A very large park built around 2 lakes. Over 11000 acres with over 40 miles of trails This area offers camping,fishing,boating just to name a few of the many activities offered. Trails are marked but are unpaved and hilly and they can get muddy and slippery when wet so bring hiking gear. Some trails are also used for mountain biking. Plenty of parking is available . read more

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Love these trails in the fall--when the mosquitoes are not bad. Many trails have good hills--but be careful because there are lots of rocks and roots, and fall leaves make them less visible. Dogs love it here, too. There are endless possible routes...we often do Crooked Lake. read more

Love this park - beautiful and has great trails, beach, etc I have walked the crooked lake trail- 5 miles- good for hikers and bikers alike. Make sure to make way for the bikers - challenging trail also. read more

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Pinckney Recreation Area is absolutely SPECTACULAR! Crooked Lake Trail is one of the best trails I've ever hiked, I absolutely love it! It's definitely moderately challenging, so it's not all skill types friendly, but if you're looking for a slight challenge while enjoying beautiful views all around you as well, this is the one for you. It's a little over 4 miles in length with elevation gain of over 300 feet. It is truly one of my favorites ever, I just wish it wasn't located so far from me! Looooove Pinckney so much though and I love that it's part of the greater recreation area of Pinckney-Waterloo as well. There are endless opportunities to recreate in all various forms when you're here and it's definitely worth the trip during all seasons! read more

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Slowly but surely were trying to get our feet wet on this whole backpacking/hiking thing. If you're like me who's totally a noob on all this hiking thing, then this is probably one of the better places to start. 2 miles is too easy, so we decided to give the 5 mile trail a go. It goes through 3 of the main chain of lakes and the terrain is for intermediate hikers. There are some sizeable steep climbs and descents, but it's all in good fun. What's a good hike without a good steep hill to walk up to. It's that burning sensation on your calves and thighs that make you feel alive in a good hike. There's a cute stream you cross about 1/4 of the way and there's also a cool looking wood bridge that crosses over a channel that connect two of the main lakes. All the hikers we came across are really nice, some part of the hike is part bike trail,,, the bikers we encountered are very nice. No, you don't need to be a super athlete to be a hiker. And yes, it becomes hella addicting. There's an abundance of nature out there. It's beautiful and it doesn't cost a thing to experience it. Weeeeeeeeee! read more

Pinckney Recreation Area - (",) - Beaches Near Me - Pinckney, Michigan

Pinckney has everything that you could want in a park: running trails, volleyball courts, outdoor grills, a beach for swimming on the lake, paddle boarding, and a concession stand, just to name a few! I've visited in several seasons and always love going. No matter the temperature, there is something to do here. Most recently I took advantage of the nice weather to meet with friends to grill out -- it was a perfect way to enjoy the sunny weather and spend time in the great outdoors! No matter the season, you'll find a way to enjoy being outside while you're at Pinckney! read more

I have been out here for 2 events: The Swim the Moon race at Half Moon Lake and also the Viking Trail 5K. Half Moon Lake is a wonderful lake for a swim race! On an August morning, the water was warm and clear and it felt intimate yet large enough for everyone to have a great swim! The Viking 5K, 10K and half marathon left from Half Moon Lake and meandered through the trails, somewhat hilly, and back again. the trail is well trodden so no getting lost but it is also very intimate with no feeling of nature destruction. Very well maintained! I look forward to more events here in the future. read more

Heaven in Hell. I'm so glad to live near Pinckney State Rec Area where there are so many beautiful hiking areas. It also seems that every mountain biker I've encountered on the trails has been considerate of hikers. Hiking here puts a smile on my face and peace in my heart. Both of these are in dire need in 2020. read more

Bruin Lake Campgroubd: We returned to the Pinckney Recreation Area for family camping! The beach was beautiful and perfect for young kids. I noticed some cabins close by as well. We tent camped but if you're not into tenting and don't have an RV, cabins may be a good solution. There was a large field also and some play areas. If you have a tent, 164 is not for you. Our campsite was near the bathrooms and centrally located. It rained hard one night we were there and our site was located in the middle of a small river or drainage duct. It was a mess. Thankfully, I had brought enough tarps and we were able to keep the inside of our tent dry. However, I would encourage the park to find a way to fill in or use pipes to assist in drainage or take the site out. It ended up being a huge mess for our site. It was shady and looked great, but it felt like all of the campgrounds water was being drained through our site. Crooked Lake Campground: Don't get confused by the three campgrounds! They're all very different. Crooked Lake offers the convenience of driving to your campsite while still being very remote. When booking, you could see a map of all the sites with pictures of each sight and details, such as size and shade. We were able to find a super shady spot. There ended up being wild berries all over our campsite and an old overground road which was great for taking walks with our toddler. There is an outhouse and a water pump as well as a dock. It felt fairly remote and out campsite was surrounded by trees. We couldn't hear any neighboring campers. In hindsight, it was probably not the best choice for camping with young children, but we had fun and were able to unplug. Look forward to goin read more

Halfmoon lake area: Our company comes here every year for our annual department picnic. We always have a greet time. There is a picnic area to have food and the lake is very nice. You can bring your boat to do water sports like tubing , jet skis, fishing or just go for a swim. There's also a volleyball net you just have to bring a ball. We always look forward to this event. Also phones normally don't have service out here. read more

Pinckney Recreation Area - Caught a fish - Beaches Near Me - Pinckney, Michigan

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Pickney Rec has the Potawatomi trail. It has to be the best mtn biking trail in Michigan. It's my favorite trail I've ever ridden. On the right day, with a tuned up bike... this may be one of my favorite things. (period) I just rode it today and can't stop thinking about it. read more

Pinckney Recreation Area - Mtn bike trail bridge - Beaches Near Me - Pinckney, Michigan

One of my favorite state parks for sure! During the Coronavirus pandemic I have been exploring many parks and this one gets an A+! The trails are amazing and Silver Lake is really nice and family friendly with a nice beach. You can bring your dog to the grassy areas too! I was tempted to not mention Half Moon Lake because it is literally a hidden gem! There have been less than 10 people every time I've went. One day I was the only one for a few hours! It is so peaceful and relaxing. The water is really clean with a sandy bottom and there are picnic tables right by the water. Such a nice escape for the day! read more

Bruin Lake campground is the worst campground I have ever been to. The rangers are extremely rude and come to your campsite at 11:00 on the dot for quiet time. Rangers wait around to bust you and are rude and evil. they threatened to send us home. The short brunette ranger should re-evaluate her life read more

GREAT campground for families. Good size but not so big the kids can't just be let loose. Sandy beach and very nice boat launch with a nice pier for fishing. My three amazing nephews and son had a marvelous time exploring the woods, climbing trees and finding the "cool swamp with frogs". The lake was amazingly refreshing but NOT freeze your *xx off cold. We had a hoot tubing and boating and hanging out LATE by the campfire, we even had not one but TWO friendly visits from the DNR officer ~ nice gentleman! Bathrooms and showers were the best camp ground facilities I have ever seen....clean and practically dirt free. Plenty of hot water and water pressure and although its well water it was of a decent quality. Great weekend away from the city! read more

I like to come here to walk the 2-mile Silver Lake Trail (which feels like a long 2 miles with lots of ups and downs) and then reward myself with a delicious cook-out by the water. This is just the perfect place to escape for a few hours and enjoy the outdoors! There is a port-a-potty at the trail head and flush restrooms near the water. There are plenty of picnic tables and grills, I have never had trouble finding one to use! The water is pretty clean and warm enough to swim in during July and August. read more

Review of Bruin Lake Campground: Whatever you do in 2016, avoid the campground host. He could see we were trying to back in our site, hampered by a sign and parked cars. He yelled that we couldn't park in the street. That's called backing in, dude. Aside from this guy, who seemed to only want to play with kids and socialize with the people that he knows, this is a great campground. We had a great spot, found a few others that we really liked for out next visits. For as many people as are crammed in here on a holiday weekend, the rangers and staff do an excellent job of keeping it clean and quiet. The upgrades in the lower campground are great. Love that whole area. We will be back. read more

This review is really about the bike and hike trails. With 6 trails, ranging from 2 to 35 miles in length, Pinckney Recreation Area offers you ample room to stretch your legs and play. Trail runners and mountain bikers will be interested in the 17 mile long Potawatomi Trail. The Potawatomi Trail is gnarly enough for experienced runners and riders to really get a workout. At the same time, beginners will enjoy the lack of overwhelming crowds, giving them time to walk up a tough hill when necessary. Camping is allowed, there is a beach, and they have a Yurt! You might want to put this one on your list for 2009! read more

My roomie and I headed to Michigan last weekend to visit some friends who moved away and left us (how dare they). Weekend getaways pose a problem for roomies training for the marathon, and Pinckney Recreation Area posed the solution. While the roomie did her 17 mile trail run (!), one of our group checked out the mountain biking, and my other ladyfriend and I did a massive three hour hike. The other two checked out trails labeled on the map as having "serious hills", but we skipped those in favor of beautiful overlooks and boardwalks through the forest. There's plenty of opportunities for gnome photoshoots. Other highlights included finding Arnie Palmer in the vending machine at the office, finding a baby toad, and watching a funny family canoe under us on a bridge. There's also a playground for the kiddies, volleyball, ample waterfront, and a floating dock equipped with picnic table for those of us who don't get seasick while eating. I would absolutely be here every weekend if I lived in the area. You can actually breathe the air here! PS- watch out for poison ivy, mountain bikers, and gnomes! read more

If you have an iPhone5 on AT&T go to airplane mode or your battery will die in an hour trying to find coverage. POTO is the bomb mountain bike trail for advanced/expert riders only, 15 miles of goodness! read more

A great place to come to swim, fish, hike, and just relax. read more

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This place is huge! We took our pup for a hot afternoon hike this weekend and was pleasantly surprised at how many trails (and the lengths) and swimming spots. Although it was hot and humid, we had a nice and hilly 4 mile hike. What I don't like about this recreation area is that dogs are essentially banned from all swimming spots, and on a hot day with a dog that loves the water, it was really unfortunate we couldn't let her cool down. read more

I love this campground. We go about once or twice a month in the summer. It's a great place to go with family or just with a loved one for some alone time :) The lake is always warm and the kids always have a great time playing in the clay pit in the water. They also have activities for kids on the weekends and holidays. Quiet time is really quiet time! DNR makes rounds once or twice an hour and makes sure everything is running smoothly. My parents used to take me here when I was little and now they take the grandkids. All in all its one of the best campgrounds I have ever been to. read more

My best friend, who now lives in California, was going to be visiting Michigan, but her only stop was at the Crooked Lake campground. Seeing that it was a mere two hours away, and that the campground fee was pretty low, I decided to go for it, taking my four boys ages 9 thru 2, camping for one night -- even though I had not been camping for at least 15 years! My friend and her husband picked up a lot of the slack by bringing equipment to make hot food for dinner, and I packed cold foods for breakfast and lunch. (Thank goodness my friend made the morning coffee!) It was easy to make reservations online, after creating an account with MI DNR. I was even able to choose our site. The campsite was clean and well-shaded, though there was no privacy from the site "next door." Our lot would've been perfect for a couple families camping together, or a parents-with-grown-kids-and-grandkids group. I was able to secure a just steps away from the campground's only pump, which was a necessity, considering my lack of camping experience and equipment. We were also steps away from the outhouses, a blessing with three kids out of diapers. The campground was clean and peaceful. We went walking up the road and crossed the mountain bike trails -- my guys enjoyed seeing the bikers go by. The kids were also excited to see a snapping turtle that was hanging around the dock in the evening. The one disappointment was that Crooked Lake was not swimmable, nor could we even walk along the edge. (At least, there was no access from the campground.) Since we were only there one evening and part of the next day, and our combined seven kids had fun getting to know each other, this was more than manageable for us. However, this combined with the hilly and gravelly roads that are not friendly to small kids on bikes means that there is not a whole lot "to do" at the campground, which could definitely lead to grouchy and restless kids if the stay were a long one. Crooked Lake campground's ideal campers are those who like to just come hang out around the fire, or those who have a boat to put in for fishing, or those who have come specifically for the biking and hiking. The big and wonderful surprise was the Silver Lake beach, located a short drive back down the dirt road, inside the recreation area. The sandy beach kept the youngest kids occupied (another family with three more boys had joined us by this point), while the lake itself was perfect for the older kids to swim in. Trees near the shore provided shade on the sunny day, and the mostly grassy area around the lake was ideal for relaxing without constant battling against sand in our food. There were also grills, beach volleyball courts, a playground, and concessions. We spent part of the morning and all afternoon at Silver Lake, and we would've stayed longer it the boys and I hadn't had to leave for the next leg of our adventure (a hotel and Greenfield Village). While I've had "easier" camping with full bathrooms and walkable beach access, Crooked Lake was perfect for meeting my friend, and Silver Lake was perfect for our children. Despite the lack of amenities, my boys really enjoyed the campground, and it was a gentle introduction to "real," non-electric camping. I enthusiastically told my friend that we'd love to revisit Pinckney Recreation Area next year, and I intend to press her on a date as soon as their summer is scheduled. It was that good! read more

Pickney is a great state park, with a very large swaths of mature hardwoods, and some cedar groves mixed in as well among several lakes and streams. The varied topography gives the hikes some very good hills w/o becoming too arduous. I like to hike the Crooked Lake Trail, listed as 5.1mi, but you can join the Silver Lake Trail near the end and stretch it out closer to 7mi. Alternatively (or in conjunction), you can do an out-and-back leg on the Potawatomi Trail that rolls nicely as it heads out to Waterloo State Rec Area. I have not done the connector (17.5mi), but I did do the loop out to the hike-in Blind Lake campground. I really recommend trying this over-nighter. It's a cold-camp, but in summer that not a problem and the sites are large. We put up 3 tents with no problem. The only thing is the mixed-use gets old fast, especially w/ the few (the exception) mountain bikers who make no provision for meeting someone on the trail on a blind corner when they are going downhill full tilt. If there were separate trails, this would be a 5-star park easy! read more

Great for hiking, and pet friendly! Our pups love it here, and so do we! Beautiful cedar trees and tons of trails!