I walked that trail a few years ago with my son, I know since then, it's one of his favorites to…read morerun through with his dog The trail we took was challenging. A long down hill slope to a creek bed, which travels perpendicular to the downhill, the trail meanders down a little further, and then a nice steady trip back to the parking lot

There is a lower and upper level you can park at when you arrive. The upper parking does have one…read moreouthouse style restroom if needed. It was clean for being an outhouse. I appreciate that. It was a short gravel walk to the overlook. You could push a buggie or wheelchair if needed. There is a walking path that is clear. The area is established so there are large tree and tree roots to contend with while you walk about so watch your step. Maps are posted and trails are marked. We completed the 3 mile loop and loved every minute. Definitely a must see during the fall. This place would be spectacular for color! We will be back

I love this place. And hesitate making it more known. But this place, even with the summer crowds…read moreis extremely peaceful and soul feeding place. It's beautiful and relaxing. I've had my kids get their senior photos taken here. It's out of the way, but it's so beautiful, it's a place you have to go to. Historical information, the falls are one of the key locations that the lamprey were discovered to be in the Great Lakes and a great deal of research still takes place within a few miles of this location.

Fun place to explore and very beautiful. You don't have to walk that far to get to the falls.read more

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.

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.

Walloon Lake will always have a special place in my heart... I swam in this beautiful lake numerous…read moretimes as a kid and as an adult and I've taken all kinds of boat rides too. With gorgeous homes all around it as well as Camp Michigania, Barrel Back restaurant, and more... I am a huge fan and the view of Walloon Lake from Camp Michigania never gets old. I hope to visit again and again!

There is probably not a nicer lake in this state It is also probably the most expensive of the…read morebunch too What a surprise Kenneth S Merriman

Mountain Bikes trails are hard to follow and aren't any good ! No single track that I could findread more

Well-maintained state trails. Shady, soft forest surface. Hilly and scenic. Lots of ORV trail…read morecrossings; I imagine it can get loud when the riders are out, but it was quiet and peaceful the day we went. My current favorite northern Michigan hike.

Two parks for the price of nothing! The north entrance leads to a very nice beach with great views…read more Their are some great rocks for people into rock collecting. Their are places to park and trails to hike. At the south entrance you park then there are trails to hike. 1 leads back to the north park. The other one leads to about a 5 minute hike to a stream view area. You'll see the stream almost right away, but in the distance and between foliage. It's a very nice stream, though nothing epic. There is then a 3 minute hike to the beach where the stream meets Lake Michigan. Again here the views are spectacular. Thetrails could be better marked and better upkept to get rid of low branches. The trail connecting the two parks is about 0.8 miles. Overall a 5 star review.

Well, this was a delight of a park - though the hike didn't work out too well. We came here for the…read moretrail/hike, but the trail was mostly washed out from rain and it became impassable the further in we went. This is actually right along a gorgeous little stretch of beach though, a nice spot for looking for charlevoix and petoskey stones. Gorgeous shore, plenty of distance to walk, dog-friendly - what could be better? Lots of fairly rocky shoreline, but some areas that were pretty sandy as well, for folks wanting a place to lie down. I will say the main area right near the parking lot was very crowded, but the further down you walked you could get to some pretty quiet areas. You can also go partly down the trail and connect to another stretch of beach that is very quiet.

This is a fun walking/biking path near downtown Petoskey that makes you feel as if you have left…read morethe city for the woods also instantly. There is a creek/river running through the middle of the trail so you can walk in either side and get plenty of nature experience. The trail is quite lengthy so choosing how long to go is the only tough choice as each bend in the trail provides a new vista. I loved how the rushing water masked any city noises, and it did feel as if you were out in deep woods. It was nicely shaded and yet the sunlight streamed through for a gorgeous view. We have been here several times and highly recommend a visit for a short or long walk!

Husband loved fishing here. He waded into the shallower part of the stream but loved fishing off…read morethe rocks near the deeper faster rapids! I sat with a book and enjoyed the atmosphere. Feels like you're in a forest, the river and trees drown out any traffic noise! We'll definitely come again on our next visit up here.

This spot isn't even a secret but it feels like one when you are there. Easily one of my favorite…read morespots in Charlevoix. You are basically driving through a neighborhood and just come up to the dirt road path and it feels like you're not supposed to be driving on it but there is a little dirt parking lot with signs where you park. Then you take a quick 5-10 minute walk down the path and it opens into the beach! It's basically a sand dune so be aware that it may be kind of a journey to get back up. But definitely do-able. There isn't buoys or anything for swimming boundaries but you can definitely swim here. The beach is so sandy and nice. And there is very rarely crowds here. There has never been no more than 15 people here when I've been on the beach. There is tons of room to spread out too. A beautiful spot to watch the sunset as well.

BAD management, awesome little hill with a cool progression terrain park for any skill. Sadly Bo…read moreBoss the manager discourages any progression on this park. I did a front flip 180 (misty 540) and all the local kids loved it and filmed me until Bo Boss said that it wasn't safe and also wasn't allowed on any hill in Michigan. This is not true as I have done flips in many competitions and during free-riding in Michigan at Boyne, Pine Knob, Mt. Holly, Alpine Valley, and Nubs Knob just to name a few. Also after politely agreeing to Bo Boss' skewed rules of how a ski hill is supposed to be run, I attempted to shake his hand but he disrespectfully did not want to take part. Great Hill but unfortunately since Bo Boss is stuck in the 1970's and discourages any modern progression of the skiing sport I would not recommend this hill until Bo Boss gets with the time or until management changes.

This rustic state park is one of our favorites. The scenery is gorgeous, with miles of sandy and…read morerocky beachfront, walking trails, 5-mile road for biking and spacious wooded lots and a prized few water front lots. There is firewood and ice at the check-in station which is very convenient. T h e grounds are well maintained and the vault toilet stalls are mostly clean (though can become odiferous when the park is full). It is usually the case that visitors to the rustic parks are more respectful of the quiet. We are bird watchers and always love spying the eagles and variety of other birds in the area. Close to the town of Charlevoix, there are plenty of options for sight seeing, eating and finding supplies. Beautiful area of our state.

If you love collecting Michigan rocks, come to this lovely state park. You can take the short trail…read moredown to the water, where you will find rocks om the sand. The park is secluded, and we only saw about 5 others there during the duration of our stay. It appears that because this location is not so heabily populated, you can find some Charlevoix and Petoskey rocks in the water as wel as on the rock bed. You just have to know what to look for. I suggest finding a walking stick for the water. It helps guide you, and it helps you move some rocks. The next time I come here I definitely want to bring a sifter because I saw so many cute tiny ones with the rock pile. My twchnique was to pull the ones near the water down, and I found quite a bit this way. James used the stick to look in the water, where you will find medium to large rocks. Overall the secluded atmosphere is soothing and relaxing.