage could certainly be a lot better here. I also unintentionally ended up by the high school, luckily the softball team (including the coach) were able to direct me back to where I needed to go. There are a decent amount of trails here and are technically challenging to various degrees. There are a lot climbs and declines, so you get a good workout and can catch some speed - lots of rocks and roots, so keep your eyes peeled though. There were so many trails that I doubt that I covered all of the southern trails; my unintended detour by the school did not help. I will have to go back to check out the northern trails. I love that the one year park passport, for access to all state parks is only ten bucks. Did I mention that I will be coming back? read more

Very scenic with an abundance of trails and lakes.. Have not explored the lot of it since I was on foot and came here just to be with nature for an hour or so but in the little that I explored, I'm convinced it's a great park that even regulars might never get bored of.. In fact, one would like to keep coming here... read more

Great for day hikes. In one day I did the entire southern trail, including around the shooting range, and half of the northern trail. Beautiful landscapes, small hills and lots of lakes. Be sure to bring bug repellent as the mosquitos are out! Lots of places for great pictures and easy to navigate. read more

I went there this weekend to go swimming with my friend. Dead fish were throughout the shore and shallow water. There was seaweed about 4 feet from shore. To top it off it the water smelled awful. It was memorial weekend, which is early in the season, but still. read more

Visiting from TX. My family enjoyed the visit. Our bridal party took pictures by one of the pretty lakes. Some of us enjoyed a couple of trails. The website http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?type=SPRK&id=435 doesn't mention geocaching as an "activity" here, but there are quite a few of various types to find. All we found were in good condition. Would like to come back someday. read more

Bald Mountain's mountain bike yellow trail, In the intersection of Harmon Rd just north of Predmore Rd. , a mountain bike trail loop comes to meet Harmon Road going downhill. Mountain bikers are going fast. On 7/24/14 evening, my son J. and other 3 friends were mountain biking. When J. cross Harmon, he just missed a car coming through Harmon. Unfortunately, his friend D. was coming right behind him downhill and after jumping the log at the end of the trail, the car was passing right in front of him. He put the brakes, and flew rolling over the car's trunk falling on the ground on the other side of the car. The driver had stopped dry. He was terrified, trembling and freaking out, there was no way for him to know bikers would come out in front of him. D. stood up with the unbelief that thanks God he was perfectly fine, just some scratches. It is very important that motor vehicles have a STOP sign. The event could have been dreadful. Please, please, be very careful motorists and mountain bikers. The bikes come out from the woods, downhill and a jump to Harmon street. Very dangerous read more

We encountered people shooting high capacity assault weapons on the hiking trails of the North Unit. We will not be returning EVER! This is really dangerous situation. Pure Michigan promotes this as offering hiking, fishing, mountain biking, hunting etc. They do not tell you that this is unsupervised and anything goes. Too bad the gun nuts have spoiled this remarkable area with their intimidation. Gov. Snyder & the DNR say they have no problem with these weapons on the multi-use trails. I hope this review saves your life. read more