Crystal Lake is an all-sports spring-fed lake in the Township of Crystal, Michigan, near Carson…read moreCity. It is 724 acres in size and 70 feet deep at the deepest point. It is approximately eight miles around by walking or driving. Our daughter-in-law's parents have invited us often to join them at their cottage on Crystal Lake. It is great for boating, kayaking, water skiing, jet skiing, swimming, fishing, and more. Sometimes it gets almost too busy but early mornings are always calm and the best time to sit out and enjoy a cup of coffee. Over the years we have had fierce debates over whether there are actually fish in the lake but some fish have been pulled out once in a while...sometimes even keepers! It is only about an hour from Lansing and two hours from Detroit; a relatively short drive compared to the similar lakes much farther up north. Now back to my nothing box (google it) to stare at the lake.

My feet were itching to go for a walk while I was headed up to the BEAUTIFUL Traverse City. I…read moreluckily saw this saving grace of a park on my left and I instantly turned. We got there and absolutely no one was there, but the facilities were luckily unlocked LOL! I relieved myself and then my mom and I went for a walk down trail #1. We eventually found a crossing in the path, and I got overwhelmed, so we turned back around. Satisfied all of my needs!

Used to love this campsite until the DNR threatened to evict us. Quiet hours are expected but if…read morewe're walking around the campsite quietly at night they told us they were worried for our safety and we'd break our leg so we were told we couldn't leave our campsite for any reason. They walked us back to our campsite and threaten to evict us from our campsite if we left again, but how do I use the bathroom at night without leaving my campsite?

I was here recently with my nephew for a school friend trip. I'm pretty sure the last time I was…read morehere was for my own field trip when I was in elementary school! Something I wouldn't have noticed when I was little: the parking area is WAY smaller than I anticipated! I parked in a spot that was directly in front of a bus parking sign, but there was no where else to park (and apparently it was fine). The large indoor area with all the taxidermy animals gave me major flashbacks! They have a pretty nice collection of local species. Some of the taxidermy is much higher quality than others, but it sounds like most of it is donated, so that makes sense. The paths are well maintained, and there is a cool lookout area that we spent a few minutes at. It was a nice touch that our guide had a bunch of binoculars for the kiddos to use up on the lookout. Our guide was pretty good! She interacted well with the kids, and had all the supplies they needed to have fun. They really enjoyed skimming the pond for fish, frogs, bugs, and whatever creatures they could find. I'm not sure how often I'd go back other than with kids, but it's a nice nature center. I was a little surprised that they don't have a compost pile, but I added it to my comment card, so maybe that'll be added in the future!

Howard Christensen Nature Center is sacred grounds…read more This place is what childhood dreams are made of. Days out of the classroom rummaging through the forest. If you gave this place anything less than 5 stars you're some kind of indoor person who should stay indoors, you indoor person.

Absolutely a hit for this Grandma! My grandsons had a blast!!! Clean beach, nice and sandy. Easy…read moreto watch your little ones, 6 and 4. Friendly people and wonderful staff. Easy parking for this handicapped Grandma. We will definitely be visiting again soon!

Very nice country park. We went to witness baptisms. There are various shelters, grilling areas,…read moreand the water was nice, even though it rained for a good portion of the late morning and early afternoon. The restrooms were as clean as one can expect being a park setting. There was real soap rather than just sanitizer and air dryers. The park grounds appeared well maintained. This park also has an art/craft barn, and a decent little shop with necessities, snacks, beverages (even coffee and hot chocolate!), And of course live bait. The day pass is $10.00 per vehicle. The only real downfall was how far you have to walk to the bathrooms

Great BNB. Lots of state land to walk or ride on. Views of pastures with horses from the house…read more Ride their horses or bring your own.

Beautiful horse ranch with bed and breakfast, restaurant, pony rides, horse barn…read more They have a wonderful breakfast available to public. Went to their festival Oct 21..live country music.crafts, kids jumping cages, traditional horse archery demos. We especially liked their little burro who would heehaw for the kids. Wonderful friendly people.

Great service, they know the river and will help pick the right trip for your crew or day. We have…read moredone short paddles just to get out and longer packing a picnic. They know exactly when to have you call for timely pick ups downriver.

We were a pain from the beginning to end- 2 dogs and hours late from our pick up and Buckley's was…read moreincredibly nice and accommodating. Even after our SUPER LATE pickup all the staff was still friendly and helpful and we love you guys and can't wait to come back. (Don't like, plan on being late though. Don't be like us. We were bad.)

No goggles, no splashing, no fun! It is a beautiful pool but despite the presence of lifeguards…read more parents of 5 and 6 year olds still had to be in the pool with the kids. What a shame that they all came home with sad faces, especially after having paid $5 each to get in. They'll never go again.

I have worked here for over 4 years, and as a kid I came every summer to take swim lessons and have…read morefun at open swim. It is the cleanest, safest, and most welcoming pools in the area. Yes, there are strict rules. But that's why it hasn't had a single drowning incident in its 60+ years of being in business. Yes, as a kid I was forced to refrain from splashing and horsing around. But that's why everyone who's came has been unharmed and had to use their imagination if they wanted to play. Yes, I wasn't able to rely a life jacket or another aid (even though that never applied to me nor lots of other kids because I took swimming lessons with wonderful instructors). But that made sure a parent was always with me and I wouldn't go past where I couldn't touch. Yes, the pool director can seem "intimidating" and "unfair" sometimes. But growing up with her as the director and having her as my first boss, it's very clear that every action she takes is in the best interest in the safety and well being of ALL patrons of all different types. Including those with special needs, such as my own brother, who has taken handicap swimming lessons ever since he was a kid. The amount of passion and consideration put into this pool by all staff members is very admirable, which is why on a hot summer's day, the Charles E is the place to be!

We were told that the river was low but they did NOT say that it was dangerously low. We spent the…read moreentire 4 hours just trying to get over the huge rocks and downed trees. It was the worst tubing experience I have ever had. And all of this was after they stopped in the middle of the road and told us to get out and climb over the guard rail and walk down the embankment where we got on the river in a very small spot. Two of our people fell down this embankment trying get to the river. They need to check the river before sending people out on it. A little customer service can go a long way.

Chippewa River Outfitters…read more We were here in 2015. Nothing really bad. Nice quiet river. Slow. You can also lazy tube here too. Warning, make sure you RSVP. Don't try to walk-in. It gets packed often because of the location to Lansing and Saginaw. During July, you really need to RSVP early. We have been here a few times. You can have kids, but in some areas it's deep. I came here one time and lost my shoe and iPhone because we got stuck on a rock. Watch out for big rocks and low water levels. These two combinations can make your canoe stuck. Highly Recommended