Maple Bay Natural Area — Attraction in Acme Township

Really not happy about our most recent experience. We are locals who live here year round and have been coming for years. However, we won't be back to this beach with our dogs.

There are MULTIPLE SIGNS stating the importance of dogs being on a leash for their safety and the safety of others. Not to mention, it's THE LAW.

Within 20min of being there, we saw 3 dogs of various sizes (20-70lbs) off leash and several hundred feet in front of their owner, an older lady, who was casually walking at a slow pace down the beach. Her dogs started bolting towards us and our picnic area on the beach. We had to pick up what we could and start running into the woods bc our dogs were not happy about this. Even after me yelling at her to get her dogs & put them leash, she showed NO urgency and still just laughed about it. She had zero control of these animals as one just started running over our towels and digging into bags with food. Still nothing. She just tried to coral them away from our area. There was no apology. No leash put on until she was on the wooded trail. It could have been a very bad situation if her dogs would have made contact with ours and we weren't aware. This all could have been avoided if they were leashed.

Point blank, there needs to be better supervision and repercussions for these grown adults who think they are...

The first time I ever visited this place was with some very close friends, it's quite a trek down to the water so if anyone is concerned about that the place is definitely not handicap accessible. I suppose if you really try you could do it but it would be very difficult to get up and down the hill on a wheelchair or with other forms of handicap equipment.

My only real complaint is that the beach doesn't really have much of a beach, and it also depends on the time of year as well. The water has rocks and boulders around it but it's a very nice place with a beautiful view and typically pretty clear...

I love this place! The trail is really well marked and groomed and wanders through beautiful woodlands. You’re led to a remote beach on West Bay that’s pristine and perfect for picnics if you don’t mind a hike to get there! My husband and I went around 8:30am (in mid March) and there was no one in the main parking lot when we arrived. We didn’t see anyone on the trail throughout our visit and it felt like we were alone exploring in the woods and beach, which was awesome. The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy does an excellent job with trail and sign...