Hidden On Lake Kent Is Michigan's Recreation Park With Beaches And Nature Trails For Year-Round Adventure

You'll find many places to explore the outdoors in Michigan, from a whimsical public art park to an underrated sandy beach state park on Lake Huron. On the shores of Lake Kent in southeast Michigan, Kensington Metropark offers 4,481 acres, including two beaches, miles of trails, a nature center, a golf course, and more.

Kensington Metropark is located in Milford, Michigan, and is reachable by car off Interstate 96. You'll need either an annual or daily park pass to enter; at the time of writing, pricing is $40 for residents of the surrounding counties and $45 for non-residents per vehicle for the annual pass, or $10 per vehicle for the daily pass. Additional fees apply if you're bringing your own boat; you can also rent a canoe or kayak within the park.

The park welcomes outdoor enthusiasts year-round, bringing in 2.5 million visitors per year — making it more popular than Sleeping Bear Dunes. In the summer, swimming, paddling, and the park's Splash 'n' Blast water park are particularly popular, while winter brings opportunities for cross-country skiing, ice skating, ice fishing, and sledding.

The park has two beaches: Maple Beach and Martindale Beach, on opposite sides of Lake Kent — a reservoir lake formed in the 1940s by damming the Huron River. Both have beaches for sunbathing and swimming, as well as playgrounds for kids. Additionally, Martindale Beach (pictured above) has a baseball diamond and the Splash'n'Blast area, featuring a pair of 240-foot twisted water slides and a water sprayground. There's a boat launch next to Martindale Beach, and Maple Beach has a boat rental area as well as a spot to get tickets for a ride on a large pontoon boat called the Island Queen.

Kensington Metropark contains 7 miles of nature trails, complemented by a nature center featuring exhibits about the park's wildlife. The nature trails are foot-traffic only, varying from half a mile to 2 miles, and they give you a chance to get up close with local wildlife. Kensington is also a popular destination for bird-watchers and allows hand-feeding songbirds, which is rare in Michigan. Separate from the nature trails, the park also includes trails for bicycles and equestrians and is part of two Michigan trail systems: the Huron River Water Trail, a 104-mile inland paddling trail that runs through the Lower Peninsula, and the Border to Border Trail (or B2B Trail), a 42-mile paved, ADA-accessible trail through Michigan's Washtenaw County.

Throughout the year, the park hosts seasonal events. Each March, the Spring Festival lets kids meet baby animals and watch sheep-shearing demonstrations. In May, there's the Kensington Metropark Art Fair, welcoming over 100 artists, as well as the Water Lantern Festival, in which thousands of lanterns light up a night filled with music, activities, and food trucks.

Summer brings regular outdoor movie nights and live music events, as well as summer camp programs for kids. In late June and early July, there are multiple fireworks shows to celebrate Independence Day. Also in July, the annual Paddle to the Symphony event welcomes paddlers to canoe or kayak across the lake to reach a free concert from the Michigan Philharmonic. In October, the Fall Festival offers farm tours and hayrides. Snacks with Santa events each December include a horse-drawn carriage ride, hot cocoa and cookies, and a holiday singalong. Later in winter, Sap to Syrup events let kids learn about how maple syrup is made (and then taste the results).

No matter the time of year, check the park's calendar, and you'll see many smaller events, too, from weekend hayrides to nature photography workshops. Kensington Metropark is also close to many other charming locales in Michigan's Oakland County, including this eclectic Michigan city with "innovative shopping" and the world's largest polar bear exhibit.