Willow Metropark | |
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Type | Regional park |
Location | 23200 S Huron Rd, New Boston, MI, United States, 48164 |
Coordinates | 42°08′16.90″N83°22′31.17″W / 42.1380278°N 83.3753250°W |
Area | 1,531 acres (620 ha) |
Operated by | Huron–Clinton Metroparks |
Status | Open year round |
Website | Official site |
Willow Metropark is a park in the Huron-Clinton Metroparks system, located on the banks of the Huron River between Lower Huron Metropark to the northwest and Oakwoods Metropark to the southeast. The park consists of a wide variety of trails and recreational areas, including an 18-hole golf course, the 17-acre (69,000 m2) Washago Pond, hike/bike trails, a disc golf course,a children's play area, a pool, and a kayak/canoe launch, in addition to groomed cross country ski trails in the winter months. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
In total, approximately 4.5 miles of trails run through the park, all of which are part of the Downriver Linked Greenways System.
There is one entry point for small crafts on the Huron River, located at the Big Bend picnic area along the main bike route. From here, paddlers can paddle upstream towards Lower Huron Metropark and New Boston or downstream towards Oakwoods Metropark and Flat Rock, though portaging is eventually necessary downstream to get around the Flat Rock Dam.
New Boston is an unincorporated community in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community is located within Huron Charter Township. As an unincorporated community, New Boston has no legally defined boundaries or population statistics of its own.
The Huron River is a 130-mile-long (210 km) river in southeastern Michigan, rising out of the Huron Swamp in Springfield Township in northern Oakland County and flowing into Lake Erie, as it forms the boundary between present-day Wayne and Monroe counties. Thirteen parks, game areas, and recreation areas are associated with the river, which passes through the cities of Dexter, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Belleville, Flat Rock and Rockwood that were developed along its banks.
Lake St. Clair Metropark/Metro Beach Metropark is a 770-acre unit of the Huron-Clinton Metroparks system located roughly 20 miles (32 km) northeast of downtown Detroit, Michigan in Harrison Township, Macomb County. Lake St. Clair Metropark has been in existence since 1950 and has seen many changes since then. Originally named St. Clair Metropolitan Beach, it was renamed in 1953 to Metropolitan Beach Metropark and later shortened to Metro Beach Metropark. On December 8, 2011, the Board of Commissioners for the Huron-Clinton Metroparks approved changing the name to Lake St. Clair Metropark. The park is located at Jefferson Avenue and Metropolitan Parkway and there are signs to Lake St. Clair Metropark on Interstate 94 (I-94).
The Huron–Clinton Metroparks system is a regional park system in Metro Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan. The park system includes 13 parks totaling more than 24,000 acres (97 km2) arranged along the Huron River and Clinton River forming a partial ring around the metro area. Plans are in development to finish the ring by building hike/bike trails to connect all the parks as a green belt. The parks draw about 7.5 million visitors a year, down from a peak of 10 million in 2009. The park system is primarily tax-funded with a $50 million annual budget. The system provides employment for 200 full-time and part-time employees year-round and 1,000 additional summer workers. The rivers are prime fishing and canoeing streams with Delhi Metropark including a short rapids, which while runnable, is the only point other than dams on either stream normally portaged.
Stony Creek Metropark is a Huron-Clinton Metropark located in southeast Michigan in the outskirts of metro Detroit. The park is predominantly in Washington Township and Oakland Township, with a small portion in Shelby Township. The park covers 4,461 acres (18.05 km2) with Stony Creek Lake at its center.
Willow River State Park is a 2,891-acre (1,170 ha) Wisconsin state park located five miles (8 km) north of Hudson. The centerpiece of the park is Willow Falls, a powerful cascade in a 200-foot (61 m) deep gorge. Another popular feature is Little Falls Lake, a shallow reservoir on the Willow River. Because of its proximity to Minneapolis-St. Paul it is one of the most visited state parks in Wisconsin. Trilobite fossils found in the lower layers of the gorge indicate the rock is around 600 million years old.
The Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks are a group of 20 metropolitan parks in and around Columbus, Ohio. They are officially organized into the Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District. The Metro Parks system was organized in 1945 under Ohio Revised Code Section 1545 as a separate political division of the state of Ohio. The Metro Parks are overseen by a Board of Park Commissioners consisting of three citizens appointed to three-year terms without compensation by the Judge of the Probate Court of Franklin County, Ohio. The Board in turn appoints an Executive Director responsible for operations and management of the parks.
Wolcott Mill Metropark is a Huron-Clinton Metropark located in rural Ray Township, Michigan. The northern branch of the Clinton River is a fixture of the park as it bisects the entirety of the park.
Buffalo Pound Provincial Park is in southern Saskatchewan, Canada, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) north-east of Moose Jaw and 86 kilometres (53 mi) north-west of the city of Regina. Access to the provincial park is from Highways 301 and 202.
Indian Springs Metropark is a park in the Huron-Clinton system of metro parks in the US state of Michigan. The headwaters of the Huron River lie within its boundaries.
Kensington Metropark is a unit of the Huron–Clinton Metroparks system located between Milford and South Lyon, Michigan, USA. Surrounding Kent Lake, the park covers 4,543 acres (18.13 km2). It has wooded hilly terrain and surrounds 1,200-acre (4.9 km2) Kent Lake. The park has an 18-hole regulation golf course, 3 disc golf courses, toboggan hill, a nature center, a farm learning center, picnic areas, beaches, splash pad with water slide and boat rentals. An 8-mile (13 km) paved hike-bike trail, 19 miles (31 km) of horse trails and 7 miles (11 km) of hiking-only trails are available as well as connecting trails to other nearby parks. The only camping is in organized group camping or canoe-in sites. The park receives 2.5 million visitors a year. Kensington Metropark opened in 1947. The area the Metropark is located in was once home to the village of Kensington which turned into a ghost town after a railroad line that went through the village diverted to South Lyon.
Huron Meadows Metropark is a park in the Huron-Clinton system of metro parks. The park covers 1,576 acres (6.38 km2) along the Huron River. It has a regulation golf course, hike-bike trails and self-guided nature trails. In the winter, the park has cross-country skiing and ice-fishing.
Hudson Mills Metropark is a park in the Huron-Clinton system of metro parks in Michigan, USA. It is located on North Territorial Road at the crossing of the Huron River, twelve miles (19 km) northwest of Ann Arbor. The park covers 1,549 acres and has an 18-hole golf course, disc golf courses, picnic areas, swings and slides, softball diamonds, a hike-bike trail, nature trails, river fishing, a canoe camp and a group camp. The park is a popular destination for canoeing and kayaking; parking areas near the Huron River provide access for canoe launching. The park will eventually be linked to Dexter-Huron Metropark and Delhi Metropark via the Border-to-Border Trail. Canoe rentals are available at Delhi Metropark.
Delhi Metropark is a park in the Huron-Clinton system of metro parks. It is an 81-acre (330,000 m2) park on the Huron River located five miles (8 km) northwest of Ann Arbor. It has picnic areas, two picnic shelters, swings and slides, river fishing, canoe rental and softball diamonds. A children's playground features an adventure playship, ride-on toys and swings. A Metropark daily or annual vehicle permit is required for entry to the park. The park will eventually be linked to Dexter-Huron Metropark and Hudson Mills Metropark via the Border-to-Border Trail.
Lower Huron Metropark is a park in the Huron-Clinton system of metro parks in Metro Detroit. The park covers 1,258 acres (5.09 km2) along the Huron River and has hike-bike trails and two self-guided nature trails. In the winter, the park has cross-country skiing. The park also has a water slide amusement facility, the Turtle Cove Family Aquatic Center. There is a 27-site campground, a group campground and canoe camping in the park.
Lake Erie Metropark is a park in the Huron-Clinton system of metro parks. The park is a 1,607-acre (6.50 km2) recreational facility located between the mouth of the Huron River on Lake Erie to the south and the City of Gibraltar to the north, and consists of natural marshes and ponds, hike and bike trails, nature trails, a marina, and a boat launch. The park also has a wave action swimming pool, an 18-hole regulation golf course, and the Marshlands Museum and Nature Center. It has a three-mile (5 km) shoreline along Lake Erie and is a popular bird-watching site. The children's play area, located near the Wave Pool, previously consisted of a child-size city before being reconstructed into a modernized playground.
Oakwoods Metropark is a park in the Huron-Clinton Metroparks system, located along the Huron River near Flat Rock, Michigan. The park consists several miles of bike trails, numerous nature trails, horse trails, a canoe and kayak launch, and a Nature Center. It is directly connected to Willow and Lower Huron Metroparks, as well as Huroc Park through a branch of the Downriver Linked Greenways.
Dexter–Huron Metropark is a 122-acre (0.49 km2) park on the Huron River in the Huron-Clinton system of metro parks. The park has three picnic areas, a children's play area, a softball diamond, fishing, and canoe launching. A Metropark daily or annual vehicle permit is required for entry. The park will eventually be linked to Hudson Mills Metropark and Delhi Metropark via the Border-to-Border Trail.
Camp Dearborn is a park in Milford Township, Michigan owned by the city of Dearborn, Michigan. The 626 acres (2.53 km2) park has several ponds and lakes as well as access to the Huron River, a half-mile swimming beach, swimming pool, picnic sites, and camping areas. Activities include fishing, paddle boat rentals, hayrides, dances, miniature golf and a 27-hole golf course. Canoe/kayaks can launch into the Huron River while a bike trail connects to downtown and other local parks. Camping is available for tents and RVs on 191 sites and in 118 permanent tents and 30 cabins.
The Flat Rock Dam is a decommissioned hydroelectric gravity dam crossing the Huron River. It is located in the city of Flat Rock in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The dam was built by the Ford Motor Company in 1924 for hydroelectricity for the nearby Ford Motor Company Lamp Factory, which remained in operation until 1950.