Saginaw, Michigan is a small city of roughly 43,000 people. It lies in the "crook of the thumb" and has been an important industrial town in Great Lakes ever since its founding in 1819.
The Saginaw Spirit is a professional hockey team and part of the Ontario Hockey League. This team plays its home games at Saginaw's Wendler Arena. Basketball and football are also popular sports in the area. The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum lets you expand your mind. It hosts exhibitions of both local and international artists.
Visit the Shiawassee Wildlife Refuge. This sanctuary for many bird species, including some endangered species, has been in existence since 1953. It sprawls over an area of 10,000 acres and is world-renowned as a United States Important Bird Area for the migration of waterfowl. The refuge is open from dawn till dusk. During the spring and summer, there are car tours available. You can also hike along the refuge's trails. These roads and trails might close at any time, however, so that the folks at the park tasked with protecting the birds can see to their needs if necessary.
Campgrounds Near Saginaw, Michigan
Pine Ridge RV Campground in Birch Run, Michigan is just a 20-minute drive from Saginaw. This family-friendly campground has full hookups, laundry facilities, and showers. Even though you have to pay for the showers, the RV park's claim to fame is its affordability. If you're a bargain hunter, it's just a short drive from the placid campground to the hustle and bustle of Birch Run where you can shop till you drop. The adults in your family can enjoy the finely crafted products from the nearby brewery and winery.
Bring your bathing suit and badminton rackets with you when you visit the Saginaw Bay Resort and RV Campground. The campground has nearly 400 modern glamping sites for your pleasure. These sites have full hookups. Activities at the campground include swimming, badminton, volleyball, canoeing, a kid-friendly water park, and both disc and miniature golf. The Wi-Fi is free, and you can take paddle boats out into the charming pond if you're not swimming.
If your style of RV camping involves getting dirty, then the Black Creek State Forest Campground is just right. The camping sites are rustic instead of glam. For those who want a balance, there are full hookups. However, nothing says that you have to use them if you want to rough it. It's a tiny park with only 15 sites available. You have access to the water for kayaking and canoeing. If you fish, be sure to use the provided grills to prepare your catch of the day.
State Parks Near Saginaw, Michigan
Bay City State Park comprises 2,000 or so acres with a mile-long waterfront. The hiking trails are easy, and you can climb one of three observation towers to check out the surrounding area. On the water, you can swim, boat, and pursue other water activities. The park contains several wetlands and marsh ponds, each with its own ecosystem. This area has a strong German culture, and Bay City itself has been partnered with Ansbach, Germany since 1961.
The real Sleepy Hollow is in New York, so you won't get to see the Headless Horseman. However, you will get to hike 16 miles of fun trails within the 2,600-acre Sleepy Hollow State Park. Birders will love the park because there are more than 200 species of birds living there, including American bald eagles. For a different experience, visit the park during the winter. You can even dog sled on the same trails you hike during the summer.
The Holly Recreation Area is popular with folks who attend the Michigan Renaissance Festival every summer. If the 15th century is your thing, then this is a great place to visit. The park also has a radio-controlled aircraft zone where you can fly drones or model planes and helicopters. You can hike the trails all morning and then have a picnic in the afternoon. Also, be sure to take a look at the floating water park.
National Sites Near Saginaw, Michigan
Just about 200 miles from Saginaw, which includes a ferry out to Put-in-Bay, Ohio, lies Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial. The Battle of Lake Erie was a decisive battle during the War of 1812. It was one of the few American victories in that conflict. Perry himself was famous for saying, "Don't give up the ship." Around the site, you can hike the Magee Marsh Boardwalk Trail, an easy trip of a couple of miles. If you like a little more difficulty in your hikes, then you can try the Wetlands and South Beach Trail which is very popular with birdwatchers.
About 200 miles north of Saginaw is the Father Marquette National Memorial. Father Marquette was a 17th-century missionary who was famed for his peaceful and honest dealings with the First Nations in what would later become Michigan. The memorial sits in almost the exact middle of the 4,800-mile North Country Trail, and you can hike as much of it as you like. Different areas of the trail have different difficulty levels.
It's a 175-mile trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore which sits on Lake Michigan. The dunes here can be hundreds of feet high, and the trails through them give you fantastic views of the water. This is especially true at sunset. One of the most interesting trails is the Shipwreck of the Morazan Trail, which comprises a 5-mile round trip through moderate terrain. The trail cuts through several stands and courses of immense cedar trees.
National Forests Near Saginaw, Michigan
There is only one national forest near Saginaw, Michigan. Huron-Manistee National Forest is just 90 miles one way. There are 330 trails within the park, many of which convert to snowshoe trails during the winter. If you fish, the trout are almost always eager to chase a fly. This park contains the only wildflower sanctuary in the United States, so it's a wonderful way for a gardener to spend an afternoon or several.
On the shores of Lake Superior in Wisconsin, about 420 miles away, is the Ottawa National Forest. It consists of more than a million acres and contains more than 2,100 miles of hiking trails. Many of the trails provide sensational snowshoeing during the harsh winters. If you like interesting plants, then take a look at the more than 400 combined species of moss and lichen in the area.
Hiawatha National Forest straddles the entrance to three Great Lakes: Superior, Huron, and Michigan. Part of Whitefish Bay is just over the border in Canada. If you bring your passport, you can visit the museum dedicated to the ill-fated freighter called the Edmund Fitzgerald. If you don't have your passport, then you can experience Edmund Fitzgerald's last voyage with a presentation at the park. You can hum Gordon Lightfoot's famous haunting song about the ship as you hike the trails that overlook the waters where she sank.
