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.

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.

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

This is a great state park northern lower peninsula ( roughly 8 miles from Mackinaw city) with…read moremany camping areas, swimming areas, beaches, and trails. They also rent cabins at the park. The park has great fishing off of Wakashanks point and the home to a bird preserve for nesting Piping Plovers and many other wildlife.

I enjoyed my stay in the Lakeshore section. It was a short walk from my campsite to the beach…read more During a nice bike ride, I saw the boat launch and picnic area. I was solo, but most were family campers. It felt safe and secure with staff doing regular roundabouts. Bathrooms were fine. The only downside were millions of dead fish flies in the water and shore line, but obviously that was out of our control. It was also a short drive to Mackinac City. Highly recommended!

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.

Such a beautiful state park, whether you are looking for a perfect beach, clean campgrounds or just…read morea place to relax during a hike, this park is perfect. The beach has a concession stand with basic snacks, flush toilets, shower house and kayak rental. The campground is your typical Michigan State Park design - just double check your RV length. Would highly recommend stopping here any time of the year. Great place to spend a day at the beach.

When you first enter, they check if you have a recreational passport. If you do, it is free. When…read moreyou drive in there's a turn for the canpground. We went straight to the beach. They had a volleyball tournament. It was still a little cold so we had jackets and pants on the kids. It was their first time at a beach playing in the sand. The water was freezing and my kids wanted to put their feet in. The beach was nice and empty. We have been coming here for years. We love rock picking here.

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.

We went camping here last year for a family reunion (and where my fiance proposed to me). It was a…read moreblast!!!!! Came here for a couple hours last night to visit a couple relatives who were camping here. I really love this place!!!!!!

A wonderful state park that I was fortunate enough to camp at earlier this summer! Great campground…read morewith great bathrooms/showers, which is always appreciated! The campground was extensive and we were fortunate enough to have a campground with a view of Burt Lake itself in the distance! One of the days we were here, we basically spent the entire day on the lake and it was so nice! This state park has a really nice (and MASSIVE) beach area, which extends into an even more massive boat-free area in the water for people to swim and play in without worrying about the boats getting in the way! It was incredible! Burt Lake State Park is truly a 5-star kind of park for all it has to offer to day visitors and campers alike! Additionally, and probably most wonderfully, you can't beat the location of this state park! It's centrally located at the tip of the lower peninsula of Michigan and only 30 minutes away from both Mackinaw city/Mackinac Island to the north and Petoskey to the west! We visited both during our trip here and absolutely loved it! Couldn't recommend this state park more!

We came north to see the elk in the forest. We hit 4-5 viewing areas during dusk and dawn, and…read moredidn't see any. That's not the reason for the three stars. Signage for the viewing areas is non-existent. Get a map of the park (not of the viewing areas) before you go, as GPS will not take you to the right places, in my experience. Also, maybe check out a trail app. We were told to check out viewing area #9. We were told to follow the "trail." Um. There is no trail. It is tree and branch covered path that I can't imagine trying to get through in the dark. Also, viewing area #9 is a FAR walk from the road, through and over and under branches and logs. Be prepared.

Well marked trail system. With river, sinkhole lake, natural lake, backcountry camping etc. the…read moretrail loop can be as short as 5 miles to 11 miles. It has a bunch of drive in front country campgrounds too. This nature forest is popular for elk hunting.