Huron–Clinton Metroparks facts for kids
The Huron–Clinton Metroparks system is a big group of parks in the Metro Detroit area of Michigan, U.S.. It includes 13 parks that cover over 24,000 acres (about 97 square kilometers). These parks are located along the Huron River and Clinton River. They form a partial ring around the metro area. There are plans to connect all the parks with hike and bike trails, creating a big green belt.
About 7.5 million people visit these parks each year. The park system gets most of its money from local taxes, with a budget of around $50 million every year. It provides jobs for many people, both full-time and part-time, and even more during the summer. The rivers in the parks are great for fishing and canoeing. One park, Delhi Metropark, even has a small rapids!
Exploring the Metroparks
The Metroparks are spread across five counties: Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Livingston. The park system was started in 1939, and funding began in 1942. Most of the money comes from local property taxes. You also pay a small fee to enter with your vehicle, and for activities like golf or boat rentals.
A group called the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority (HCMA) manages the Metroparks. It has a board of seven members. Two members are chosen by the state governor, and one member comes from each of the five counties. The Metroparks have their own police force to keep everyone safe.
Here are the 13 Metroparks:
- Delhi Metropark, 81 acres (0.33 km²)
- Dexter-Huron Metropark, 122 acres (0.49 km²)
- Hudson Mills Metropark, 1,549 acres (6.27 km²)
- Huron Meadows Metropark, 1,576 acres (6.38 km²)
- Indian Springs Metropark, 2,547 acres (10.31 km²)
- Kensington Metropark, 4,543 acres (18.39 km²)
- Lake Erie Metropark, 1,607 acres (6.50 km²)
- Lower Huron Metropark, 1,258 acres (5.09 km²)
- Lake St. Clair Metropark, 770 acres (3.1 km²)
- Oakwoods Metropark, 1,756 acres (7.11 km²)
- Stony Creek Metropark, 4,461 acres (18.05 km²)
- Willow Metropark, about 1,700 acres (6.9 km²)
- Wolcott Mill Metropark, 2,625 acres (10.62 km²)
Fun Activities in the Parks
The Metroparks offer lots of ways to have fun! There are 84 miles (135 km) of paved trails for walking, bicycling, and in-line skating. You can also enjoy picnicking, swimming, hiking, golf and disc golf, horseback riding, canoeing and boating, geocaching, and fishing.
When winter comes, the fun continues with cross-country skiing, sledding and toboggan runs, ice skating, and ice fishing. Lake Erie Metropark even has a cool wave pool! Some parks have special areas for youth groups to camp or for canoe camping.
Many parks have interesting places like historical centers, farm learning centers, or nature centers where you can learn about the area. Lake St. Clair Metropark has boat slips where you can dock your boat for up to five days. Kensington Metropark has a boat launch and also rents out boat slips for the whole year. You can even take a ride on a 49-passenger boat on Kent Lake in Kensington Metropark. The park system also has seven 18-hole golf courses and one shorter par-3 course.
The park trails also connect to bigger trail systems, like the Washtenaw County Border to Border Trail and the Michigan Iron Belle Trail. Sometimes, the parks need to manage the number of white-tailed deer to keep the environment healthy. They also use controlled fires on some land to help the plants grow better.
Metroparks Map
