Such a beautiful state park, whether you are looking for a perfect beach, clean campgrounds or just…read morea place to relax during a hike, this park is perfect. The beach has a concession stand with basic snacks, flush toilets, shower house and kayak rental. The campground is your typical Michigan State Park design - just double check your RV length. Would highly recommend stopping here any time of the year. Great place to spend a day at the beach.

When you first enter, they check if you have a recreational passport. If you do, it is free. When…read moreyou drive in there's a turn for the canpground. We went straight to the beach. They had a volleyball tournament. It was still a little cold so we had jackets and pants on the kids. It was their first time at a beach playing in the sand. The water was freezing and my kids wanted to put their feet in. The beach was nice and empty. We have been coming here for years. We love rock picking here.

Campsite 150 right on the water, can hear the waves. Fire pits are a little close together. The…read morerain did flood our site pretty bad. Overall a good experience

Don't stay here , beach and water not nicely keep . Sites flood - under water . Poor drainage …read more Dirty bathrooms left for someone else to clean of vomit even after reported and staff came out to look ! Yuck !

I'm not much of a nature walking person, but it's been a very long time since I've been up to this…read morepart of Michigan. We discovered this place while on our way to the tunnel of trees, and I said "hey, let's stop here and check it out!" So we did. Pulling in, the parking and area isn't all that huge, but it's cute none the less. It's kind of an off shoot of the Tunnel of Trees, and we also wanted to catch a glimpse of the water if possible. There was a nice gentleman who greeted us and told us about the paths. He said to stay on the trails, check out the water and it's about a mile and a quarter of a walk. So, off we went. There's a nature center at the front with bathrooms and some educational stuff, but we skipped it and went right to the trails. They have a little map area at the front, but basically this place is one big circle and a designated path so you can't really get lost here. While it is cool to look at, it's also a lot of dead and down trees. They have signage throughout about what you're looking at, and tells you a little bit about it. Things like flowers, trees, bugs and birds. It was pretty busy even for a cooler September day, which was impressive. The coolest part of the walk was getting to see Lake Michigan. It was really super cool and you walk right onto the beach. It's not a huge area at all, literally enough to have one person at a time. There's some great photo opportunities along with a view of the lake and boats, which was fabulous to see. Overall, the place is a good stop to get some exercise at if you've been cooped up in the car and start getting antsy like me. LOL. There is a bathroom along the trail, but it's not a flushing toilet one of those holes in the ground with very little privacy. No doors just walls. Kind of weird because I was afraid someone was going to walk in. Anyway, go check it out, you can do this in less then an hours time!

Our family never tires of visiting Thorne Swift. The pathways are easy to walk, some are wood and…read moresome mulch. There are steps down to the beach area and an overlook of the dunes. The pond is lovely. If you are fortunate, you may catch a glimpse of some wildlife, today there were a number of cedar waxwings at the pond. All the paths are mostly shaded. Caretakers are on hand to answer questions and give information. The nature house features some interesting animal facts and specimens. Monarch butterfly releases are scheduled and an aquarium with the caterpillars is just inside the door. A variety of classes and talks are offered. Informative signs are scattered along the trails, some with photos. Many of the trees and plants are labeled with signage. There is a donation box in front of the nature house, and ample parking.

This was a nice stop on my way south from the Mackinac Bridge. First, it was nice to be near the…read morelake. Second, my Google Fi had full coverage here. And third, the little picnic shelter had a power outlet that was close enough that my 50 foot cable stretched that far. I spent about two hours here, moving my onboard battery from 5% to 45% and that's very useful. There is parking and the picnic shelter, of course. The library is not far away and if you point your phone just right, you might be able to get on their wifi. [Review 17939 overall - 342 in Michigan - 1460 of 2022.]

We love this spot for a bit of a view and some great stairs! You can also choose to go the 'back…read moreway' and hike through the woods to get to the overview which is what we do! I prefer going down stairs than up them so that is my secret hiking too! Always a lovely time to hike here as there is quiet and lots of tree cover so it is cooler and restful. The hike is not too strenuous but also not just a walk which is perfect. We didn't get many bugs which was also nice and could go without a walking stick too. I love that they have separate trails for biking and hiking as well as a disc golf course that meanders through the woods. We are usually almost alone when hiking which is perfect if you want to just focus on nature. The overview tends to be a bit busier so we did meet up with more people toward the end, but everyone is very kind and friendly. Love this spot and we go as often as we can!

The hike starts off rough if you're unable to walk up 450+ steps. It definitely makes you wonder…read morehow good of shape you're in. There's plenty of benches along the large staircase to assist your travels. The overlook at the end of the stairs makes it worth it. Absolutely stunning. The view of all the house, trees, and lake blew me away. I could sit up there for hours. Once you reach the overlook, the hikes starts. It's a beautiful 2+ miles hike. Plenty of trees, animals, and plants to keep you company on the walk. I would live in the woods here If I was able.

I came here for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and will be returning in September. This is…read morean absolutely beautiful dark sky park with spectacular views. The park offers various educational programs and experiences throughout the months, has a unique gift shop (the staff was great as well), and has several walking trails to enjoy. I love that you can learn on your walk by reading the various signs posted. It would be fun if they did an educational scavenger hunt on their educational trail, as that would be a fun way to learn. I look forward to visiting again in another month!

It's just a short drive from Mackinaw City and this place has been on our bucket list for a few…read moreyears. The place is nice but it is not exactly what we were expecting. The path is well marked with red lights (no white lights allowed). They do have bathrooms there too. It just felt a little underwhelming and over populated (and we went on a cold fall night). Some people were packing in wagons and had flashlights which was annoying since the white light ruins your eyes when they are adjusted to the dark.

This is a beautiful and well maintained park. There's a nice playground for the kiddos and plenty…read moreof scenery to take in. There's free parking right up front. You can walk right up to the water. A great park to stop at if you're in the area. Or even if you aren't in the area.

Nice park area near the marina. Has a breakwater that you can walk out on to to a small lighthouse…read more It was getting ready to rain when we were there so the walk out to the lighthouse was very chilly. Nice place to search for stones and watch boats come in.

We came north to see the elk in the forest. We hit 4-5 viewing areas during dusk and dawn, and…read moredidn't see any. That's not the reason for the three stars. Signage for the viewing areas is non-existent. Get a map of the park (not of the viewing areas) before you go, as GPS will not take you to the right places, in my experience. Also, maybe check out a trail app. We were told to check out viewing area #9. We were told to follow the "trail." Um. There is no trail. It is tree and branch covered path that I can't imagine trying to get through in the dark. Also, viewing area #9 is a FAR walk from the road, through and over and under branches and logs. Be prepared.

Well marked trail system. With river, sinkhole lake, natural lake, backcountry camping etc. the…read moretrail loop can be as short as 5 miles to 11 miles. It has a bunch of drive in front country campgrounds too. This nature forest is popular for elk hunting.