Rose Lake Area Loop

The designated parking here is Fitzgerald Park. This park has a $3 entrance fee per car ($5 for non-residents). If you want to avoid this fee, park in downtown Grand Ledge and find the Riverwalk on the south side of the Grand River, just west of downtown. A good parking spot is right next to Fitzgerald Field and Island Park. The trailhead begins at the Eaton County Parks & Rec Departme...

Finding a quiet, relatively secluded place to backpack can be difficult in Southeastern Michigan. However, backpacking at Blind Lake in the Pinckney State Park is a fantastic option for those searching. Blind Lake is accessible by a 7 mile hike in from Silver Lake, but can be approached from several different routes using the Potawatomi and Waterloo Trails.  The Blind Lake rustic campground pr...

This adventure begins at Waterworks Park in Holly. There is a parking lot, pedestrian bridge, map, nature lookout, and designated launch at this site. From here to Storm Park in Fenton, it is 7 river miles and will take most paddlers 2-3 hours. The Shiawassee is a slow-moving, warm water river that is fairly shallow in parts. Because of this, you may want to check river gauges before your trip....

Island Lake Yellow Trail Loop is a loop trail that takes you by a river located near South Lyon, Michigan.

Park at the Island Lake Picnic Grounds, also known as the Kent Lake parking lot.  Look for a spot on the west end of the parking lot and carry your kayak down to the river – but don’t worry, they have installed a nice little kayak slide to assist you as you walk down the river bank!  Simply, place your kayak onto the slide and walk it down with you to the water. Once in the water, your padd...

Having lived in Michigan and the greater Detroit area for only one year, I'm still constantly looking for the next place to take my mind off the day-to-day work grind. Michigan, the Great Lake State, is certainly not a bad place to be to do so. Roughly one hour outside of Detroit rests Bird Hills Nature Area. Technically in Ann Arbor, Mich., most notably known for being home to the University o...