5/23 Sterling State Park

Sterling State Park is located along Lake Erie in Monroe, Michigan.  It is my favorite place to stay when I am visiting the Detroit area.  There is always a nice view of the lake and a pleasant breeze. 

This weekend it is extremely busy because of the Memorial Day weekend.

The view of the lake is nice.

The other nice thing about the park is the miles of paved bike and hiking paths.

The state park was built on marshland next to Lake Erie, and the bike paths circle several of the lagoons and marsh areas.  The lagoons and marshes are a great bird nesting area.

This map shows my location on my bike ride.  If you take the route that goes towards I-75 and underneath it, you will end up at a War of 1812 battlefield along the River Raisin. In actuality, it is the River Raisin delta that forms the marshes in the park.

Here is the River Raisin itself.

Here is a pair of Mute Swans with their babies. They are not native to North America and are considered aggressive to other birds.

You can see the campground on the other side of the lagoon.  Lake Erie is on the other side of the campground.

A great blue heron and possibly some white herons. Bills are dark, and I cannot see legs, so I am unsure what these are.  They look smaller than the great blue heron.

The smokestacks are from the Detroit Edison Power Plant.  It is coal-fired and the low rumble you can sometimes hear is the only negative thing about the campground.