Welcome to the Great Lakes State! We have enough water to quench the thirst for your next day on a boat, fishing trip or lake day. Whatever your water enjoying pleasure may be, look no further than Metro Detroit and the southeast Michigan region to fill your summer itinerary.
Kensington Metropark
Roughly a half an hour west of Downtown Detroit, Kensington Metropark is a gorgeous wooded spread of land surrounding Kent Lake. Among many other activities and attractions, the park has several beaches along the coast of Kent Lake that guests can enjoy. The best part about Kensington Metropark is, they understand how important parks are to people, so they do their best to make sure guests experience nothing but the best that Michigan’s nature and wildlife has to offer. From swimming, to kayaking, to fishing, you can knock out all your water activities in one location. You can take advantage of all Kensington Metropark has to offer for just $10 that will cover your entire day. However, if I were you, I’d go ahead and purchase the $40 annual pass that will get you into any Metropark in Michigan for the entire year, because after your day at Kensington Metropark, you’ll already be planning your next beach day.
Detroit Riverwalk
Detroit’s newly renovated riverwalk is one of my favorite developments in the city. You can run, walk, or ride a bike all the way from the Ambassador’s Bridge to the Belle Isle Bridge, with the beautiful Detroit River at your side. Outside the General Motors Building (or more colloquially known as The Renaissance Center) there are sprinklers for kids and families to play in and
enjoy free of charge. The Riverwalk is a popular thoroughfare frequented by locals for exercise, bonding with loved ones and personal time away from the world for a moment. Imagine: the
sound of the currents crashing into the riverbank as the soundtrack to your day in the city, while drops of river water spray on you periodically, cooling you off in the summer heat. The Riverwalk is one of the most convenient ways to get in front of water in the city.
Mt Elliot Park
East of the General Motors Building, accessible directly from the Riverwalk is Mt Elliott Park located where Mt Elliot Street meets Wight Street. The park features a splash pad that’s perfect for the family, and a restaurant that serves concessions in the summer months. Although you’ll find lots of kids and young ones enjoying the park, the green hills, walking paths, and Detroit River scenery, make it a cute rendezvous spot for you and your friends to catch up on grown folk’s business.
Belle Isle
Headed away from downtown, east past Mt Elliott Park is Belle Isle, a 986 acre island that sits in the Detroit River between Detroit and Windsor. There are Bikes, Kayaks, Canoes and Paddle Boards available for rent, to either cruise down the river and its connecting creeks while catching up with the homies, or book a tour to learn more about the history of the Detroit River. The island is a straight shot from downtown via The Riverwalk, so even visitors can plan their island day in the city with ease.
What’s cooler than a beach day with the Detroit skyline as your backdrop? Belle Isle Beach, located on Belle Isle, sporting sandy shores and a green treeline in the summer months. The beach is positioned in such a way that allows for the perfect view of Downtown Detroit. Families and friends have been congregating on Belle Isle Beach for over 100 years, to get relief from the Michigan summer heat, and have a good time while they’re at it. Get the Island experience right here in Detroit on Belle Isle.
Skip’s Huron River Canoe Livery
If kayaks sounded good to you, 45 minutes east of Detroit is Skip’s Huron River Canoe Livery. I have found, anecdotally, that Michigan is an afterthought in the minds of many Americans when deciding where to plan their next vacation in the states. One trip at Skip’s Canoe Livery will have you using your PTO to make it back to The Mitten ASAP, if you aren’t already here. The livery offers guided river trips along the Huron River, giving you a front row seat to Michigan’s wildlife and its wonders. The staff at Skip’s are committed to making sure that no matter whether you’ve got experience on the water, or this is your first time, you have a great experience.
Lake St. Clair Metropark
Ahh, Lake St. Clair, where they put the “day” in “day trip”. The park features over a dozen activities like Kayaking and Windsurfing to get some quality water time in, and it’s only $10 for the day, unless you got your year pass at Kensington Metropark like I did. They’ve got a swimming pool and a splash pad to contrast the freshwater beach. Lake St Clair has lots of
recreational amenities compared to other Metroparks. Starting the day with a friendly game of pickleball or foot golf will make your evening laid out on the sand that much more worth it!
Lake Erie Metropark
Michigan is surrounded by the largest fresh water system on the planet, The Great Lakes. You simply cannot see Michigan, without seeing one of these inland seas, as my uncle calls them.
Lake Erie Metropark is positioned right where the Detroit River meets Lake Huron. The lake’s 3 mile shoreline is yours to take in, for just $10, but if this is your third trip to a Metropark this month, and you haven’t gotten that annual pass yet, you might as well make that investment, for the sake of your pockets and all future lake days. There are 1,607 acres of scenery and wildlife
that will take more than just one day to explore, so that annual pass will come in handy when you want to check out that other biking trail. Pregaming your afternoon on the beach with a hike
on one of the park’s trails, or 18 holes on the golf course is how you make the most of your day at Lake Erie Metropark!
The Detroit Princess
The Detroit Princess is a riverboat that’s been offering tours on the river and hosting weddings and other special events for 2 decades. Every weekend they run lunch and dinner cruises that
are perfect for catching up with old friends or impressing that special someone with a unique date. Occasionally there is entertainment in the form of live bands or DJs, while other days thefocus is on the serenity that comes with being out on the water. The gentle rocking of the boat as it battles the currents goes so well with the sight of the Detroit River shimmering.
Detroit finds itself home in one of the most gorgeous states in our nation. Visitors will notice our new Michigan license plates read “Water-Winter Wonderland”, and that’s no joke. Detroit is infamous for its brutal winters, but in the summer, the ice thaws and the snow melts, leaving us with a true water wonderland and so many ways to enjoy it.
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