hidden lake garden

Taftiecat

Fantastic place to visit, so glad it is close to my house. Beautiful and tranquil with lots of trails.open all year long with beautiful scenery with every season. Fall colors are the best

Malihousa

The garden is a property of Michigan State University. First the ranger by the front gate is so friendly and very detailed to let you know what you will be encountered. They offer you a driving and hiking map for your reference. The view is excellent in autumn, great color and atmosphere.We were told that it is very popular for wedding banquet there during summer. We can see why. The view speaks for itself. Nice location when you want to have a quiet place to think, read and enjoy.

michigan193

It had been a few years since we have been to Hidden Lake Gardens and I must say the site has been updated and improved. The hiking trails have been updated and widened (but not the entire distance on the longer trails, just the beginning). To us, the hosta area next to the lake was new. The bonsai plants are no longer in wooded "cages". Seeing the bonsai plants alone is worth the trip. The 1 way drive through the woods is fantastic. Go during the week or you will find lots of traffic on the weekend. You must leave the gardens by 7 pm. For $3 per person, this site is a great bargain to visit.

567carlas567

Beautiful gardens to enjoy either by driving or walking and worth every cent of the small admission fee!

antzgirl

Hidden Lake Gardens is a beautiful area that includes gardens, climate-specific greenhouses, wide open spaces, a lake to view, trails through the woods, restrooms, and a gift shop. It looks like a decent place for an event as well. There are a few snacky items, like candy and bags of chips and chex mix along with soda and water available for purchase at the gift shop. I really enjoyed the greenhouses. The walk my fiance and I took through the woods was good until the bugs attacked, and they attacked ferociously even through the big spray. If you like to go for walks outside, this is definitely a place to check out. There's a few trails to take ranging in length, including one wheelchair-accessible trail. There are several small parking lots, so you don't have to park by the conservatories if you just want to get to the woods. But I suggest taking a quick peek at the plants in the greenhouses. There's no additional charge and they're just kind of cool. There is a $3.00 per person entrance fee into the whole park, which we found reasonable.

patraveler38

My family very much enjoyed the drive through the gardens and the walk around the conservatory. Small admission fee covers hours of driving, hiking, or simply strolling through the hundreds of acres of beautiful flowers, shrubs, and trees. The hosta garden was particularly enjoyable as was the bonsai display. Staff was friendly, helpful and more than willing to answer any questions we had. You can certainly tell that they live their jobs. Wonderful place to visit if in the area.

CaptainAmerica

Not too much to say that has not been said better already. Very nice, mid-sized park owned & operated by MSU. I found Hidden Lake Garden to be remarkably well maintained with excellent signage and just about everything you could really hope for in terms of exhibiting plants, trees and flowers. Real standouts were the hiiking trails and the conservatory with the bonsai tree collection, some of which were over 100 years old. Just driving around the grounds was actually quite niceGo now while its still springtime. For a $3 entry fee, you can't really lose.

andir340

This place is pretty and nicely landscaped but I'm not a fan. Paying to get in and look at the landscaping is boring and there are better state parks in the area.

bevColdwater

This is a great place to visit on your way to Cabelas in Dundee. This is a amazing place. Bonsi exhibit do not miss....very cool

bmtnb1

Hostas Hostas Hostas. They are my favorite and there are SOOO many different kinds here. I love that we can just drive thru if we want, or park and walk around. It's a beautiful, well taken care of property.

SalenaH

I grew up in this area and have spent summers, springs and falls going on field trips and family outings to Hidden Lake Gardens. It seems there are always new things to discover. The trails are great to walk/hike, there is plenty of greenery to admire, and if you are into photography, this is definitely the place for you.

will_gee

We took a motorcycle trip to HLG and loved every minute. There was a small lake to cool off the feet. There were picnic tables we used to set out our picnic stuff. The grounds are beautiful. This is one of Michigan's treasures.

S2sailor

Yes, there is an admission fee...per person rather than per car. The grounds are kept up very well and there are walking trails as well as a splendid drive through the park. Pack a lunch and eat at one of the shelters provided. Indoor greenhouse and displays are not to be missed. If you are into geocaching, there are several placements around the grounds.

KRKTravel

A bit out of the way to get there but a very peaceful setting and knowledgeable staff to answer questions on suitability of various plants for home gardens. This is connected to MSU as a research facility, too.

jeremygodwin

The area is beautiful and a great place for family. The only negative is the price. It can be costly for a family for what you get to sightsee. The pond is a great place to feed the fish so bring a loaf of bread.