Let's get this part out of the way - The park itself? Amazing. It is modern, has plenty of options,…read moreis well maintained, and has some great nature paths outside of the playground area. In an area that features many great playgrounds and parks to take your family to, Innovation Hills has always stood out. There is a lack of options for younger children though (no infant swings?). The three stars? One of the new features of this park is the addition of Park Mobile being introduced for the main parking lot. Signs everywhere reminding you that you better have paid your $1.50 an hour! There is of course a free dirt lot across the busy road for your convenience. Or a parking 'annual pass' you can purchase from the Rochester Hills website. Our society struggles with the concept of 'the third place'. Parks and playgrounds are a haven for families and a community builder outside of work and home. What in the world is the motivation behind suddenly charging for parking? 1 - The City of Rochester Hills wants to prioritize park access for its citizens? Charging for parking doesn't keep out non-residents and in fact just causes Rochester Hills citizens to pay more for something they are already paying for. 2 - The park is often extremely crowded so charging for parking may reduce visitor count? If this was the motivation I am confident this strategy is not working. 3 - We want to encourage more families to park in the dirt lot across the street and attempt to cross a highway? I have more faith in humanity than that. Oh, I think I got it! To quote Tim Robinson's sketch 'The Driving Crooner' - "I gotta figure out how to make money on this thing..it's simply TOO GOOD!"

After a long school day, we took the kids to Innovation Hills Park, and they had a blast! The park…read morewasn't too busy, and the kids explored everything, from the playground to the jungle gym. I loved the artificial turf--it keeps the area looking nice year-round. This park has everything--playgrounds, walking trails, a serene area with ducks, and even bathrooms. I'd recommend it to any family looking for a fun day out. Definitely a great spot for outdoor fun!

I absolutely adore Heritage gardens, they do a fantastic job with the upkeep, very beautiful. It is…read moreadmittedly a smaller park, but none the less enjoyable, and leashed pet friendly. The main walking path is probably around 1/3 of a mile, so a quick walk; but there are a few trails that branch off, leading to a children's play area, courts, or nearby municipal buildings. There are many benches available to sit and enjoy the scenery, or watch the ducks; the lake has multiple fountains, and 3 different docks to enjoy. A stunning park for photo opportunities as well, and they hold a lot of community events, which is a big plus in my book. Definitely recommend checking it out if you get the chance.

The best park ever. the lake is beautiful. such a lovely place for a stroll. very safe and a…read moreperfect spot to take pictures!

We decided to take the morning and go to the nature center. You can get in the park with a pass or…read morepay $10 for the day. You can also get a pass through michigan activity pass through your local library which is what we did. There was a lot of parking available probably due to the rain. When we walked in, it was super quiet and cute. They have a little table with puzzles and another area with different rocks and fossils. They have tons of turtles to look at as well. They have a play center with a table too. You can do some bird watching in the chairs by the window. This is a perfect spot for toddlers because it is safe and enclosed. My kids did pretty good.

Miles of paved biking and walking trails wrap around Lake St. Clair with great views almost the…read moreentire time. There's also a golf course, marina access, fishing areas, beaches, boat launches, picnic spots, and a lot of space to just relax without feeling crowded. The wildlife is underrated too -- saw cormorants nesting along the shoreline. The whole area has a clean, well-maintained feel and is a great reminder of how important this waterfront has been to this region for generations.

These trails are fantastic and perfect for a leisurely walk, offering amazing views. Plus, there's…read morea spot for disc golf, and it's a great park for walking your dogs. In the winter, there's even a hill for sledding! What a great workout today!

I can't speak for summer and autumn but this is a nice park in the winter and spring. The sledding…read morehill looked fun, they have a bunny hill level for little tykes and the full hill for older kids. I'm definitely too mature for that myself, though. Okay, so I looked around at three local stores and they were all sold out of sleds apart from a wooden toboggan that was more costly than a nearby kayak. I'm blaming that on too many months of quarantine and joblessness. The trails are scenic and more extensive than the map led me to believe. I don't think it's to scale; the back 40 goes on for much longer than I figured. I'm glad I turned around when I did on my winter hike. Come springtime and warmer temps the whole northern expanse was just about the right amount of nature and exercise. I mainly did the southern circuit in the snow and the sweeping elevation changes and the train trestle over the Belle River were just lovely. Some of the trails could be better marked. On my winter visit I wasn't even sure if the park ended at a low clearance bridge where a road goes over the Belle River. Turns out more than half the park is past there and crossing the road seems to be the preferred way to get there, though the troll way seems more adventurous. There's some power lines with mowed grass that intersect some of the trails and it's unclear if that isn't also a trail. I don't think so but I got kind of lost at one point and tried to use that to double back and got caught up in some sogginess. If you stay close to the Belle River you shouldn't have that problem, though. I also wandered through some of the twisting mountain bike trails trying to find my way back. Just judging from being on foot they didn't look anywhere near as fun as the bike trails at River Bends. Ultimately I ended up using the Google maps on my phone to get back to where I needed to be. There's equestrian trails here, too, and a nice clubhouse with restrooms, vending machines, picnic tables and pamphlets for this and other parks in St. Clair county. This is a quiet, laid back park but I don't think I'd drive too far out of my way to get here.

What a cool nature park. It's located in a beautiful location. The walking paths are very nice…read more Nice spot for a romantic date.

Beautiful place! Very peaceful and clean. Easy place to relax and just take in nature! Has an "up…read moreNorth" feel.

This was a cool playground setup. It had some of the typical things like monkey bars, but lacked a…read morebunch of the other stuff. Instead it was a labyrinth of climbing and going in and out of wooden towers. It was difficult to follow along as I'm 6'2, 200. I barely fit in some of the spaces. But the kids had fun and had no issue at full speed. There is also a splash pad about 100ft away. It's not very fancy, but in combo with the playground and I'd say it's a pretty decent way to spend an afternoon. The library is next door too..

This park is especially awesome to me because of the pavilion with the fireplace I think it would…read morebe great on a fall night to make smores! I love that I've been on multiple occasions and it's never crowded, it has a river stream flowing through and basketball court and the skate park is next door. There are also bathrooms nearby and the park is always kept clean. I've attached a video of my experience!

There's a little something for everyone here!…read more The playground is rated for 2-12 year olds, which is a huge range but helpful because I had a 2 year old with me today! I helped a friend get married here years ago and it was so special, intimate, and so easy! The fireplaces can really keep it warm during colder weather. The bees were bothersome today though, so that's as annoying. The trails are great! It's so peaceful despite being right next to M-59. Basketball courts, bike racks, bathrooms (I think they are locked in the winter though)

Great community park. The addition of the dog park area has made it even better for everyone!read more

Beautiful park in Grosse Pointe Park with a substantial boardwalk along the shore, perfect for…read moreresting, reading, and contemplating on the benches while watching the boats. On a clear day you can see the city. For residents there is a kayak storage area. The park has plenty of space for families to picnic, a putting green and nice play area for kids...with a fun fountain.

Take advantage of your county parks. This place is peaceful and quiet. There are trails that go…read morethrough the woods and there's a big field as well. There's no Play equipment so if that's what you're looking for this isn't the place for you. It's a perfect place to walk your dog and let the kids run around. There are out houses if you need them, a station with poop bags, and some benches. My dog and I absolutely love this place.

Nice quiet park. This park is small but has a nice looping trail that is 3.5 miles total per the…read moremap. When I did the outer loop only it came out to a little over 2.5 miles per my GPS. There is a bathroom and few park benches. There is a very large open grass field that could probably used for various purposes. The only downside is the trail is almost exclusively mowed grass/field so your feet will get wet if you're wearing the wrong shoes. The trail is very easy and really wide. It's worth checking out if you live close or happen to be in the area.