Hartwick Pines State Park

Address:
3612 State Park Dr
Grayling MI, 49738

Phone: 989-348-2537

Click Here for MI DNR official website

 

The last year for us has been all about nature, and refreshing our love for the great outdoors. We often go in search of day trips- parks we can visit for just the day, and Hartwick Pines is the perfect spot.

Hartwick Pines is one of the largest state parks in the Lower Peninsula. There are 49 acres of old-growth pine forest, a visitor center and logging museum, a modern campground and 21 miles of trails. The logging museum was closed, due to the pandemic, but we had fun peeking in the buildings, and checking out the equipment that was outdoors before heading onto the trail.

We had recently rescued our Daisy – a shelter pup, and took her along for her first real car ride and trip out of the house. She loved the trails as much as we did.

The trees, sunshine, and weather were all just perfect.

Nestled among the trees in Hartwick Pines State Park is this little chapel made of logs. We stumbled upon it and it is just beautiful. I later learned some history of the church and that it is available to be rented for wedding ceremonies. You can read more on the church HERE

I can’t believe we hadn’t ventured here before. We have passed this one so many times, heading up to the UP. We tend to always head to Lake MI or the UP, and now I’m sure to not overlook parks in other parts of the state again! We did the Old Growth Forest Trail, it’s a nice short trail, with BIG trees. For a full map of all the trails, click HERE.

What a great day we had here, bringing our lunch, exploring, and finding a hidden gem in Hartwick Pines State Park. We definitely want to visit again and see more trails in other seasons. Have fun out there, and put Hartwick Pines State Park on your list!