A state park and a great marsh on the bay

Just north of Bay City, where Bangor Township meets Saginaw Bay, sits Bay City State Park — one of Michigan’s older state parks, and once the busiest in the whole state back in the 1930s. It has a long sandy beach on the bay, a campground, and a splash park for kids in summer. But the real draw for a lot of people is what’s behind the beach: Tobico Marsh, one of the largest freshwater coastal wetlands left on the Great Lakes.

The marsh is a famous spot for birds — hundreds of species pass through, especially in spring and fall migration — and the park is set up to enjoy it, with miles of trails, boardwalks, and a few tall observation towers you can climb for a long view over the wetlands. The Saginaw Bay Visitor Center near the entrance has hands-on exhibits and makes a good first stop. One honest note: the bay here is shallow, so in some summers algae and washed-up plant matter can collect on the beach. For the trails, the birds, and the marsh, though, it’s one of the best outdoor spots in the county. The DNR’s Bay City State Park page has trail maps and current conditions.