Jennifer H.

Brighton, MI

Joined June 2019

Trail runner looking for my happy pace.

Bruin Lake

Very clean! Newer restrooms two separate bath houses. Water was clean at the beach but no sand just a grassy area though I saw kids playing in the sand of the volleyball court. There is a new large playground structure and nice but short paved path for kids to bike or scooter around. Start balm mile mown hiking path by the boat dock For hikers or mountain bikers this site is 2 miles from the Waterloo/Pinckney Rec trails and you can get there by the main roads. It's also within 20 min Drive of the new DTE mountain bike trails in Chelsea. For Kayakers and boaters there is a long stretch of tie ups near the lower Lake edge sites. Also a really nice long fishing dock. ADA friendly sites and access to all water spigots and restrooms. We spent the weekend here with some friends for a weekend of running adventures on the trails and had a great time. We plan on coming back with kayaks and getting a lower or outside loop site by the lake on our next trip. The sites can be weird sizes, some are larger some are smaller and slanted. We saw a couple campers with larger rigs getting into arguments over the boundaries of the sites. So pay attention to the yellow boundary markers and check the dimensions when booking. Bryin Lake is 30 min from home for us so a great quick weekend getaway.

Large shady sites

The restrooms and showers were very clean, smelled of bleach. The nature trail around the lagoon is a birder's dream. We saw white egrets blue heron, sand pipers and their babies. There is a long paved bike path we had a dear pass within 6 feet of us and enjoyed hiking out to the watch towers. The water at the beach is pretty murky with a lot of green algae, we are told by locals the water is nicer at the far end of the beach near the private houses. I wish we had more than 1 night here, it really is a very nice campground and we are pleasantly surprised by the amount of trails and amenities. There is wheelchair access for the back and the water spigots in the campground has wheelchair access. I am impressed and happy with this park.

Lakeside sites

Lovely inland lakeside sites. This is a large all sports lake and the campground has a boat launch. Some sites where uneven and hilly and may be a challenge for a large RV. First come/self registration. Most site where right up against the water, some had nice swimming areas and most would be great for kayaking access.

Off the beaten path

Small to large shaded sites. Lots of space. First come/self check in but plenty of open sites when we checked in the afternoon. It was bit of a drive about 3 miles north of highway 2 but it's worth it if you are looking for peace and quiet. Primative and private, there are no dumpsters or trash receptacles here. You have to take your trash down the road to Hog island state park. Pack out what you pack in my friends.

Lovely lakeside sites

This is a first come/ self check in campground. We were able to snag a site right on the lake by arriving in the morning as several campers were leaving. Most sites have a little swamp before reaching the lake but a few have good enough access for kayaks. There is a small beach and yards and yards of lakeshore to hike up if the beach is crowded. Its primitive sites with fire rings and picnic tables. Most sites had a screen of trees for some privacy. It was very pleasant to sleep to the sound of the waves, though you could hear traffic noise with sites not on the lake. Pays to get there early if you can.

Small and sweet

Open and not much shade but large sites. Very small beach. It is first come first serve self register and all of the registration sheets were out when we checked it. Though they are one of the few campgrounds along highway 2 with sites available in the later afternoon. Also it is far enough from the highway to not have a lot of highway noise. Pleasant bare bones camping but not my first choice.

Tiny City Park

This is a first come, self serve City Park. There is a very nice pavilion and park. It is only .5 miles from downtown Clare. They have fire rings and electric hook up. I did not see water spigots, but maybe I just didnt find them. If you are looking for a convenient overnight stay it would be a good stop. But I would not stay here for an extended visit. Signs say stay at your own risk, they are not cleaning the bathroom facilities for COVID.

Peaceful, fishing and kayaking

Small but sweet campground. If given the choice get a site in the pine loops. It's more of a walk from the lake but the other loops have no shade and seem more crowded together. We had site #24 and it was fairly ideal and very roomy. There is the Pier- Marquette Rail trail about 1.5 miles from the campground, great for biking, running etc. Electric hook up was fine. Bathrooms are cleaned 3 x a day. Showers were warm and clean. This is Amish country and the campground has horse hitching posts near the fishing lakes. We saw a horse and buggy hitched up there. But I imagine anyone could ride their horse there then hitch up while they fish or wade in the water. Beach is across the road from the park and no pets/dogs allowed in that side of the park. Other campers there were courteous and respectful of quite hours. I would stay there again if I had another event bring me to this area.

Ranger Review: Banner and Oak Pathfinder hat at Holly State Rec

As a Ranger the Dyrt sends me products to test. This trip my husband and I tested hats from Banner and Oak. https://bannerandoak.com/collections/hats-ladies/products/pathfinder-blue   I found the pathfinder soft comfortable and it stayed secure on my head on a blustery rainy day. Even with a buff on underneath for keeping my ears warm. I did find the brim to be a little large for my face and I had to turn my head up at odd angles to take a selfie or as you can see in the video below.  My Husband Steve found the Sierra did not fit his head well He felt it looked too tall from the front, and the band was itchy.

Holly State Rec

Pretty park with several well marked trails. We stayed in the Maple loop which had several semi-private sites screened from neighbors by trees. I think site #1 was one of the roomiest and prettiest. The bathrooms were clean. There were several playgrounds, bench swings, play fields and even a basketball court. The ADA sites had pavement surrounding the fire rings and space at the picnic tables for a wheel chair.

Hiker's Dream

The campground itself is clean and has large sites on the back row, smaller sites on lake superior, and average sized sites in the Center. There are many hike in sites available for tenters, and also hike to cabins and yurts. The hiking is in the mountains and mostly point to point. Be prepared to hike some distances with steep climbs and descents, and uneven footing. At the visitors center they have suggested levels of difficulty and numbers of hours for various hikes posted on the wall. I recommend a little research before starting your hike. We loved the lake of the clouds ridge hike and the presque river water falls hikes. Beautiful sites and peaceful hikes. Often there was no one else around. We found we had the sunsets at lake in the clouds all to ourselves.

Nice sites overlooking the lake

Some sites had trees with good shade others were in the sun. Most of the sites overlooking the lake were roomy. The fire pits were clean, and the bathrooms were clean. Lots of hike and bike paths, connecting to bike trails in town. Easy and more challenging routes. It is a Mountain biker's dream. The map of copper Harbor's bike trails with rated levels of difficulty is worth the 5$ and available at the camp store. The inland lake is calm and serene, great for fishing and paddlers. The Fort is interesting for those who like early settlement history. During the summer there are student reenactors at the fort to share with you what life was like. Friendly warning to those who want to drive to the peninsula top. Unless you have lifted 4 wheel drive the old logging roads that go there are impassable. It's best reached with hiking or mountain biking. We could not get there in our Subaru. The locals are all very friendly and are happy to help with directions and warnings. One local told us they have even had a few few jeeps tip over on the back roads.

Kayakers dream!

Some sites are very large with lots of shade trees some are smaller and kinda packed together. I highly recommend the sites that face the lake. We had plenty of space and it was very peaceful in our section of the park. Bathrooms were small with only 1 shower each, but I had no wait for my shower in my section of the park. Very friendly park staff, and my site was clean and dry. Definitely going to make this an every year stop when we come up to bring our daughter back to NMU.

Best sites are on the lake side.

Beautiful views of lake Huron. Unfortunately lake height has taken away the beach. The bathrooms are clean and the showers have lots of hot water. Two playgrounds and some short trails, one in the woods and one following the shore. Nice historical lighthouse museum, very friendly staff. Dog friendly park. Best sites are lakeside and on the corner lots. Otherwise it feels a bit like a parking lot. No shade! Most of the trees have been lost to the emerald ash borer. Worth another stay especially for boaters.

Peaceful and semiprivate

We love the large sites with walls of greenery separating the campsites. This is rustic camping at it's best. Small fishing lake for paddling. Mountain bike and hiking trails run through the campground. Bishop lake beach and jump island are a 5 min drive away.

Spacious rustic camping

This is one of our family's favorite close to home sites. Extra large camp sites, lots of room for the kids to run around. Extensive trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Lovely little no wake lake perfect for swimming, fishing or paddling.