The Michigan State Parks Thread

[Guest]

A thread to talk about our great state parks - searched and didn't see one out there.

I'd never even heard of this park until today:

Michigan's strangest state park has rocky, alien landscape

ALPENA – It’s a slippery slope to the water’s edge at Michigan's strangest park.

Poison ivy grows everywhere at the sinkhole's shore. Red dragonflies flit in the afternoon sun. Smallmouth bass swim eerily through the shallows. Entire tree trunks, bleached with age, lie along the edge of the near-perfect circle of the twinkling lake.

The Big Sink is one of 12 mysterious sinkholes at Rockport State Recreation Area.

“Scuba divers went 80 feet down, and down there it is silty and squishy, and they didn’t find the bottom,” says Blake Gingrich, unit supervisor for Rockport and four other state park sites in the northeastern lower peninsula. “We don’t know how deep it is.”

Rockport became part of the state parks system just four years ago when it was transferred from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' forest resources division. The former gravel quarry is 4,237 acres in Alpena and Presque Isle counties along a strip of Lake Huron shoreline.

The park features virgin pines, a bat cave, deep-water pier, sinkholes and beautiful Lake Huron beaches.

But mostly, Michigan's strangest park is full of rocks. Much of it resembles an inhospitable moonscape with vast stretches of gravel punctuated by spindly pines.

Most of the park it is off limits to the public except by foot. No trails are yet marked. Only two campsites (both back-country) exist.

[tGreenWay]

Rosa

[Guest]

DNR opens new boat dock at Fayette Historic State Park in Delta County

[WhiteBoyHatcher]

I gotta say, Belle Isle is a lot nicer now that the State has taken it over. And I don't mean in a The_Dude way, I mean the activities, the facilities, the beach, etc. I was impressed. Worth checking out.

[Robert J Sakimano]

Ludington State Park

[DWags]

I gotta say, Belle Isle is a lot nicer now that the State has taken it over. And I don't mean in a The_Dude way, I mean the activities, the facilities, the beach, etc. I was impressed. Worth checking out.

#dontfeardetroit

[Other Teams Pursuing That]

Rosa

I used to work right across from the street there. Late highschool, early college. Fun fact.

[Guest]

Ellen Creager ‏@ellencreager 46m46 minutes ago
Reporting up in the Thumb...gorgeous day at Port Crescent State Park. Summer's not over yet! @freep

[xsanguine]

Ludington State Park

[xsanguine]

Bob, where you do you get all these idyllic pics of waspy whites on vacation? It's like you have a folder on your desktop filled with this kind of gold.

[Robert J Sakimano]

Bob, where you do you get all these idyllic pics of waspy whites on vacation? It's like you have a folder on your desktop filled with this kind of gold.

you have to know what to look for.. it's an art wrapped up in a science.

[Guest]

Bob, where you do you get all these idyllic pics of waspy whites on vacation? It's like you have a folder on your desktop filled with this kind of gold.

It sucks that people actually enjoy their vacations when they could be joining Bob in his misery cubicle.

[Dendrobates]

I gotta say, Belle Isle is a lot nicer now that the State has taken it over. And I don't mean in a The_Dude way, I mean the activities, the facilities, the beach, etc. I was impressed. Worth checking out.

Very true. It is pretty nice there. If you also go to the Belle Isle Aquarium on a weekend, you might see me working there. And if you go, you should check out in the back where I made my Dendro tank there.

[WhiteBoyHatcher]

We were there Saturday. I did not see you too my knowledge. We did have cupcakes though.

[Dendrobates]

We were there Saturday. I did not see you too my knowledge. We did have cupcakes though.

I was going to work that sat, but they had full coverage. I might this sat in the morning.

Did you see my Dendros in the very back on the left side/corner? Dendrobates = poison dart frogs

[Robert J Sakimano]

Bob, where you do you get all these idyllic pics of waspy whites on vacation? It's like you have a folder on your desktop filled with this kind of gold.

It sucks that people actually enjoy their vacations when they could be joining Bob in his misery cubicle.

Petoskey, Michigan

[xsanguine]

Bob, where you do you get all these idyllic pics of waspy whites on vacation? It's like you have a folder on your desktop filled with this kind of gold.

It sucks that people actually enjoy their vacations when they could be joining Bob in his misery cubicle.

I would enjoy a vacation up north with Bob as he made fun of waspy whites.

[xsanguine]

It sucks that people actually enjoy their vacations when they could be joining Bob in his misery cubicle.

Petoskey, Michigan

[Robert J Sakimano]

It sucks that people actually enjoy their vacations when they could be joining Bob in his misery cubicle.

I would enjoy a vacation up north with Bob as he made fun of waspy whites.

I suspect we'd have more fun than some of the uptight people in this thread.

[xsanguine]

I would enjoy a vacation up north with Bob as he made fun of waspy whites.

I suspect we'd have more fun than some of the uptight people in this thread.

Don't worry, I would join in the fun. Making fun of white people is a specialty of mine.

[Other Teams Pursuing That]

Yeah these photos are funny. Bet one of the dads are fucking their maid for sure.

[Robert J Sakimano]

[Wally Fairway]

Bob, if my family photos show up on your feed then I'm coming over to your house to have a few words with you!


Also, are these strick rules or can I post National parks and/or local county/township parks?

[Guest]

Bob, if my family photos show up on your feed then I'm coming over to your house to have a few words with you!


Also, are these strick rules or can I post National parks and/or local county/township parks?

National Parks might need a thread. County/Township parks would fit here nicely.

[WhiteBoyHatcher]

We were there Saturday. I did not see you too my knowledge. We did have cupcakes though.

I was going to work that sat, but they had full coverage. I might this sat in the morning.

Did you see my Dendros in the very back on the left side/corner? Dendrobates = poison dart frogs

I did indeed. They were on the scavenger hunt list.

I know you hate kids but we had fun.

[Herbie Green]

Ludington State Park

I took a day trip there this summer. Did the tube trip with the kids. Unbelievable park that lives up to the hype. Perhaps too crowded but its so big you can park on the road and get your own beach if that is your thing.

[xsanguine]

Bob, if my family photos show up on your feed then I'm coming over to your house to have a few words with you!


Also, are these strick rules or can I post National parks and/or local county/township parks?

Post some national forest pics...

[Other Teams Pursuing That]

I like to hike.

[xsanguine]

Do you hike with ladies of that caliber, OTPT? Nothing like trying to defile a female hiking partner from behind while you're hunched over in a tent because they're not tall enough for that sort of activity.

[Dendrobates]

I was going to work that sat, but they had full coverage. I might this sat in the morning.

Did you see my Dendros in the very back on the left side/corner? Dendrobates = poison dart frogs

I did indeed. They were on the scavenger hunt list.

I know you hate kids but we had fun.

Didn't know that was on a scavenger list! I'm glad it is. I kept bugging the aquarist to let me build that tank. The hubby and I did it .
And the aquarium is full of kids. Goes along with it. As long as I don't have to set up the kids activities, I can manage for a bit.

[Robert J Sakimano]

Full Disclosure:

I rode up to Sleepy Hollow State Park today... around 42 miles round trip. I saw some white people eating fried chicken and old guy playing with a dog. I then rode back to East Lansing.

Time for a nap now.

[duffy munn]

Full Disclosure:

I rode up to Sleepy Hollow State Park today... around 42 miles round trip. I saw some white people eating fried chicken and old guy playing with a dog. I then rode back to East Lansing.

Time for a nap now.

I was just wondering how far you rode your bike today.

Thanks for the update.

[Robert J Sakimano]

Full Disclosure:

I rode up to Sleepy Hollow State Park today... around 42 miles round trip. I saw some white people eating fried chicken and old guy playing with a dog. I then rode back to East Lansing.

Time for a nap now.

I was just wondering how far you rode your bike today.

Thanks for the update.

sure, man.. no problem.

It was lovely out yesterday morning. 54 degrees in East Lansing when I left.. wore a long sleeve jersey and was still chilly in some shady spots.

there is a little country store on Round Lake Road where I sometimes stop for a water refill.. they're closed for remodeling. Just found out yesterday - thankfully, it was a cool morning so I didn't need any water.

[Guest]

Tourism season hot for Michigan

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reports there have also been 1,083,951 nights spent by vacationers in the state’s harbors, campgrounds and cabin lodges through August, an increase of nearly 72,000 nights compared to last year.

“What we’re seeing is that it doesn’t matter what generation you’re from, whether you are a baby boomer or a Gen X’er or you’re a millennial, all of these groups are well represented out there, and they are recreating,” said Jason Fleming, chief of resource protection and promotion division of parks and recreation.

“And they all do it maybe differently in some ways, but they are showing up, whether they are showing up camping at night or during the day.”

The DNR also reports nearly all reservable campsites in state parks and recreation areas are reserved for Labor Day weekend.

[The Pantry]

Use to camp a lot.  IMHO the only MSP that comes close to matching Pinery Provincial Park (Ontario) is Ludington.  The Pinery is beautiful with miles of beach and dunes along Lake Huron.  Unlike the parking-lot campsites at MSPs, the Pinery's are generally much bigger...some are huge.  Unlike Ludington, it is much easier to get reservations because there are far more campsites.  Best part is it's less than 2 hours away from Troy.  Been to Ludington a couple times.  Been to the Pinery probably 25 visits ranging from Memorial Day to Halloween. Plenty to do there.  Highly recommend it to anyone, especially those in the Detroit area because it is so close.




There's a river cutting through the Pinery that has some great campsites along it.  Interestingly, it is named the Ausable

[Guest]

Use to camp a lot.  IMHO the only MSP that comes close to matching Pinery Provincial Park (Ontario) is Ludington.  The Pinery is beautiful with miles of beach and dunes along Lake Huron.  Unlike the parking-lot campsites at MSPs, the Pinery's are generally much bigger...some are huge.  Unlike Ludington, it is much easier to get reservations because there are far more campsites.  Best part is it's less than 2 hours away from Troy.  Been to Ludington a couple times.  Been to the Pinery probably 25 visits ranging from Memorial Day to Halloween. Plenty to do there.  Highly recommend it to anyone, especially those in the Detroit area because it is so close.



There's a river cutting through the Pinery that has some great campsites along it.  Interestingly, it is named the Ausable

Quit pushing your fucking foreign Canuck parks in our Michigan State Parks thread. Hopefully we'll soon build a wall and close those sonsabitches off.

[The Pantry]

Those pics you inserted remind me of South Higgins Lake during a typical summer weekend.

You will never see a Budweiser carton at the Pinery

[Guest]

Michigan DNR ‏@MichiganDNR 1h1 hour ago
Lend a hand at #statepark stewardship days in SW Michigan Sept. 10, 11, 24 and 25 https://lnks.gd/2/2PW99x #MiParks #volunteer

[Robert J Sakimano]

another one from Petoskey..

[Guest]

another one from Petoskey..

Stupid asses. They look miserable compared to the happiness they could be enjoying if they spent 90% of their workweek on a message board posting about things they hate.

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