Last year, while participating in the Trail Challenge, I visited Kensington Metropark for the first time. I really enjoyed visiting parks away from our “home parks” and found myself at Kensington on a cold, drizzly morning. I anticipated this would be a quick trip – do about a 1/2 mile quick walk and submit my form. I couldn’t have been more wrong, almost immediately I came across a family of Sandhill Cranes out for a morning walk. I stood off to the right side of the HIke-Bike Trail and they strolled right past me on the left as I got a video of them. I ended up exploring more of the park than I expected, and for 2026 I planned out more trails to visit than just the two checkpoints. I love that every time I visit a Metropark and think it’s going to be a quick visit, something special happens as I find new places to explore. -Margaret M.