Be Katie Winkler
Review Staff Writer
In between the scenic Polly Ann and Paint Creek trails lies Bald Mountain State Park on Greenshield Road.
Unlike other parks and beaches in the area, Bald Mountain offers a variety of activities year-round in their 4,637 acre park: cross country skiing, hiking, mountain biking, hunting, a beach area for swimming, fishing, paddling, canoeing, kayaking, along with snowmobiling and ice fishing in the winter. The cabins, picnic tables, playgrounds, boat launches, and kayak, canoe and gun rentals are available amenities. Fishing and hunting licenses are required for residents interested in those types of activities.
‘The cool thing about Bald Mountain is so close to the city, you might not even know that it’s there. You don’t need to drive forever to get there and it absolutely has everything you could want, except for camping (only for organized experiences),? recreational programming assistant Tracy Ball said.
Throughout the year, Bald Mountain recreation organizes events for children five years and older and families. For June, the Nature Adventure series begins with events on Tuesdays and Saturdays, including Animal Tracker, Bugged Out! and Gone Birding, where participants will engage in guided hikes, games, crafts, and any other additional activities.
On June 21, Recreation 101: Intro to RC Flying will be held at the recreational center for those interested in how to fly radio controlled airplanes. The instructional course will be followed by a hands-on Electric Fun Fly with Skymasters RC Club, located on Scripps between M-24 and Joslyn Road. This over night event will start Saturday June 28 and go through the following morning. Participants will night-fly radio planes and camp in Bald Mountain Park.
Throughout the summer, guided hiking, kayaking, canoeing, fitness boot camps and other activities are offered. For a full list of happenings can be founds at Michigan.gov/baldmountain.
Anyone interested in purchasing a pass for Bald Mountain state park can do so at Secretary of State when registering your vehicle. Cars and motorcycles are $11, which will get you into any of the Michigan State Parks. If vehicles are already registered, stickers can be purchased at Bald Mountain. In and out of state residents can purchase daily passes at Bald Mountain.