Bald Mountain State Recreation Area — Attraction in Orion Charter Township

A well run, and strictly maintained firing line. I quickly felt like I was back in active duty trying to re-qualify for basic weapons all over again. But this feels very much like a long-gun range that merely puts up with handguns. I gathered as much from the "three second between shots" rule which makes practicing your double-taps impossible, and means that it will take nearly a minute just to empty an 18 round mag. (A great way to charge people for more range time if you think about it...)

The individual pistol stands were very busy with a complex wooden tunnel-like structure that I had to shoot through in order to reach my paper targets. I'm just thankful that I'm as tall as I am so that I can at least see over and what I'm shooting at.

Having never shot there before that day, I quickly realized that this outdoor range operates with a couple of assumptions about how equipped the average shooter must be.

I hope you brought your own stapler, because you'll be scrounging for whatever intact pieces of toothpick shrapnel that you can find to attach your paper target to the drag-able cardboard and wooden frame.

I also hope that you're lucky enough to snag an on-hand brass discharge net before anyone else, and secure it / them around you. Otherwise, you'll be pissing off the shooter next to you as you rain hot brass all over them, or them onto you.

I could be wrong in this assumption, but this does not feel like a range that caters to beginners very well. And if I'm right, that could be a good thing for other experienced (and well geared) shooters who don't want to deal with the potential hazards associated with being around firearm newbies.

In the end, I would advise those who are simply looking for a quick way to put 100 handgun rounds downrange to either start (or stay) with an indoor range before working your way up...

My nephew had his birthday party planned today at Bald Mountain. Given mother nature, it decided that it was going to rain all day. My niece gave my nephew a choice, and he chose to try to stick it out and still head to the beach for some fun. It rained in the beginning but ended up being a warm, humid day. We typically go here every year for the kids' birthdays and have to fight to get a table because it is so populated. Due to the rain, it was our family along with 2 other families. I have never seen this beach so empty. The perks ended up being we really had the whole beach to ourselves for quite a while but unfortunately the downside is that the enflatable course on the water was not in service even though the weather held off and skies were clear. Assuming that staff was originally told not to report to work due to the rain, I can not hold that...

Went for a walk on the trails. It was well groomed and a little muddy (and not easily avoided). The DNR (or someone) wants you to have a rustic experience in the mud. They removed all the logs people put in the mud to cross over. Other than that it was quite and serene. I have completed the hike to the Kern Rd side which is a nice hill. I have hiked there a couple times now. This was by the M24 point that pokes out in the South off Greenshield Rd. I've downgraded to 3 because, while I enjoy hiking, I don't enjoy torturing my equipment. There are other parks with better trails. I've also walked the trails in the North Unit just a ways down from Lake Orion (downtown). Those are more challenging because there are more hills. There is also mud that is hard to avoid in some spots. I have hiked there 50...