Oakwoods Metro Park is my favorite Metro Parks. Kensington Park tends to get alot of the love in…read morethe Metro Parks system. My case for Oakwoods is that it is less crowded and has a great nature center with a hawk and owl. Often I travel to the park to simply walk the trails going thru the forest listening to music. Usually get to see some deer in the back of the trails and at dusk many deep come out to dine. Also I have seen some wild turkeys too. For the horse riders inclined they have a horse trail, although I have never visited this section of the park. If your a biker/cyclist I highly recommend parking a Willow Metro Park and biking from Willow to Oakwoods and further down the DownRiver bike trail system.

Oakwoods Metro Park is the last in the chain of three - Lower Huron, Willow, and Oakwoods - that…read moreare connected by a 15mi paved, hike-bike trail (30mi round trip). I've ridden the Connector several times, but I've hiked it as well for conditioning, and enjoyment. There are 5mi of trails thru hardwoods, an ancient sandbar, and scenic overlooks along the Huron River. Of the three parks, Oakwoods is by far the best for hiking. The Connector paved hike-bike trail within the park is 3mi. The meadows you pass thru are impressive in their own right. There's also the new 11mi trail connector that runs thru Flat Rock all the way down to Lake Erie Metro Park. The trail head for the 11mi connector begins a 1/4mi west of the Nature Center parking lot. These connector trail segments are part of the Iron Belle Trail system. Oakwoods also has an excellent nature center, with a rescue Red-tail Hawk, and other exhibits. I recommend giving Oakwoods Metro Park a try.

This trail is expansive and moves along I-275 on the northbound side. There is a side path that…read moreheads towards Haggerty Road. There are some heavily wooded areas and there is access to the Rouge River by way of a work road that traverses the woods between the highway and Lotz Road. Some down things about this trail is that it is difficult to maintain. There is extensive graffiti here. There is some trash. The river at this point and even lower down has a distinctive odor to it. There are sanitary sewers that flow here but it's not apparent if they run into the river. There is a large surface water treatment plant on Haggerty Road and that does put water directly into the river. Depending on the state of it - if there is heavy rain then large amounts of untreated surface water may be discharged into the river - this happens year round so temperature fluctuations can be wide. Wide enough to disrupt the normal substrate and animals and the few fish that remain in the waterway. The roadway is well maintained for walking and bicycle traffic. There are plenty of hidden areas and blind spots. Some portions of fencing along the way have been defaced, broken and are in a state of disrepair. It has great potential but it needs a lot time, work and attention. Enjoy yourself here and be careful.

I've always seen this trail but never explored it - please note no restrooms anywhere on the trail…read more It was pretty boring for walking but excellent for biking.

Really nice trail for walking, biking or skating. Flat cement trails which are shaded by extremely…read moretall trees. Friendly squirrels that walk right up to you. Lots of black squirrels which I've never seen outside of Michigan. I took photos and named all of them. There are multiple entries into this park and lots of parking on a rock or gravel lot. Wasn't crowded at all just a couple hours before sunset. Enjoyed my walk on this trail while visiting metro Detroit. I absolutely recommend and plan to visit again.

Garden City Park is located on the northeast corner of Merriman Rd and Cherry Hill just behind the…read moreGarden City Post Office. There are entrances to the park on Merriman Rd or Cherry Hill. The park is open daily until 10pm. There are many amenities including a civic ice arena, playscapes, picnic tables, covered pavilions and baseball diamonds complete with bleachers and lights for night games. My favorite feature is the 1.2 mile asphalt walking path that circles through the park and accommodates bikers/skaters in one direction and walkers/runners in the other. The only drawback is the squirrels who people have fed over the years to the point now where they walk right up to you asking for food. There are always people in the park but it's never too crowded. It is well kept and even has bags conveniently located for dog owners to use to clean up after their pets. If you live in the Garden City, Wayne, Westland, Inkster or Dearborn Heights area and enjoy outdoor recreation then this park should be on your list.

Alright - i was a little surprised but in a good way. Let me just say i've heard about this…read morelocation but never really went only through Alltrails app and this location was only 20mins away. Available parking which are plenty so don't really worry about that and this location is monitored 24/7 by the police (signs posted at the entrance) probably since it super close to residential. Please note - there are no restrooms and/or water availability so come ready. The trail is very easy to walk but no markings - lots of turns similar to a maze so i'll definitely suggest using something to track you progress. I don't feel you'll get lost but definitely turned around but several exit points eventually - there are a few seating options available but it isn't frequently. Only other suggestion i have - if you go after a rainy day, then just prepared to get muddy because sometime you can't get around the muddy areas; you'll just have to go through a hope for the best. Summer time season - definitely a bug net and bug spray. Happy hiking!!!

A very small area but it seems bigger as the trails splinter off from the main (larger) one. A…read morelittle tricky to spot as it blends in with neighboring private yards. Well shaded but the mosquitos love it. Thank you neighbor for leaving fruits of your harvest.

A lovely 22-acre park/nature area tucked into the middle of a neighborhood. It's a short walk from…read moremy house so my pup and I go hiking through here on the regular. It's so clean and peaceful, mostly due to the work of the neighbors that live around it. They take fantastic care of it. The entrance to the park from Arborview is surrounded by homes and, at least last summer, one of the homes had a vegetable garden that they labeled with "help yourself" (don't quote me on that if you get in trouble for taking a tomato this year, tho). Lots of greenery, and a number of pathways mean that no two walks are the same. One main, wood chipped pathway runs north/south from Arborview to Miller and then several other, smaller pathways spiderweb off of it. There are a few benches throughout and only a handful of signs so once you get going it may be hard to figure out where you are but it's easy to retrace your steps. Also, it's not so huge that you can't get through it pretty easily. Just last night my pup and I made it there, then through a good chunk of it, and back to our home about 5. mile away in about 45 minutes. If you live on the west side of Ann Arbor and don't have the time to dedicate to heading over to Nichols', Gallup Park, or Bird Hills this will get you your fill of nature quite nicely. You can find a map for the park here if you are so inclined: http://www.a2gov.org/departments/Parks-Recreation/parks-places/Documents/Park%20Maps/Miller%20Nature%20Area%20Map.pdf

Riverside Park is spacious green and scenic with ample shaded places. Love that there is parking in…read moreclose proximity within the park to pavilion and water. Water level seemed a bit low and there was some trash in the water. The children's playground is a highlight bright and colorful easily seen from a distance. Looks to be in great shape now at 6 years since it's 2018 installation. I didn't enter the restroom today but they are here. I was somewhat disappointed to smell marijuana from quite a distance from the guys smoking near the restroom. I avoided that area - don't want a secondary high! There is beautiful art installation "Embracing our Differences" occupying the Southern end of the park. I miss the YpsiFest Heritage Festival which I worked annually through 2019.

​Riverside Park is situated between Ypsilanti downtown and Depot town. This is a small scenic park…read morewith a great stretch of river that has a beautiful view. It features kids play structure, picnic tables, playground, gazebo and restrooms. Great place for walks, bicycling, dog walking, picnicking, fishing and has good benches for nature viewing. This is one of my favorite parks I enjoyed last summer. Nice walkway along the river, there's so much scenery. There is a cute little spot near the gazebo to sit back and watch the river roll through. That is my favorite spot in the park and I atleast spend 15 minutes whenever I'm there. I enjoyed watching the river flow and listen to the water. Great place for a quiet stroll. Love the multi tiered bridges over the water! Good place to bring kids and have relaxed outdoor activities. This park had frequently hosts different events through out spring, summer and fall before COVID. Parking is available on North and South sides of the park. Parking near the playground is usually busy, cars are parked up and down the drive down to the park. This park also connects to Frog Island Park through the bridge.

I found this gem on the way to Lotus Farms for breakfast. A great path set back off Liberty Rd…read more neighboring a farming community. Three interconnecting loops. To the right of the parking lot you enter a wooded area that leads to another loop of a large wildflower field. It is quite a sight against the cornfields. The red barn is a good landmark as there are no markers except wooden posts to indicate an intersection. In all, I would say the loops add up to 1-2 miles. It is easy to miss this spot but the road is generally not busy. Lookout for the beige sign. In the mornings there is heavy dew so water-resistant shoes are recommended. Even though there was rain last night, this wetland area did not have any puddles of water.

Hewen's Creek Park is relatively new. Land was set aside for the park in 1999. The area is nearly…read more200 acres, and includes a former homestead (hence the old orchard) and a substantial dike and fishing pond. The entrance is a little hard to see as you drive down Bemis Road. You might blow right past. The parking area is small. There is only room for about 4~5 cars, and when we went there on a Saturday afternoon, there were already several other cars parked on the side of Bemis Road. People were unloading mountain bikes from their cars. We decided that this wasn't the place to have our dog pull her cart. We didn't get that far into the park because I was (stupidly) wearing only sandals, and there was a bit of poison ivy visible along the edges of the wide, mowed trail. As soon as the trail narrowed down, I realized that this is hiking boots and jeans territory -- or else, better done on mountain bikes. The hard-copy maps had run out, but if you have a smartphone (I don't) you can scan for a map. The best map I can find online is here: http://www.eyeonmichigan.com/guides/ypsilanti/maps.php?map=4

Beautiful park with a 3.1 mile hike. There are only 5 parking spots so it may be good to carpool if…read moreyou're coming with a friend. The trail is not well marked; it's not clear which part is for hiking v biking. We figured we would find our way back and we did. Definitely recommend if it's not far for you!