The Best Day Hikes in Metro Detroit: The Paint Creek Trail

If you're searching for a free, low-impact day hike in metro Detroit that offers beautiful scenery, and much more, you need look no further than the Paint Creek Trail.

Located about 25 miles north of Downtown Detroit, in northeast Oakland county, the Paint Creek Trail is a suburban gem that is billed as a "linear park." The trail runs 8.9 total miles from its southern terminus in the city of Rochester to its northern terminus in the village of Lake Orion. It is eight feet wide, and is mostly paved with crushed limestone, with a very small southern section being paved with asphalt.

As far as hiking trails go on scale of difficulty, the Paint Creek Trail is about as easy as it gets. It was the first trail in Michigan to be part of the national Rails-to-Trails program, which converts old railroad lines into "rail-trails." Consequently, a hiker can expect exclusively flat terrain, with very gradual changes in grade.

Hikers will also find that the Paint Creek Trail is well used, but also well looked after. The trail is open year round, and since it is maintained by a local commission, it does have specific hours of 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. The busiest times on the trail, with the most traffic, are usually weekends, and weekday evenings from mid spring through mid autumn. Hikers can expect to share the trail with other hikers, joggers, mountain bikers, and possibly even horses, as the northern section of the trail does allow equestrian access.

Natural features of the trail include bordering woodlands, and protected areas of prairie land found along its entire stretch. Hikers may see several different kinds of birds, including Robins, Blue Jays, Cardinals and many others. Visiting in the fall brings the seasonal color change, as the leaves of the indigenous maple, birch and other trees explode in a glorious array of orange, red and yellow which lines the trail.

For those who want to add another dimension to their hike, the Paint Creek Trail lives up to its namesake, in that it crosses the Paint Creek several times by bridges scattered along the trail. This means access points to the creek for fishing. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has stocked the creek with trout for years, and anglers may find a variety of fish including: creek chubs, brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout. Those who want to fish will have to contact the DNR about specific licenses, access, and regulations.

Another special feature of the trail, is the Paint Creek Cider Mill, which is just off the trail in its southern section, about 2.5 miles north of Rochester. While it is no longer a working cider mill, it is open everyday from September to Thanksgiving, and serves homemade cider and donuts which are brought in from a nearby cider mill. Hiking from Rochester to the cider mill and back, makes for about a 5 mile round trip, and is a great autumn hike.

Due to the linear nature of the trail, the only way to avoid re-hiking the same section you've already traversed would be to park two different vehicles at different sections of the trail. While there are several free places to park all along the trail, hikers will likely want to plan their day hike ahead of time. The Paint Creek Trail has a comprehensive website at: www.paintcreektrail.org where there are several maps showing parking, and other features on and around the trail, that can help anyone plan a day hike.

Sources:
http://www.paintcreektrail.org
http://www.railstotrails.org/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_Creek_(Michigan)
http://www.michigan.org/Property/Detail.aspx?p=g5195