We RV camped here during the week, Monday thru Thursday. Check in time is 3:00 pm and check out…read moretime is 3:00 pm. Courteous staff and a small selection of T-shirts or sweatshirts at the camp office. The campground was very well taken care of. It was quiet and peaceful. Easy drive from campground to put in and take out sites for kayaking the AuSable River. Glennie is less than 5 miles for groceries gas and a couple of cafes/restaurants.

Absolutely amazing campground. We make the trip up from Florida each year. Definitely the nicest…read morecampground I've been to.

300 stairs. From the top of the springs to the Au Sable river below, that is how many stairs it…read moretakes to descend the nearly 200 foot vertical drop at this local North Eastern Michigan outdoor adventure spot. And while it might not seem like much while you are walking DOWN them, in this antigravity paradox just remember, what goes down must also come back up--unless you plan on sleeping down there. Once you've descended the 300 stairs (actually, even on the way down), the views are absolutely spectacular. The setting is tranquil and relaxing, and there are several placards along the way which tell the story of the Springs and describe so many interesting aspects of this Huron National Forest site. Feel free to take your time meandering about in the shade of the canopied forest--for your looming ascent will have you longing for that serene setting. Once you've read all the informational signs and committed the gorgeous views to memory (or at least snapped some memorable phots thereof), its time to climb. Yep, those same 300 stairs that seemed so innocent on your decent now become your nemesis. In the mid summer heat, you also gain a deep appreciation for the perspiration-evoking power of Michigan's humidity. And, for those ultra-tough cross fit types out there that may scoff at those panting, wheezing, sweating souls such as, perhaps, me, maybe you should attack the 300 stairs Rocky Balboa style and enjoy yourself a victory dance at the top (after which, if you are feeling a little humanitarian urge, you could send down a tow rope or some other means of pulling my kind up the 186 stairs I still need to climb).

I guess I'm really only reviewing the 22 mile river road scenic byway. A beautiful late winter day-…read more60 degrees and sunny, left water over ice on all walkways and lookout points. Tennis shoes weren't going to allow that to happen. Turned into a nice drive, nonetheless.

This park is a hidden gem! We stopped in town to grab lunch, and we were looking for a place to…read moreeat and for the kids to get their energy out. The gentleman who checked us out at the register recommended this park, so we drove this way, and we were pleasantly surprised! The park is scenic, has an amazing jungle gym for kids to play, plenty of benches, beautiful walkways, public restrooms, and much more! The kids loved the all wood jungle gym. The park is very clean and well kept. We will definitely be back!

Love this park in downtown West Branch!! They have a little something for everyone. Walking…read moretrails, basketball courts, tennis courts, a covered bridge, a giant playscape, a little stream with ducks, a pavilion, and lots of green grass. Kids and adults can sled on the hill in the winter and ice skate on the court in the winter as well. A definite community gem!

One word: Beautiful! Nature takes care of everything and the great people of Oscoda and the State…read moreof Michigan does the rest. Really well-cared for! It's wonderful here! The beach is fantastic, the views are perfect. There are plenty of fun activities planned including movies in the park. Lots of places to relax. This is a slice of heaven! Amazing!

What a stunning beach! Everything about the Oscoda Beach Park was perfect. The sand was super clean…read moreand the water. Cute shops, ice cream, restaurants, and much more within walking distance. Dog friendly.

For a person who likes to party in a campground, this place is for you! But I personally like my…read morespace in a campground. The sites are packed close together and you can tell they packed in as many stilted as possible. (There are around 300 sites). There is always noise, kids riding their bikes everywhere, and campers packed up like sardines. If you like staying up late with your friends, this place is great, but I personally could've had a better experience.

Best camp ground in Michigan! The water is great and super clear, there's events for the kids…read moreeveryday ran by the awesome park rangers. Highly recommend spending a weekend here.

I absolutely love this park! Amazing views, lots of smooth hiking trails and plenty activities for…read morethe whole family.

My husband and I took our fat tire bikes on a ride during December of 2018 here. Beautiful place…read moreto ride and enjoy nature. We rode on the seasonal road and enjoyed a leisurely ride through the park. You should definitely drive through this gorgeous area when in Rose City. It's well worth it. Looking forward to going back in the spring, summer and fall.

We really enjoy the park, although the showers are a pain, especially for younger kids. You have…read moreto stand in the shower with them to keep the water running. The shower only stays on for 5 seconds, so you have to keep pushing the button to keep the water running. That's not enough time to even get your hair wet.

Visited this place after Labor Day. Hardly anyone there. Our dog loves the beach. Not only the…read morewater is calm, but also it's clear and sandy. Un

Beautiful scenic picnic area... Beach, play area, picnic tables, pavilion, boat launch, fishing…read morepier...

I came here to camp (car camping/tents) for the first camp of the summer and what a great kickoff…read moreto camping season it was for me and my group! Everything here was top notch and well maintained, probably above average from the many state park campgrounds that I have camped at through the years! What that tells me is that this is probably one of the more highly trafficked campgrounds, so there is a lot of maintenance done on it! This campground had the most "modern" bathrooms. Everything was automatic, the toilets, the sinks, the hand dryers. This is by main indicator that the bathrooms are the latest and greatest update! We also loved our campsite. We had a few of Higgins Lake peeking out from around other campsites from ours and were able to enjoy the lake breeze and sunset view from our campsite alone. It was also an easy walk to the lake, where there was a little playground/swing set AND a dog-friendly beach just right off of that playground area as well! Super dog-friendly, which was great because I brought my dog along! Lots of trailers/RVs at all the neighboring campsites, which is to be expected, especially of a more popular campground! This campground also had the most campsites that I've seen as of late (minus Ludington, I'd say)! South Higgins Lake State Park also had some great hiking trails that we took advantage of! Marl Lake Trail is a trail that is very customizable for any of your time/energy level needs - 1, 3, or 5 mile loops can be done on this trail! Other than the hiking and the camping (spent 3 days and 2 nights here), we didn't do much else at the state park, opting instead to rent a boat (from the South Higgins Lake State Park Store - see my review there for details on boat rentals and our experience!) to spend a whole day on the actual lake, so I can't attest to the other amenities this state park has to offer. But for our purposes on this wonderful weekend, it was darn near perfect and we really enjoyed our time!! Hope to be back soon! :)

I've been coming to South Higgins Lake Campground (west side) for years and if it weren't for the…read morebeautiful Higgins lake, I'd go somewhere else. Each year I stay at a different site, and they are all the same: nearly all dirt, lousy facilities and crummy water issues. The water spickets that are located on each street were recently updated to include an on/off valve which sounds great, but when you turn it on it sprays outward, not downward, so you get water sprayed all over you. How hard is it to put in a proper faucet end?! And the bathrooms are similar where the faucets to wash your hands and the shower heads, are all "misting" water flows. I'm sure it's to save water but this is not helping me in cleaning my hands and body. Not to mention the water is ice cold each time (I've tried many different times of the day with no luck). As a taxpayer, we are paying for these parks and deserve top notch, simple amenities such as smooth waterflow, larger hot water tanks and a little grass on the sites. Other than this, the lake is gorgeous and great to spend time on it!

When ever I'm in Gaylord, I like to stop into the Elk Park. Throughout the year, you can see the…read moreanimals at different stages. It's especially nice to see newborn animals and watch them grow throughout the year.

Spend hours driving the backroads looking for elk? Following the herd with the DNR? Yet you still…read morecan't find them! Well just roll up to the elk park and stop wasting gas! Nestled between the municipal building, commercial shopping and condo apartment areas is the Gaylord Elk Park! Large herd, food area right near parking and some benches if you want to hang out! My son loved seeing the elk! Snapped a few shots- hard to get good ones through the fence and it was freezing outside.