Let's get this part out of the way - The park itself? Amazing. It is modern, has plenty of options,…read moreis well maintained, and has some great nature paths outside of the playground area. In an area that features many great playgrounds and parks to take your family to, Innovation Hills has always stood out. There is a lack of options for younger children though (no infant swings?). The three stars? One of the new features of this park is the addition of Park Mobile being introduced for the main parking lot. Signs everywhere reminding you that you better have paid your $1.50 an hour! There is of course a free dirt lot across the busy road for your convenience. Or a parking 'annual pass' you can purchase from the Rochester Hills website. Our society struggles with the concept of 'the third place'. Parks and playgrounds are a haven for families and a community builder outside of work and home. What in the world is the motivation behind suddenly charging for parking? 1 - The City of Rochester Hills wants to prioritize park access for its citizens? Charging for parking doesn't keep out non-residents and in fact just causes Rochester Hills citizens to pay more for something they are already paying for. 2 - The park is often extremely crowded so charging for parking may reduce visitor count? If this was the motivation I am confident this strategy is not working. 3 - We want to encourage more families to park in the dirt lot across the street and attempt to cross a highway? I have more faith in humanity than that. Oh, I think I got it! To quote Tim Robinson's sketch 'The Driving Crooner' - "I gotta figure out how to make money on this thing..it's simply TOO GOOD!"

After a long school day, we took the kids to Innovation Hills Park, and they had a blast! The park…read morewasn't too busy, and the kids explored everything, from the playground to the jungle gym. I loved the artificial turf--it keeps the area looking nice year-round. This park has everything--playgrounds, walking trails, a serene area with ducks, and even bathrooms. I'd recommend it to any family looking for a fun day out. Definitely a great spot for outdoor fun!

I absolutely adore Heritage gardens, they do a fantastic job with the upkeep, very beautiful. It is…read moreadmittedly a smaller park, but none the less enjoyable, and leashed pet friendly. The main walking path is probably around 1/3 of a mile, so a quick walk; but there are a few trails that branch off, leading to a children's play area, courts, or nearby municipal buildings. There are many benches available to sit and enjoy the scenery, or watch the ducks; the lake has multiple fountains, and 3 different docks to enjoy. A stunning park for photo opportunities as well, and they hold a lot of community events, which is a big plus in my book. Definitely recommend checking it out if you get the chance.

The best park ever. the lake is beautiful. such a lovely place for a stroll. very safe and a…read moreperfect spot to take pictures!

Love this place!…read more Finding fun and entertaining parks for my 1 year old is so much fun. I love this one. Not only is there three plays capes, there are swings, walking trails with a big pond to watch wildlife, basketball courts, volleyball courts, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, and a gazebo area you can rent for parties if you please. Little guy never gets bored here! This will always be one of our top parks!

This park is absolutely beautiful. Honestly that's an understatement. There's so much nature,…read morepretty colors and animals to be seen! This park has been my weekly staple in my walking routine. I love walking around the pond and seeing all the ducks, geese, and squirrels. There's plenty of benches to sit and just enjoy life. No matter the time of the day or how hot or cold the weather is, there's always people here and plenty to do. A couple play grounds, basketball court, tennis courts, and baseball courts makes it a very popular place to bring the family. You can also fish in the pond. Bring your camera and take plenty of breath taking photos. Heritage Garden is a perfect spot for senior pictures, family photos and even prom photos. The park is dog friendly. Please clean up after your pet. There is literally trash cans everywhere, so also don't litter.

I thoroughly enjoyed my wanderings at River Bends Park, lots of options for your activities while…read morevisiting. I was on a limited time crunch today, so I stuck mostly to the main, paved trails (happily many sections of this path still ran through the woods); but there are hiking and/or biking trails branching off in many directions all throughout the property. Make sure to watch the trail signs, as some are for bikers only. River Bends is also a dog friendly park, note that they must remain on a maximum of a 6ft leash at all times. While I visited today with only my pupperoni, River Bends park is great for kids of all ages. There are a multitude of play areas for children, great to help wear out their energy. There is also a disc golf course that winds throughout the park, supplying players with beautiful nature views. You could also enjoy a BBQ on one of their charcoal grills, relax at a picnic table, or pavilions if you have a large group; nature watch on a nearby bench, our even try out a game of horseshoe. The park appeared well maintained, for the most part; although a few signs could use some repair. They have restroom facilities, and port-a-pottys available for use (although I did not enter them to speak of their cleanliness). You can find trash receptacles around every bend, so there's no excuse for lazy littering, and there is a main sign available showing you all of the trails and their difficulties. You can find this sign posted off to the side of the parking lot; which itself, had plenty of available spots. Definitely a favorite park to stop and enjoy, highly recommend.

When the weather gets nicer out river bends is the place to go for a good walk. There are trails…read moreand spots for good pictures too. The main trail leads you to this tunnel w graffiti. It's another cool spot for pictures and i go often. On top of the tunnel there are train tracks, I'm not sure where they lead to though.

Two nice additions have been added to the park..... A Little Library to take or leave a book and a…read morefood pantry to contribute to or take something you may need. They're both located in the front near the park map, restrooms and basketball courts. There's also a tree near the playground where you can paint a rock at home and set it around the tree. This park is bustling at times during soccer and baseball seasons. With 2 play areas, a couple of covered pavilions offering shelter and shade and indoor restrooms in the front of the park, this is a perfect spot for small gatherings. There are two large grassy areas near the baseball diamond and in the soccer field where you can fly kites, or run with your pet or play any other activity. This is a park the whole family can enjoy with plenty to see as far as plants and trees and animals such as squirrels and birds and rabbits and we've even seen a couple of ducks. When you're in the wooded area walking the path, you forget for a few moments that you're in the middle of the township because it's so peaceful. Come and enjoy whether you want to take a few moments for yourself or have some quality family time. Hope to see you there!

Very small park with two tiny trails. Was not enough for myself and my 4 yo on his bikeread more

Bloomer Park is an excellent place for hiking and mountain biking. It's has technical mountain bike…read moretrails as well as moderate and casual. These levels are the same for hiking, so you can get a great workout regardless of experience level. There are multiple wood staircases of varying lengths, so it's great for stair climbing exercise. I've been coming here on/off for several years and have never had a bad experience. I've gone to other state parks where I've gotten swarmed by a lot of bugs, but for whatever reason, not at Bloomer. It's also great that it's located next to downtown Rochester, so food and drink after a casual stroll is accessible. I highly recommend Bloomer Park for hiking and biking activities.

My family and I went to Bloomer Park for their recent, Fossils and Riverside Campfire event (cost…read morewas $10 per person). We had a great time. It was our first visit to this city park, and I was happy to see it was nicely maintained. We only stayed and hiked through a small section of the park, but it was very clean, bathrooms were available, there was a playground for kids, small grills in sections, bike repair areas could be found, and the trails had been recently upkept. The paths we followed were simple and good for families, although I would not recommend dragging a wagon or anything like that with you. There were easy to hike sections, as well as smaller, more off-road trails perfect for those that enjoy mountain biking. There was plenty of wildlife around to view, wooden bridges for crossing streams and marshy areas, and beautiful areas to relax near the Clinton River. It was honestly a great outing, and we'll definitely be back.

After me and the wife asked around this place was recommended. The play ground area for kids wasn't…read morehuge but has what you need. They do have a big soccer field and very nice tennis courts. Also it is very clean and well maintained. Worth checking it out. It was a nice hidden gem.

It's a good little park if you're looking to get some fresh air and walk, play some baseball…read more(provided there isn't games going on), and/or let your little ones play at a playscape. As mentioned, there is baseball fields that are well maintained and a good size newer playscape. They have a covered pavilion with picnic tables and the bathroom was open to the public and it was clean. They have a basketball court and plenty of parking. Located right off 22 Mile, just East of Van Dyke freeway. You can park and walk over the catwalk, like I did with my kids. They waved at the traffic down below and even got passerby's to honk! Even a few big truckers! I remember doing that when I was a kid!

This is such a beautiful park and I live about 6 miles away. They have annual passes and discounts…read morefor residents, seniors and military. In the summer they have concerts by the water every other Friday night from 7 to 9 PM. We came tonight for the concert and the fireworks. It's well controlled by the metro park police.

This is a great park, especially for hiking. If you have a mountain/dirt bike, they have a…read morechallenge for you! There are bathrooms near the trailhead. They were reasonably clean. There's adequate parking and a meetup area.

The park has a lot to offer. There are two great play structures for kids of all ages. There are…read morealso sports offerings such as basketball, sand volleyball, tennis and horse shoes. There are plenty of picnic tables and grills. The bathroom is far from luxurious, I would stay away unless you really need it. Utica does a good job maintaining the park and keeping it clean and safe. Occasionally you will see police presence driving through or hanging out to keep everyone safe. They installed the blue light poles a few years back. Overall it is a great place to go for a run or walk or let the kids burn energy.

2019-09-18. Grant Park. Utica, MI…read more Nestled amid a residential area in Utica is Grant Park. While not the newest or fanciest of parks, its compact and bountiful. Just east of Van Dyke, Grant Park's footprint is bounded by Nancy Ave to the north, Hanh Ave to the south, Deshon St. to the west, and Grant Park to the east. There are two small parking lots, one off Nancy, and one off Hanh. Every time I bring my kids here there are plenty of people enjoying the public space, yet I never have a problem finding a parking spot. This tells me that many are locals, which is great to see that the city's money is well used. The park is not huge, but they make excellent use of their real estate. Amenities include 2 full size basketball courts, 3 tennis courts, two beach volleyball courts, and two playgrounds; one for the big kids, and one for the kiddies. There are also two large pavilions, one by each parking lot, and the green scape is dotted with mature trees, providing green canopies for those who prefer the shade. A walking path winds through the park, and there are a couple of swing benches by the larger playground. There is even a book house where you're welcome to take a book or leave one. The centerpiece of the playground is the large tubular slide. A rare three storey tube slide, which is the primary reason why we come; that and the rare playground roundabout. There is also a Wendy's within walking distance on Van Dyke for those hot days or when you're craving a frosty. All in all, don't let this mature park fool you. It packs plenty for all ages in a small footprint and would serve any community well. Whether you're looking to get active; improve your skills at Basketball, Volleyball, or Tennis; or simply looking for a relaxing day at the park, Grant Pack can accommodate. I'm definitely a fan, 4 stars. If you would like to experience more, come dine-with-me.yelp.com I'd love to have your company... See you on the swings!