Welcome, Explorers!
Welcome to Exploration Guides!
The first day of spring, March 20, 2011, was the day of our Grand Opening. We now have thirteen free Android apps covering 14 parks in southeast Michigan, which have been downloaded thousands of times and our first two Destination apps, Destination: Lighthouse – North America and Destination: Waterfall – North America.
Our first book, Dayhiking, is now available worldwide from Amazon, and soon from Barnes & Noble, as well. You can get Dayhiking at http://www.amazon.com/Dayhiking-Exploration-Guides-Hiking-ebook/dp/B00CQOP7K6
We have a lot more data, and more books and apps are coming. Feel free to look around, download the free apps, make suggestions for new features, and, most importantly, go outside and explore!
Read our blog for info on new apps, trip reports, and more.
Check out our free apps.
Kensington Metropark
Kensington Metropark, one of the largest in the Huron Clinton Metropark System, is located just off I-96 in Milford Michigan, between Brighton and Novi. Built around Kent Lake, a man-made lake on the Huron River, Kensington is very popular, but spread out enough to rarely appear crowded.
Like all metroparks, of course there’s plenty of open, grassy area, but Kensington also has a lot else to do.
- Swimming at two beaches or a waterpark.
- Boating on Kent lake and the Huron River, with your own boat, or rent one in the park.
- Play disc golf or the more traditional form of golf, if you prefer.
- Visit the Farm Center or Nature Center
- Camp in the park with your group
- In the winter, visit the toboggan run, sledding, and snowboarding hills.
- Explore the park’s history at the Farm Center or on trails.
- Explore endless trails on foot, mountain bike, cross country skis, or horseback, with connections to Proud Lake State Recreation Area, Island Lake State Recreation Area, and the Milford trail network.
This page is just a small part of the Kensington Metropark mobile app.
Visit the official Kensington Metropark page.
Return to the main Huron Clinton Metropark page.
Lake Erie Metropark Trails
Lake Erie Metropark is home to 11 km of trails. Trails are available for hiking, biking, in-line skating, and cross-country skiing.
Paved Trails
There are three segments of paved trails, all joined together at the main wave pool parking lot. The trails are mostly well-maintained, but the wooden bridges, and the ramps leading to and from the bridges, can be dangerous to in-line skaters, if sufficient caution is not exercised.
- Paved Trail – South: From the wave pool, this trail follows the coastline of Lake Erie south, 2.2 km (one way) to the marina, at the south end of the park.
- Paved Trail – West: From the wave pool, this trail passes through wooded areas 2.5 (one way) km to Gibraltar Road, at the north end of the park.
- Paved Trail – East: From the wave pool, this 1.1 (one way) km trail takes you to the Marsh Museum.
Nature Trails
- Cherry Island Trail: From the Marsh Museum, this 2.3 km loop trail takes you across a man-made levee, with marsh on both sides, at the southern portion, before reaching Lake Erie, then turning back to return along a boardwalk.
- Main Nature Trail: This 1.7 km loop trail begins at the Marsh Museum and takes you on a short, level walk through woodland and marsh, returning along one of the many canals in the park. No pets are allowed on this trail.
- Back Nature Trail: This unmarked, 1.3 km loop trail is accessed off the service road, just west of the entrance to the Marsh Museum parking lot. Traveling along the west edge of a large meadow, it returns through woodland. This trail is not well maintained, but is, nonetheless, easy to follow.
This page is just a small part of the free Lake Erie Metropark mobile app.
Return to the main Lake Erie Metropark page.
Lake Erie Metropark
Lake Erie Metropark is the southernmost park in the Huron Clinton Metropark chain. Located in Brownstown, Michigan, at the extreme northwest corner of Lake Erie, at the mouths of both the Detroit and Huron rivers, this small park is a popular escape with plenty to offer explorers.
Although fairly small, the park offers 11 km of trails, about half paved. There is also the Marsh Museum and Nature Center, a wave pool, golf course, and plenty of opportunities to explore the marsh by canoe or kayak.
This page is just a small part of the free Lake Erie Metropark mobile app.
Visit the official Lake Erie Metropark page.
Return to the main Huron Clinton Metroparks page.
Stony Creek Metropark Rentals
Stony Creek Metropark has a number of rental opportunities available.
- Bike rental is available at Eastwood Beach.
- Boat rental, with canoes, kayaks, paddleboats, and rowboats, is available just west of Baypoint Beach.
- Cross country ski rentals are available at the golf course.
This page is just a small part of the Stony Creek Metropark mobile app.
Return to the main Stony Creek Metropark page.
Stony Creek Metropark
Located in Shelby Township, north of Utica, Michigan, is Stony Creek Metropark. A part of the Huron Clinton Metropark chain, Stony Creek is HUGE at 4461 acres. Located around two, man-made lakes on the Clinton River, with plenty of canoe and kayak opportunities, Stony Creek is home to two beaches, 70 km of trails (including hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, in-line skating, and fitness trails), a par-72 golf course, a 24-hole disc golf course, a mountain bike skills course, boat and bike rental, and a nature center. The park always has a lot of people, but it’s so big, so spread out, it rarely looks crowded, so there’s plenty of room for you to explore.
Return to the main Huron Clinton Metropark page.
Visit the official Stony Creek Metropark page.
This page is just a small part of the Stony Creek Metropark mobile app.