Kensington Metropark Boating
Kensington Metropark surrounds Kent Lake, a shallow, man-made lake built along the Huron River. There are two large boat launches in the park, with East Boat Launch located just inside the park from the Kent Lake Road entrance, and West Boat Launch, located near the Kensington Road entrance, just past the golf course.
There is also a hand launch, suitable for only canoes and kayaks, located on the north side of the park, where Dawson Road crosses the river, and, when it’s open, there’s also a rental canoe launch inside the group campground which can be used.
Note: Unlike other Metroparks, Kensington often charges people entering the park with canoes and kayaks a “launch fee,” which is separate from the general park admission fee. Annual permits do not cover this fee. Although published park policy states that boats carried into the park “in or on vehicles” are not charged this fee, every time I’ve attempted to enter the park with kayaks on top of my car, they wanted to charge this fee. This launch fee is used to cover construction and maintenance of the two large boat launches used by much larger boats. Canoes and kayaks rarely, if ever, would want to use them. For hand-carried boats that are usually launched from a grassy bank, while published park policy says you will not be charged, either due to lack of staff training or some other factor, you will likely either be charged the fee, or have to argue about it. Neither option is especially fun. Canoes and kayaks can avoid this fee by simply using the Dawson Road launch, or launching from Island Lake State Park, just to the south of Kensington, across I-96. Don’t let this discourage you from visiting the park, as it is a great lake for canoes and kayaks, with small islands and plenty of little bays to explore. If you are charged the fee, and choose to just pay it, please request a receipt and file a complaint with the Huron-Clinton Metroparks office.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Oakwoods Metropark
Oakwoods Metropark lies at the south end of the 3-park chain, connected by an extensive trail system, which lies along the Huron River from Belleville to Flat Rock. This chain, which also includes Willow Metropark and Lower Huron Metropark, provides a 25-mile round trip paved trail, and the park includes an extensive trail network of its own, as well, with nature trails adjacent to the Oakwoods Nature Center, and a network of Equestrian Trails located near the center of the park.
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