historic mill creek discovery park

We visited Mill Creek when we found ourselves with extra time on the mainland before heading to the island. I am sure glad we did! The sawmill wasn't in commission, but we signed up for the nature walk/suspension bridge/zipline combo and it was a blast. The walk was informative and fun, even for people who have spent a significant time hiking outdoors. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgable. And the zipline was a blast! It was super scenic and worth the cost of everything alone. You can also pay a very reasonable extra cost to go down the zipline multiple times. We've been ziplining at the Mystery Spot in St. Ignace before and the was much prettier and felt like better value for our money. if we had more time, I would have also been happy to do one of the hikes in the park.

My husband and visited Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park in September 2014 on a perfect Fall Day! My husband wasn't sure he wanted to spend the fee to enter the park, but we were especially interested in the logging history and the water wheel. So we took our chances.I'm glad we took the tour included in the price. We learned a tremendous amount of history about the Mackinaw Island Fort; the first settlers and the trappers and trading that took place in the very beginning of the area. Wow! It's more than I ever learned in Michigan History in school.This is a wonderful place for kids to learn and explore as a school-related outing. Even more for anyone as part of their travels.Next year, we'll be back! Only we will plan an entire day.They have a zip-line as part of another package, but we didn't have enough time. (We didn't know what attractions were available ahead of time.)Even though this park is accessible to anyone, there is rough terrain in parts and those using ambulatory devices will not be able to fully experience the nature trails.The trails are BEAUTIFUL!! There is a lookout tower, climbing wall, bridge (challenging and is additional charge for that.) The landscape is rolling, wooded, and very quiet. The buildings are interesting to learn about. There is a pavilion and place for children to play in equipment. Bathrooms are located in pavilion. Outhouses are located in nature area. The curators were friendly and informative.The museum exhibits are interesting and the entire facility is very clean.We are returning next year on a sunny day. Be sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes and bring your camera!

We loved the saw mill. It was one of the coolest demonstrations that we saw during our trip to the Mackinac area. Definitely a must see!

We were treated to a private tour on a cold rainy October day. Mr. Ed took the time to give us a thorough education and gave my 10 y/o the opportunity to operate the equipment. What a treasure he is. It's opportunities like this that make me glad I home school.

We didn't even know about this place till we rode by one afternoon we were staying in Mackinaw City. We were pleasantly surprised it was a great place to visit and we especially liked the zipline. Going on the zipline was great as we went on a rope bridge and then through the woods for a nature walk first. We really enjoyed our afternoon.

Took the adventure tour, which included crossing the rope bridge and the zipline (my first one), enjoyed it, but the first step off the platform was a little scary, but loved the ride down. Also enjoyed the sawmill show, the man was very knowledgeable and interesting. He had a child from the audience assist him, which was entertaining and cute. The entire staff at the park was helpful and friendly.

We are history buffs and found the historic, working mill fascinating. The docent, who has been doing the lumbering demonstration for some time, was very informative, engaging, and entertaining.We did the climbing wall and zip line as well. The talk and walk back to the zip line was led by a college biology student who shared a lot of knowledge on the environment we were traveling through. Most families could spend 1 - 1 1/2 hours here without being bored.

This was our last stop after visiting both forts and the lighthouse. The interpreters were great and gave the kids some hands on experience. Our grandchildren too young for zip line.

You go Mackinaw Island, you visit the forts, and it's all pretty cool stuff, but how did they get the lumber to build those forts? The Historic Mill Creek Park tells an interesting story about what it took nearly 200 years ago to make the boards. For sure, fit in the 1 1/2 - 2 hours a visit here deserves.

The gentleman demonstrating the manual and saw mill method of cutting wood was a good and memorable presenter.

Liked everything....trails are clearly marked and barrier free ramps make access to the trails available to strollers and physically limited guests. The Sawmill demonstration was very enlightening. Our narrator was Ed and he was very knowledgeable and brought history alive. The park offers a zip line and rock wall as well. Snacks are available for purchase. The park staff are very helpful and were eager to make our visit as pleasant as possible!

The men giving the demos are amazing, they sure live their jobs and kids get super excited (as well as adults) about learning, I would definitely go back :)

Expensive to get in, kids enjoyed the zip line, rock wall, and bridge. Wish we could of spent more time walking the trails. The demonstrations were not going on while we were there and I think those would of been cool to see.

We stopped on our way home from St. Ignace. This place has some great hiking trails that are easy to walk and have the estimated walking time so you can choose which trail is best for your group. One tip for the trails, wear bug spray! We forgot ours and went on the medium length trail and we were practically racing out of the trail at the end due to being eaten alive by mosquitoes! It was hard to enjoy the trail when you're being swarmed! A quick jog out to the car for our spray and we were back to enjoying our visit. The man demonstrating the saw pit was great. He had an awesome personality and you could tell he loved his job. The man operating the sawmill was incredibly knowledgeable and had a lot of knowledge to share. It was neat to see an authentic sawmill. The little museum was nice as well. We did not do the Discovery Park portion of Mill Creek. There is a picnic area to enjoy a lunch.

Great place to learn about the history of the area. They demonstrate cutting logs both by hand & water powered saw. The interpereter demonstrating the saw mill is very knowlegeable & very personable. If you go, don't miss out on the zip line, it's short, but very fun!