Ionia State Recreation Area — Attraction in Berlin Township

This is one of the very best State parks in lower Michigan as far as atmosphere goes. The over all layout of the park complements itself nicely. Everything is well posted making it easy locate where you are going. The park is extremely well maintained in all aspects and is also well patrolled by the Park Rangers who seem friendly and helpful plus provide safety. Session's Lake is beautiful and it attracts wildlife to the surrounding area. Plenty of activities to do here. Camping seems to be quite popular here because even on a cold rainy day RV's kept pouring in one after another.

For me it's all about the hiking, and the trails here are like walking in an enchanted forest that you'd see in a movie. I've hiked many trails throughout Michigan as well as in other states and the feeling I get here is unique all to itself. I'm not implying anything supernatural or any of that crap just an overall vibe that is different here. My favorite trail here is the one that runs along the lake which by the way appears to be great place to fish. Another great thing that I love about this place and I've only truly encountered at a few other places is the higher then normal chance of seeing an animal or bird you typically wouldn't see by just hiking. For instance normally Great Horned Owls or any owl for that matter will hear you coming well before you get anywhere near them and fly off without you ever knowing they were close by but here I was able to get within less then a 100 yards of one repeatedly and have picture posted as proof even though it's a crappy cell phone picture but you can still tell what it is. This is a must place to visit if you like nature as...

Beautiful campground. Our site was shaded and secluded. People staying in the campground were nice (host seemed a little grumpy, maybe she's not a waver...)

When they say the length of the site, it doesn't mean they're accurate (we had a 50' site for our 43' fifth wheel and we were at the edge of the road with our nose). Tight sites to get in (couldn't have done it if the neighbors hadn't moved) and the tree branches were overgrown and rubbed all over the sides and roof).

The showers were funky. Like stinky hard water (everything is stained rust colored and the shower head was almost eaten through). The lights in the shower are on sensors that WILL cut off and not cut back on, no matter how naked you are 😆. We opted for no more showers after that- I'll find a truck stop, thank you!

Minus the incorrect site length, overgrown trees and terrible shower, it was a nice, quiet park. Great place to walk the dog and let the kids...

Ionia State Recreation Area has a nice, 3.65 mile easy to moderate hike around Sessions Lake. Make sure you follow the directions to the south side of the park to most easily find the trail. The trail is well marked overall. A little confusing in places where the trail intersects the disc golf course. The trail is not wheelchair accessible in several places, although on the north side of the lake, it is flat and either grassy or paved. On parts of the south side of the lake, a few areas have elevation changes of about 20 feet. Trails are well worn and maintained. We did step over a large downed branch. The one vault toilet used had no paper. The park map on the DNR website does not include much trail details, but you can pick up a map at the honor system payment shack or see the photo below. Photos include examples of trail markers and bridges. While we came Memorial Day weekend, this is a nice...