These reviews are funny, so I'm chiming in with my two cents…read more I was a UM student from 2005-2009; from 2008-2009 I lived about a 5-minute walk from the CCRB, over on Wilmot St., so I mostly went there for exercising. I remember the exercise room (with the treadmills and ellipticals, which is what I mainly used) to be a bit crowded, but I could usually find a machine. The pool was (is?) definitely older too but had at least a few lanes for swimming laps. Locker room was also older. I actually preferred the NCRB's pool, so I'd sometimes shlep down to South Campus for that, but I've heard that in the past few years they closed their pool ... so if you want to swim, I'm guessing the CCRB is your only option nowadays.

Oy. When struggling with motivation to go to a gym, this place just gives you the extra dose of…read morede-motivation you really don't need. The building is worse than my inner-city high school: it's even more reminiscent of a prison, and with worse lighting, wall colors, and HVAC systems. It is always disgustingly hot in any room, though some rooms have giant moveable fans that ease the nausea for us heat-intolerant folks. Even when it's slow (normally after 9pm is when the place stops being a mad house), you're always sharing a room with at least two other people, and they're likely to be image-obsessed meatheads and sorority girls. Granted there are others here to join me in the ranks of freaks and geeks but not enough to temper jock-fest '99. I know the point of going to the gym is to physically exert yourself, but the fact that there is no nearby parking is particularly frustrating when either pressed for time or up against inclement weather. Plus the longer the walk, the longer I have to hear passerbys talk about the epic frat party last night, bro. At least there are tons of machines and most of them in decent shape. No state-of-the-art stuff but stuff isn't falling apart either. Plus, they're open quite late which is great for last-minute stress-release. This place is free for me, but I'm about to drop some money for a rec center membership that's external to U of M just so I can be surrounded by people who make me feel more comfortable and so I can be in a building that doesn't depress me.

My first time here! I really enjoyed the setting. I tubed- for the first time…read more I went with people who knew what they were doing, they arrived early and set up tent and had snacks and guided me where to enter. There are about 5-6 small waterfalls I'll call them prior to getting to the river. There is a good size parking a lot but if you arrive later lots of street parking and congestion as one Could imagine. They have air to blow up tubes but once again at prime times that could be busy. One could rent items or bring their own. There is a new walking bridge and I'll look forward to coming back in the future for some fun out in the sun!!

Awesome place to paddle. Can go downstream to Gallup Park. Or just go upstream. Current is not…read morestrong. Beautiful scenery either way. Going upstream is probably quieter as most head downriver. Enjoy.

The best time to view the peony is end of May and begin of June. This blooming only happens on the…read moreshort duration of time. We were lucky to visit arboretum during this time on our trip to Ann Arbor. The peony garden can be reached in two locations. The best parking is near Ronald McDonald House of Charity Ann Arbor. That parking lot gets you direct access to the garden. The other parking near Nichols Drive and go the entrance by taking the first right trail to the top and reach the garden. The garden has 28 bed of flower beds. Each bed has the name of flower indicated. During the blooming time, there are a lot of visitors. Parking may be full. The flower is beautiful and the pedal open wide and bright. I got my peony moment during my visit. Some flower has fragrances smell. So don't forget to smell the flowers during your visit.

The first time I came here in April and there were no flowers or green and everything was brown!…read more I came back on the last day of May with my husband and it looked completely different!! There is a lot of green everywhere and soo many different flowers (especially the peonies before they were vandalized)!! We parked in the back where it is about a 15-20 min walk to the peonies. It was a nice and mostly shaded walk. We even saw a new bird (Great Crested Flycatcher)! I think it's only worth coming for the peonies but otherwise, it's free (unless you park in the front and then you have to pay).

Went today for their Superb Owl event - it was cute! It was set up in stations so you could stroll…read morearound and do different things. Got to see a great horned owl which was very cool. The other owls were tucked away and asleep in their enclosures, which makes sense. Also saw a bald eagle, a couple hawks, and critters like a tarantula, snapping turtle and others in their critter house. Staff/volunteers on site were super knowledgeable and friendly, and there was a lot to learn about owls during this event. Believe the trails and outdoor bird enclosures are free and open to the public year round.

This is a nice center! We stopped by for their Critter House (limited hours, check their website…read morebefore you go if you want to see it) and enjoyed seeing the snakes, turtles, and more. We then headed outside, dodging raindrops, to see the exterior raptor enclosures. There were a variety of owls, hawks, and more. We especially enjoyed watching the owl that was having a good time on its swing. They are currently also working on creating a nearby nature playscape. The section that is complete so far is very nice - a very neat slide, places to climb, a higher up area to look out from, and more. They also offer some trails to explore. Paved parking is available and staff were friendly.

Team member spotlight: Will…read more I absolutely love this rec center and gym. It has become one of my favorite places to work out and reset. Parking is always plentiful and easy, which immediately makes the experience stress free. The hours work perfectly for my schedule, especially since I usually go in the morning to early afternoon. There is so much to do here. I have not taken any of the classes yet, but I love knowing they are available and plan to explore them eventually. One of my favorite features is the indoor track. I am also really looking forward to the indoor pool reopening and am excited about the addition of saunas. Saunas are such an important part of overall health and recovery, so that will be a great upgrade. Cleanliness really stands out here. The locker rooms, bathrooms, equipment, and common areas are consistently well maintained. I regularly see staff cleaning throughout the facility, which makes a big difference. The people here are genuinely kind and welcoming. Will, William, in particular, is wonderful. He is always friendly, personable, and remembers me and my family. I also notice how engaged he is with other members, which adds to the sense of community. There is a nice balance of ages here. You do occasionally see younger children, usually elementary age, participating in day or after school programs near the basketball courts, but it never feels overwhelming. I also love that they offer pickleball and a variety of other activities, which makes the space feel inclusive and active for everyone. Overall, this is a clean, well run facility with a strong community feel. I truly enjoy coming here and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a welcoming and well maintained rec center and gym.

I enjoyed going to the Meri Lou rec center for the pool, water aerobics, and gym. It has a bit of…read morean odd layout for the gym, where cardio equipment is split in different rooms from the weight machines and some cardio are in a hall area by the walking track. The weight area isn't watched by employees and is abused by guests. The pool on the other hand is always supervised by a life guard. It's clean and gets lots of use. The water aerobics classes were a lot of fun. They also offer Zumba, basketball, and ping pong. The ping pong table is also in a weird spot, right in front of the ladies locker room. It feels a little weird opening the door to walk in with a bunch of guys playing ping pong. They were always nice but it just seems a little odd. The showers and locker rooms were always clean. They even had a cool swimsuit drying machine, so you don't have to put a wet suit back into bags. Overall, inexpensive and provides a lot of options for getting exercise

Amazing park for riding, running or bicycling. Trails are well kept and great sceneryread more

Gorgeous park along the Huron river between Ann Arbor and Dexter. Tons of amenities including an…read more18-hole golf course, disc golf course, picnic areas, playgrounds, baseball diamonds, biking and hiking trails, nature trails, river fishing, and boat launches for canoes and kayaks. My husband and I brought our pups here for a little outdoor time during social distancing and despite it being a gorgeous Saturday early-evening we didn't run into any one else on any of the trails we explored. So it's a really great spot to enjoy some outdoor adventures without worrying about getting too close to other people. Beautifully maintained, tons of parking and pup friendly! Just remember bug spray if you get into the woods/near the river. I forgot and got eaten up quite a bit!

This is a space with a great community and culture. I'm particularly fond of the pickup basketball…read moregames MWF mornings, and all the elite strength and conditioning equipment spread between two weight rooms. The pool is well-maintained and the staff is helpful and friendly. Ask for Mike if you want an experienced, elite swim instructor.

This place is amazing! People are so friendly and the people here provide a safe and fun environmentread more

A very small area but it seems bigger as the trails splinter off from the main (larger) one. A…read morelittle tricky to spot as it blends in with neighboring private yards. Well shaded but the mosquitos love it. Thank you neighbor for leaving fruits of your harvest.

A lovely 22-acre park/nature area tucked into the middle of a neighborhood. It's a short walk from…read moremy house so my pup and I go hiking through here on the regular. It's so clean and peaceful, mostly due to the work of the neighbors that live around it. They take fantastic care of it. The entrance to the park from Arborview is surrounded by homes and, at least last summer, one of the homes had a vegetable garden that they labeled with "help yourself" (don't quote me on that if you get in trouble for taking a tomato this year, tho). Lots of greenery, and a number of pathways mean that no two walks are the same. One main, wood chipped pathway runs north/south from Arborview to Miller and then several other, smaller pathways spiderweb off of it. There are a few benches throughout and only a handful of signs so once you get going it may be hard to figure out where you are but it's easy to retrace your steps. Also, it's not so huge that you can't get through it pretty easily. Just last night my pup and I made it there, then through a good chunk of it, and back to our home about 5. mile away in about 45 minutes. If you live on the west side of Ann Arbor and don't have the time to dedicate to heading over to Nichols', Gallup Park, or Bird Hills this will get you your fill of nature quite nicely. You can find a map for the park here if you are so inclined: http://www.a2gov.org/departments/Parks-Recreation/parks-places/Documents/Park%20Maps/Miller%20Nature%20Area%20Map.pdf

The Mary Lou Rec Center is similar to the Y. They have a walking track, pool, gym, and court for…read moreracket ball. The ping pong table gets wild and competitive with some older gents that will pause when you walk by to the women's locker room that connects to the pool. The locker room area is always clean, the showers are hot, and there are plentiful lockers. They also have a rotating class schedule, including zumba, water aerobics, karate, and a lot of other things. I have tried the water aerobics classes, but I stopped during the winter because the pool wasn't warm enough for me. The Wednesday night water aerobics instructor is amazing.

Always a great time, staff is amazing and the river is so relaxing. Been making this a yearly trip…read morefor over 10 years and now we are going on the river twice a summer. Cannot wait for the next time!

We had just the best time at Skips! Everything was very California- relaxed, fun, vibey…read more I'm really glad we packed snacks and dressed in long sleeves since the sun can be intense. Everyone was super nice. The bus ride to get to the drop off zone was pretty bumpy, brings you back to the ole' days of grade school. Overall we had a great time and would definitely do it again!