HAVE A STORY TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR METROPARKS VISIT?

My friend and I biked part of the trail for the Metro Park Challenge last year, and we ended up biking to 3 different metro parks altogether — Dexter-Huron, Delhi, and Hudson Mills! It definitely turned into a long ride (24.01 miles total in 3.5 hours), which was not the original plan 😂 but I…

What a great experience we had at Indian Springs Environmental Discovery Center. My son is moderate to severely autistic. It’s difficult to get him out of the house, let alone to be excited about an outing. He’s obsessed with elevators and wanted to ride the Schindler Elevator at Indian Springs. I called ahead and was…

At the end of 2024 I learned about the Trail Challenge but was too late to sign up. It became a goal for me to sign up for 2025 and get my friends on board in order to bond and spend more time outdoors. We completed the 2025 Trail Challenge and explored parks we’ve never…

I grew up at Lake St. Clair Metropark (Metro Beach as we know it), had my first job at the old ice cream stand in 1975, brought my children to the Tot Lot when they were little, and am looking forward to bringing my grandson when he is old enough. I experienced a brooding swan…

Our brother was a huge Kensington Metropark lover. He enjoyed riding his bike throughout the park, walking the paths, spotting the albino dear and other activities. Robert ‘Bob’ passed away in 2022 and the best way we could think of to honor his memory, is to purchase a bench. The bench is located right by…

My go to park Kensington Metropark for the nature trails. I use it to get some exercise, unwind after a long day and just pray and see what God has created for me to enjoy. The sunsets are spectacular. This year I was able to see a Barred Owl! So thankful that we have these…

We consider Huron Meadows Metropark our home park. Our kids have grown up in this park. We have used it in all seasons and for so many memorable events. My went fishing here on my daughter’s first Mother’s Day. My son ran cross country meets here. My daughter rode her bike without training wheels for…

Hello, my name is Kendra and I’ve asked my human to share my MetroBarks story. Last year I completed the Trail Challenge! It was so much fun going to all the parks and splashing in the Huron River. My human didn’t want to go in the water, but I made sure to pull her in…

I have been coming to the Metroparks since the 1960’s, as a young girl with my family. It was a great low-cost, local place to go for our large family of 9 to picnic and enjoy the beach. I have always had a love for nature and being outdoors, so it was always a joy…

The Huron-Clinton Metroparks have been a cornerstone in my life. As a young child I enjoyed the squirt zone at Lake St. Clair. To my teenage years of running cross country at Stoney Creek, Wolcott, and Lake St. Chair. To watching my cousin get married at Indian Spings Metropark. Enjoying the wildlife views of Kensington.…

You can say my dog and I are big Metropark nerds! We try to go to the Metroparks every day in the morning for our walks. My day is 100 times better when I take my dog to the park! We actually decided to go to all 13 Metroparks a while ago. We have been…

Last year, I discovered the Metroparks Trail Challenge a bit late in the season. Although I didn’t get to cross the official finish line by finishing every park, the journey itself was a massive win. Exploring so many beautiful, diverse parks challenged me to push my limits, test my distance, and fall in love with…

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…

A couple weeks ago we attended the Raptor Fest at Lake St. Clair Metropark and we loved seeing the eagles in the nest from the telescopes and using the borrowed binoculars. We actually took pictures of the binoculars and came home and bought the exact ones for ourselves. Last night we went and did our…

Today marks the start of our second year participating in the Metroparks Trail Challenge. We are very excited to complete all the check-ins and explore all the parks. We are excited that the markers moved this year so we get to see new places in the parks! This year we are excited to have new…

Stony Creek Metropark has basically been in our backyard since moving to Romeo 8 years ago, but we really got to know it and all the Metroparks after signing up for our first Metropark Trail Challenge in 2025. Signing up started as a motivator to get some hiking conditioning in before our trip to Isle…

Over 2 decades ago, my husband and I started frequently visiting Kensington Metropark, to bike, roller blade, and hike. Because we loved the park and the area around it so much, we decided to move closer and chose Milford to start our family. Over the next 20 years, we shared the park with our children.…

My day did not start the way I wanted it to. The plan was to get up early and visit a few of the Metroparks that are a pretty far from me. I got up late, fell behind in chores and then hit traffic and construction on the way out to the parks. I finally…

One of my favorite moments was bringing my wheelchair dependent 3 year old and high energy 5 year old to the nature trails surrounding the Lake St. Claire Metropark Nature Center. It’s difficult to connect with nature when its not accessible but its so important to us as a family. It was tough to traverse…

I was first introduced to the Trail Challenge in 2024, and this is my third year doing it. The experience has been truly amazing. Visiting all the different parks and hitting so many different trails has been a journey. I started off walking at Lake St. Clair Metropark pretty much daily before I discovered the…

The Metroparks are beautiful and have so much to offer. I love walking the trails with my daughters. It’s definitely boosted my mental health and gives me precious time with my girls. Seeing the wildlife and picturesque views makes us happy. -Patricia K.

We started the Trail Challenge very late last year but had also done it the previous years. Even though we got a late start in 2025, we decided it was our time to do all 13! We managed to fit in all 13 in the final month, saw many new places, spent quality time on…

I had only ever been to Stony Creek Metropark golf course prior to doing the Trail Challenge for the first time a couple years ago. After seeing what all the parks have to offer, I’ve gone to multiple golf courses. Indian Springs and Huron Meadows Metroparks are two of my new favorite golf courses in…

Some of my favorite memories from childhood are from visiting Kensington Metropark with my family for the yearly Fourth of July fireworks and also seeing the Detroit Symphony Orchestra perform while we sat on the grass. Other highlights included visiting the Farm and Nature Center. I continue to visit, but now with my own family,…

During Covid lockdown, my daughter and I set about trying to hike at all of the Metroparks (we got to all except Lake St. Clair, Wolcott Mill, and Stoney Creek Metroparks) and she even created a spreadsheet where we ranked the hiking trails. Kensington Metropark reigned supreme. She was just home from her first year…

With gas prices skyrocketing the Metroparks Trail Challenge offers the perfect daycation solution. Last year was our first year participating. Each park offers local, unique, and beautiful natural spaces to explore. Even though the Trail Challenge involved mostly hiking and biking, we also discovered many new places to launch our kayaks and paddle the stress…

I started participating in the Metroparks Trail Challenge in 2024 and have signed up each year since. Prior to participating, I had only been to a few of the Metroparks (the couple closest to my house). Participating in the Trail Challenge took me to parks that I may have not ever visited otherwise, many of…

Twenty eight years ago I met my future husband while walking on the paved path near the north dam at Stony Creek Metropark. Five months later, after an evening walk, he proposed in the Northdale parking lot. Seven months from the day we first met, we were married at the Northdale picnic shelter. To this…

My Wife and I discovered the Trail Challenge last year and absolutely loved it. We had so much fun visiting the thirteen vastly different parks. We were amazed at the varied biomes that each park offered. Every park felt unique and we cannot wait to visit them all again this year. We are especially looking…

I love everything Stony Creek Metropark has to offer and my dogs love it too. What I love most is mountain biking. I’ve been riding here for over 20 years. The revamped trails are amazing. The berms and jumps are great. These trails taught me how to jump properly, and I’m almost 50! I am…

For years, I have wanted to find a maple tree on our property and learn to tap it for syrup with my son. Unfortunately timing, equipment costs, and life in general have impeded this dream. Today, we were fortunate enough to join the maple tapping event at Kensington Metropark. Sitting and listening to a member…

The Metroparks have been woven into the story of my life. Some of my earliest memories are summer days at the Wave Pool at Lake Erie Metropark, where the parks first became a place of joy and adventure for me. Decades later, they remain a constant. As a runner for more than twenty-five years, I…

As a family we love to spend time year around in the Metroparks. There is always something to enjoy no matter the weather. We love the kids ice fishing tournaments sponsored by the Walleye Club. It is a great free way to get your kids out enjoying nature even in the winter months. We also…

If you have an active dog the Huron-Clinton Metroparks are a must! From hiking trails, attending events, walking with friends and swimming we’ve been to every park within about 90 minutes and visit our local parks biweekly. Great way to explore and burn energy together. -Renee M.