"Come sleep on the beach Keep within my reach…read moreI just want to die with you near I'm feeling so high with you here" (The Who) American Legion Park has a lot going on - a beach, a lawn with benches, picnic space with grills, a covered pavilion, a gazebo for music, and a playground for the kiddies. The park connects the Lake Huron Boardwalk with downtown St. Ignace and borders a quarter-mile long stretch of a pretty pebbled beach. You get really good views of Mackinac Island and the Chief Wawatam Lighthouse. You'll also be close to a veteran's memorial and shipwreck monument. If you're an active sort of a guy or gal you can snorkel, swim, or launch a kayak or canoe here St. Ignace's "Music By The Bay Summer Series" is held right here, so every night from July 1st through September 1st you can check out the local musicians. Tonight (July 27), we were entertained by Curtis Grooters.

A great little spot, to immerse oneself in the natural beauty of the area…read more When we stopped by (mid-Oct.), this location was very sparsely populated, and quite quiet and peaceful. This Park is yet another wonderful community asset, for the area's inhabitants and visitors.

Did you say you can camp on the Straits and see the bridge? There is a room to walk on some sand or…read moreeven play in the water if that is your adventure. The campground is nicely maintained, everyone was respectful of the quiet hours except the seagulls Seriously, those little buggers has plenty to say each morning at 6 am. Bring ear plugs if you want to not get the morning bird call wake up. Friendly staff and the check in process was the fastest I've ever experienced at a State Park. Great job and that was such a pleasant surprise!

Great spot - stayed one night on our way thru. Pull thru site, didn't even have to unhook camper…read more Hiking trails in park taking you to beach with beautiful view of the bridge.

Great addition to the town! The boardwalk area has free parking & public restrooms. Nice walk by…read morethe harbor & to the lovely lighthouse. The splash pad for the littles is really sweet!!

"(Under the boardwalk) out of the sun (Under the boardwalk)…read morewe'll be havin' some fun" (The Drifters) The Huron Boardwalk has a sweet location -right on the downtown riverfront and linking museums, a park, shops and restaurants. It's less than a half mile long, but it's packed with some very cool sights. It was very calm and picturesque as we strolled along the shore with views of Mackinac Island, the ferry boats, picnic tables, a few historical monuments, and a sundial where your shadow tells the time of day. The highlight was the impressive Chief Wawatam Lighthouse, accessed by walking down a pier from the main boardwalk. Plenty of great photo ops are everywhere.

This is Michigan's 1st state park. The landscape is characterized by high limestone bluffs,…read morebeautiful vistas of sparkling water, vibrant forests & mystical geological formations. Cars have been banned since 1898, this is a a quieter way of life away from interstate noise of cities. Over 80 percent of Mackinac Island is within this park. The island is sacred to the Ojibwa & Odawa Great Lakes Indian tribes.

It is definitely worth spending at least several hours if not half a day at Fort Mackinac. You can…read moretake your time to leisurely look about or you can take the period-dressed docent led tours and educational talks. There are rifle shooting displays as well as cannon loading & firing displays. You can stop in the restaurant for lunch and a beverage while enjoying fantastic views of the island.

A hidden oasis with lots of potential! I recently visited on a weekday in late July and despite the…read morerain, there wasn't too much mud to wade through. We had been planning on playing the 9-basket disc golf course when we got to MI, knowing that it was a very low rating on DGCR, but were pleasantly surprised. I am happy to say I've been here, done that, but probably a one-time visit for me. From the pictures, you can see it's obviously a lush and clean park with dozens of activities available for children and adults. Most of these installments are a little run down, even in the middle of summer tourism, particularly the markers that tell you where the tee is (some are in pieces, some are plain missing). Luckily, we had enough service to search it up on a dedicated disc golf site and were well on our way. Main upsides include a clean bathroom, picnic and barbecue area, visible baskets, and beautiful landscaping. Downsides? The overgrowth around the edges of the park, where all 9 tees are situated. I lost my favorite disc in the 8ft shrubs, and some tees were completely in the shrubs. Also, this park was a little difficult to find as there aren't signs for it (unless you're coming up one particular path). So after an afternoon of walking the paths to Arch Rock and Fort Holmes, we struggled to get here without the help of a sometimes spotty Google Maps. Pro tip: download the Google Map of the island before you go walking.

It's cool that mak island put a disc golf park on the island, I have to say that I was so totally…read morestoked to bring my discs. With Michigans wide range and disparate landscapes, I was sure I was gonna get some sweet terrain to challenge my disc golf savvy. What I got at great turtle park was a bit disappointing. This park is good for your mid range or putter but it is flat. I would say you could probably make all the shots without having to bust out the driver, with maybe the exception of one hole. The baskets are not cemented into the ground, there is no tee off sign for any of the pins, and there aren't platforms. Rather, kitchen tiles mark the starting points for all the holes. These disappointments for a serious disc golf fan, make the park a three. The park itself is gorgeous and in the middle to high park of the island away from most of the tourism and people, so that's worth a few stars. Overall, however, the disc golf part of the park really soured my experience as it seemed like an afterthought. I rated this park three stars because: 1star: bathroom on premises. Nice. 1star: park itself is a cool spot, away from tourists. Good family/community area. 1star: disc golf here. Something's better than nothing. 0star: disc golf course missing tee signs and platforms, baskets are free standing, showing the non-commital nature of whoever put them in. 0star: hole nine missing tile that tells you where to start, all disc golf baskets within sight of the starting point, no sweet Michigan terrain involved, flat course.

This is a beautiful park, but be aware that geese run the show here. There is goose refuse…read moreeverywhere on the grass, so watch your step. But what's a little doo-doo between friends, right? It's worth overlooking dozens of turds to take in the view from the park. Marquette Park sits under Mackinac Fort, so every so often, you'll hear a loud boom coming from the general direction of the park. It sounds like something exploding. Is it something exploding?! No, not to worry: It's just the ammunitions demonstrations taking place right above the park at the fort. You'll probably, eventually, stumble upon a structure in the park that looks like a hut. This hut is actually a reproduction of a chapel that signifies the first European presence on Mackinac Island. Who knew! It's open during certain hours, so hopefully, when you visit it, it's open so you can peep inside. Like any good park, Marquette Park has a playground. The playground is pretty basic -- a couple of slides, some monkey bars, a few things to climb. But it's a playground, and kids will have fun. Kids tend to make the most out of everything! May we all be childlike in that way. There are some statues at this park, too. One of the main statues is the one depicting Father Jacques Marquette, a French priest who established Catholic missions in the Upper Peninsula. What else? Oh: One of the great things about this park is that it's centrally located. It's at the end of the main strip in downtown Mackinac Island. Just walk all the way down the street until you can't anymore, and you'll find Marquette Park. The park sits on a bit of a hill, so you'll see great views of the lake and the boats at the dock.

One of the best two hours I've spent at Mackinac Island, Michigan is at Marquette Park. For some…read morereason, I was so tired when we arrived at Mackinac Island. So while the family rented bikes to ride and explore the island.....I just wanted to find a nice place to take a nap. I found the perfect place to rest, and that place was called Marquette Park. Marquette Park is located close to Fort Mackinac. The park is so green, and there are many shaded places to relax. I found a nice cool shaded grassy area, and I simply lied down & went to sleep. Maybe some folks thought I was just some homeless guy sleeping in the park, but I did not care cause I was exhausted. It was one of the best two hour naps that I've ever taken!! When I woke up, I chillaxed and people watched. There were many couples and families relaxing and walking around the park. Such a nice place to hangout while you are on Mackinac Island!

The Secret Garden next to the Grand Hotel is a special hidden little treat. Because it's surrounded…read moreby trees it's easy to miss so be sure to wonder in.

$4 to cross each way. It's the most efficient way to move from the main land to the UP…read more It's another 3 hours or more to avoid the bridge, unless you have a ton of time on your side, go across the bridge. I get the grated metal side for air pass through for the bridge stability sake, but it's not pleasant to drive over the metal grates.

It didn't seem like a 5 mile bridge. I drove across with the speed limit at 45 miles an hour. Once…read moreI crossed there was a $4 toll and an actual toll collector. I asked where I can see and take a photo of the bridge and she pointed me in the direction ofthe bridge view park. I'm not the only one here it's actually quite busy and a beautiful night with a gorgeous sunset.

My son loves history and was looking forward to this more than any of the adults and if he hadn't…read morewanted to go we probably would have skipped it. SO glad we didn't. We spent 2.5 hours here looking at exhibits and learning to fire a musket. Knowledgeable, friendly staff who seem to really like what they are doing. Beautiful fort. Not original (that was burned down when they moved to the island). Interesting exhibits and artifacts. Not sure I would go again, but I am glad I went.

We enjoyed it. We…read morearrived late morning in mid-June. The wind was calm and the temps were in the high 60s/low-70s. We toured the indoor area, then stepped outside and started out walk to the Fort. There were several things to see on the walk between the park and the lakeshore. Once we reached the fort, we visited all the buildings and exhibits, in the order suggested by the site map. Through the displays and the short movies, we learned a lot about the pre-colonial and colonial history of the upper midwest. For the cost ($15.25 per adult), it's a great way to spend several hours, learn quite a bit and do so at a low cost.