Maple Bay Natural Area

Lovely walk, well marked trails. You can hear lots of birds singing and it is great to walk along the lakeshore.

Very nice hike. Enjoyed it very much. I really liked the signs that tell about certain parts of the area. There are 2 places where you can go to the waters edge. Highly recommend.

Beautiful, quiet, peaceful stop. Great spot for kids, easy trail through the woods straight to the beach. The parking lot is behind a cornfield at the little farm; we hope to visit that next.

Yes, we were crazy and hunted rocks in the first week of March. Many neat specimens if you can handle walking in ice water 🤪 few, if any, seagulls and saw a pair of ducks. Woodland birds in the woods. Looks like good hiking/jogging trails in the park as well.

Nice, easy hike with a nice beach. The beach was pretty busy with a lot of boats but we didn't see anyone else on the trails even though the parking lot was filled. We really enjoyed it!

Beautiful shoreline & wooded trail. Love it in the winter. Snowshoe, hike when the snow is low or just add some Yaktraks to those boots. Now that you can hike all the way up to Petobago Pond, it's even more beautiful. It's a very important watershed, and it's great that it is being protected from development.

Great little rocky beach. Nice wide hiking trail very family friendly. No trash cans so plan appropriately to keep the beach clean and fun for everyone. #stixdean

Loved the trails! Beautiful scenery! Trails lead to the beach and to petobego bay trails.

This park is one of the public access points to the Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. It has a winding, sometimes steep path through the woods down to the beach. There are actually three points to the beach via trails that come out in different places along the beach. It was really beautiful when we went there. The waves were really pounding, the sun was warm, and the color of the water was several shades of green and blue.

It’s always a good day when you can hike at Maple Bay. The beach area is amazing in the summer and the shoreline and woods are always a great place for a walk. Just finished a snowshoe hike down to Petobego Pond. The wind was howling but the bay was beautiful.

Great trails and beach area.

In 2021 the parking lot is not setup to turn trailers around. I was able to turn around by pulling in, backing into where a car would park, and then pulling back out. I have a 20 foot trailer.

Cannot say enough good things about this gem of a beach. It’s a great place for a short hike and picnic with your family. We’ve used it a couple times for profesional pictures, as their are curves to the beach structure as well as full wooded and partially wooded areas. Keep in mind, it is a bit of a walk to the beach. It’s worth every step!

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 maintenance!

Absolutely beautiful. Just wish there were more trail signs. The beach was beautiful and hidden like behind. Love it.

What a hidden gem... beautiful woods... quiet .. the beach is usually empty and we saw bear tracks and alot of dead fish... 😅

This is my favorite hiking and beach trail.

This location has a hidden gem of a beach area, located about a half mile down a wooded path. Great for dogs, families, etc.

It’s a very pretty spot for a hike, can get cold in the wind and winter. But a nice spot to have a quiet walk.

By far one of my favorite places. Good walking trails (not ADA friendly) and a beautiful beaches.

Nice little network of trails and plenty of amazing shoreline of the beautiful water. Not a whole lot a sand on the beach but enough to make due. Everything is wonderfully preserved. Great for anyone looking for some quiet relaxing time or a fun trip to the beach!