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.
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.
Willow Metropark Skatepark
Just south of the pool at Willow Metropark, a small skatepark has been built for bikes, skateboards, and in-line skates. To maximize safety, the skatepark is only open when staffed, which is most of the daylight hours during the summer, and limited hours the rest of the year. Also, access is limited to either in-line skates and skateboards OR bikes on any given day, but not both at the same time. Call the park for information on which days it’s available for you preferred use.
Return to the main Willow Metropark page.
This page is just a small part of the free Lower Huron/Willow/Oakwoods Metropark mobile app.
Willow Metropark Trails
Lower Huron, Willow, and Oakwoods Metroparks all have their own trail networks, but as those trails are all interconnected, the trail network is even larger, totalling nearly fifty kilometers. For the Lower Huron/Willow/Oakwoods app, we have combined all three parks together, to make it easier to pass through the extensive trail network, independent of what park you start in.
Paved Trails (Hiking, Biking, Inline Skating)
1. Lower Huron Paved Trail (14km – round trip) A linear, out and back trail, with connectors at the south end to New Boston and a long connector trail along the Huron River to Willow Metropark. This trail has a few moderate hills, and traverses forests and mowed grass areas. The wooden bridge over the Huron River can be dangerous for bikers and skaters.
2. Willow Full Paved Loop (6km) The main loop trail around the entire park, through a mix of woods, prairie, and mowed grass parkland.
3. Willow North Paved Loop (4km) The northern end of the main loop, cutting across via a shortcut in the middle.
4. Willow South Paved Loop (4km) The southern end of the main loop, cutting across via a shortcut in the middle.
5. Oakwoods Paved Trail (10km – round trip) An out and back paved trail, mostly through open prairie. Some parts of this trail are prone to flooding in early spring and after heavy rains. The railroad crossing in the middle of the trail is rough, so bikers and skaters are advised to be careful.
6. Full Paved Trail (40km – round trip) The full, out and back trail, including the full loop around Willow Metropark. This is an excellent trail for fitness enthusiasts, with no major hills and little competing traffic. The trail traverses diverse combination of terrain, including dense forest, open prairie, wetlands, and mowed parkland. There are several wooden bridges over the Huron River, as well as two railroad crossings on this route, which can be dangerous for in-line skaters and bikers.
Nature Trails (Hiking-only)
7. Lower Huron Bob White Trail (1.5km) A short, mostly level trail through dense woodlands well above the river.
8. Lower Huron PawPaw Trail (1km) A short trail through woods, starting on the bluffs above the Huron River before descending into the river’s floodplain. An interesting contrast with the non-floodplain Bob White Trail.
9. Oakwoods Big Tree Trail (no dogs allowed) (1.3km) A flat, wooded trail, adjacent to the Oakwoods Nature Center, with interpretative signs to help with plant identification.
10. Oakwoods Sky-Come-Down Trail (no dogs allowed) (1.5km) Wandering through the edges of woods and meadows, and visiting the pond, as well, this trail gives a good variety of local ecosystems. The trail is adjacent to the Oakwoods Nature Center, with interpretative signs to help with plant identification.
11. Oakwoods Long Bark Trail (no dogs allowed) (3.1km) A wooded trail, alongside the Huron River, with woods and wetlands. The trail is adjacent to the Oakwoods Nature Center, with interpretative signs to help with plant identification.
Equestrian Trails (Hiking and Equestrian only)
12. Oakwoods North Loop Trail (3.8km) From the horse staging area, this trail loops around the area north of the railroad tracks. The wooded trail visits the scenic bluffs above the Huron River.
13. Oakwoods South Loop Trail (2.8km) From the horse staging area, this trail loops around the area south of the railroad tracks. The wooded trail visits the scenic bluffs above the Huron River.
14. Oakwoods Big Loop Trail (5.2km) Encircling the entire equestrian area, this loop goes around the perimeter trails of the entire equestrian area. The wooded trail visits the scenic bluffs above the Huron River.
15. Oakwoods Long Loop Trail (7.6km) Designed for maximum length, this zig-zag trail hits all the features of the Equestrian area. The route was designed for maximum distance and maximum variety of ecosystems without crossing over the same trail twice. The wooded trail visits the scenic bluffs above the Huron River.
Return to the main Lower Huron Metropark page.
Return to the main Willow Metropark page.
Return to the main Oakwoods Metropark page.
This page is just a small part of the free Lower Huron/Willow/Oakwoods Metropark mobile app.