Metroparks: Lower Huron, Willow, and Oakwoods (Biking and Hiking)

Place: 3 Metroparks: Lower Huron, Willow, and Oakwoods

This is pretty much what happened.

Today's Activity: Biking 25 miles (roundtrip) and ~ 2 miles of hiking

Duration: ~ 120 minutes biking, ~ 30 minutes hiking

Time: Tuesday, June 12th around 1:45pm

Cost: $0 (apart from one-time park pass purchase, bike). Remember, if you enter the park by foot or bike, it's free!

The Experience: Needless to say, there is a LOT to do between these three parks. All I can say is, biking through them was a very pleasant experience that sort of kicked my butt with some hilliness, but it was a lovely, scenic ride and a GREAT workout.

You can do any amount of biking if you're not up to 25 miles or if you're scoffing at my puny ride, but whatever you choose, I definitely found Lower Huron and Willow the prettiest.

Further, if you've got the energy, you can go for a nice hike near the Nature Center (at Oakwoods) at the end of ~12 miles to stretch out your legs.

A nice beginning to the ride, which followed the Huron River at different
points - Here is near the beginning at the Lower Huron Metropark

There were quite a few cute little bridges

As you connect to Willow Metropark, you cross the railroad tracks
and there is this wee cemetery with just a couple headstones

Biking into Willow Metropark

In the middle of Willow Metropark is Washago Pond, a nice place
to stop for water and rest up if you'd lke

As you approach Oakwoods Metropark, you come to a point where you
can continue onward or go back around the pond the other way (a way
to add on a couple miles if you're up for it!)

A friendly walker in the distance - told me that Oakwoods was flat but
"not interesting," similar to how another biker told me it was "bleak"

On the Oakwoods bike trail

So this was only picture I took of the Oakwoods bike trail - I enjoyed its flatness but it was, in fact, a bit bleak compared to the other parks... but totally worth going through if you want to finish (or take a break) with a hike at the nature center at the end of the bike trail.

When I got to the halfway point (~ 12.5 miles) there were a handful of short hiking trails and I was pretty eager to get off the bike for a while, so I walked a couple of miles between the "Big Tree" and "Long Bark" trails:

Time to stretch my legs. Thankfully, the bugs weren't
too bad.

Hiking along a couple of cutely-named trails.

Follow the Huron River a bit on the Long Bark trail.

I think most of the trails must look close to this.

A nice spot along the river to sit and think about things.

I'm not sure I could ever get tired of the green...

The return trip was a doozy - there were some pretty strong winds coming against me, and the hills were unrelenting. You definitely want to bring enough water, and perhaps check the weather before you start...

Need I say more?

Now I did about 25 miles but the map says there's up to 30 miles of paths to bike, and you could easily loop around the lake to add on more miles. When you get to the park, ask for the map that shows you the trails through all 3 parks - it's pretty helpful.

Enjoy your ride! :)

PS: Pipi, I think you'd like this one more than Indian Springs - love you.

More information: Click here to learn more about biking through these three metroparks.