This is by far the most interesting section of the park and the trails are well maintained with boardwalks and bridges that allow you to enjoy the area any time of the year without worrying about excessive mud. West of Wixom Road is almost 9 miles of equestrian trails that is also open to mountain bikers.īut mountain bikers are ban from the trails east of Wixom, an 11-mile system that winds along the Huron River and through the park’s extensive wetlands. From Wixom Road, a dirt access road heads east to the park headquarters, main trailhead, group campsite and the Red Hawk Conference Center. The heart of the park, and all its hiking trails, extends from Proud Lake west along the Huron River valley to Wixom Road. Practically on the doorstep of Milford, Proud Lake draws a good number of hikers along with paddlers, campers, cross country skiers in the winter when snow is sufficient and even fly fishermen in the spring who arrive for a special catch-release trout season. The loop on the right of the campground was definitely better for bigger campers, while the loop on the left (the section closer to the bathrooms) was better for smaller campers, pop ups, and tents. Campsites in the middle of the loops were back-to-back sites, while campsites on the outer edges of the loops backed up to the woods.Proud Lake is a 4,700-acre state recreation area in the southwest corner of Oakland County whose terrain ranges from rolling dense forests and vast wetlands to a chain of lakes and 3.5 miles of the Huron River. Additionally, if the campground was full it could be rather tight getting a bigger camper in and out of many of the sites. The only major downside we found to the campground was that many of the sites were grass and had a good bit of front to back slope to them. If we had still been there over the weekend we would have loved to stop by for the coffee, donut, and bagel hour. We also learned that the campground host plans several activities throughout the week. We have never seen lakes that clear in Pennsylvania. The water was so clear that in the shallow waters you could see all the way to the bottom. In addition to the well-maintained campground, the Proud Lake State Recreation Area also features a beautiful lake where guests can swim, kayak, canoe, fish, or boat. We went ahead and purchased the annual pass, since we were scheduled to camp at several Michigan state parks on this trip. It’s $11 annually for residents, $9 for a daily nonresident pass, or $32 for an annual nonresident pass. Michigan DNR sites require a passport for entry.There are little to no restrictions on how you can park your equipment on your site (we have seen some very creative campsite set-ups!).Fire pits here are unique (see pictures below).Grass sites are more the norm than the exception (in Ohio and Pennsylvania we are used to gravel or paved sites at state parks).The bathrooms were meticulously cleaned (multiple times a day), grass was manicured, fire pits we cleaned, and the camp host even drove around asking if anyone had garbage he could take to the dumpster.Ĭampground: Now that we have stayed at a few other Michigan state park campgrounds, we have learned a few things about the state park system: Proud Lake SRA was our first introduction to Michigan DNR parks and it is very visible that the campground management team takes great pride in the facilities. This state park campground has some great features that allow you to feel like you have escaped the urban Detroit metro area, while still allowing quick access to all the attractions the Motor City has to offer. ![]() It offered a relaxing stopping point for us to visit family as we began our journey up through Michigan. We started our 2017 summer adventure to Michigan and Wisconsin with a visit to Proud Lake State Recreation Area (SRA) near Wixom, Mich.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |