In late March of 1845, Henry David Thoreau wrote: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could learn what it had to teach, and not, when it came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Thoreau’s words often come to mind when I’m on South Manitou Island when I’m working as a volunteer lighthouse keeper for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Those words resurfaced again last month when I was trekking about Congaree National Park in South Carolina. I felt fortunate to have the ability and means to explore that environment with alligators and water moccasins, a venomous snake of southern swamp lands.  

You may be wondering what all that has to do with Oakland County. Our county is blessed with a great variety of parks and most of the ones I write about managed by Oakland County Parks or Huron-Clinton Parks. Every now and then I head off to a park that I am not as familiar with, such as Innovation Hills, managed by the City of Rochester Hills.

I’ve visited Innovation Hills in all seasons. I’ve been there five times over the past few years and I’m grateful a civil engineer friend introduced me to some of the park’s secrets when her company was doing work there.  

When I learned that a long-anticipated 112-foot pedestrian rope bridge spanning the Clinton River was now open to the public, it was time to grab my camera and go again. Does it wobble a little? Yes, it does. It’s part of the design and adds to the fun and presents an excellent elevated platform for photography.

True confession: Being on the bridge was the favorite part of my most recent trek and my first time checking out the 48 acres on the far side of the bridge. The City of Rochester Hills describes the bridge this way. “The much-anticipated rope bridge at Innovation Hills in the City of Rochester Hills is ready for adventure seekers. This 112-foot long suspension bridge is the only pedestrian suspension bridge in the metro Detroit area and towers over 20 feet tall. It is made up of a combination of steel cables, rope and wood. The bridge spans the Clinton River, known for its abundance of brown trout and its Class 3 rapids, giving adventure seekers beautiful views of the scenic landscape in an “Indiana Jones” kind of way.”

The rope bridge is located in the back of the park near the Turtle Trail, about a 10-minute, half mile walk from the main part of Innovation Hills. It includes “glowing pavement” and solar lighting for evening walks, which I intend to enjoy soon, armed with a mug of hot cocoa and my camera. Sounds magical to me!

What’s really great about the bridge is it gives pedestrian access to the City of Rochester Hills largest and highest quality green space. It’s also a really beautiful bridge and perched on it to look down at the Clinton River made my trip worthwhile. The City writes, “It features exceptional habitat and vegetation diversity. An unpaved half-mile trail loop allows walkers to fully immerse themselves in this unique space.”

And I fully agree with the words of Rochester Hills Mayor, Bryan Barnett, “The new rope bridge at Innovation Hills is a thrilling addition to Michigan’s premier park and unlocks even more of our beautiful green space for residents and visitors to enjoy. This is yet another testament to our commitment to creating unique and exciting experiences in our parks.” I’ll add the words that just walking across the bridge and feeling a slight sway is thrilling.

When I was last there, a young mom and her two children were on the bridge and she was telling them they couldn’t stay on the bridge all day. I could relate to the two kids who were maybe six or seven years old. I stayed on the bridge about thirty minutes, totally enjoying the peace of the scene and mesmerized by the excellent view of the Clinton River and surrounding habitat. I was also delighted to see a Pileated Woodpecker fly close to the bridge and later found where it carved its nest.

To reach the bridge, and the green space on the far side of the bridge, park in the main parking lot of the park, located at 2800 West Hamlin Road If you are a birder, keep your camera at the ready, I saw several eastern bluebirds along the way, a red-tailed hawk perched on a limb and deer tracks adjacent to the path. The habitat also looks excellent for mink.

The main section of Innovation Hills encompasses 62 acres and includes an excellent three- acre nature themed play area, and some small ponds. The park is opened from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday to Sunday. For full details, check out their website. 

Jonathan Schechter is a naturalist, eagle watcher and nature education writer for Oakland County Government and blogs about nature’s way on the Wilder Side of Oakland County.

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