Metroparks

Navigating Nature Centers in Oakland County

Oakland County, MI Government 2 Comments

If you’d like to learn about the wilds surrounding your everyday life, you’ll love our map of nature centers in Oakland County. This interactive map, created by Oakland County’s award-winning GIS team, will lead you on a journey across the county, from center to center, helping you plan a trip to any one of these great locations to learn about the natural world. Sunshine or rain, summer or winter, these nature centers are there for you to help grow your pool of knowledge!

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Heritage Park in Farmington Hills. Photo credit: Jonathan Schechter

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Mountain Biking At Stony Creek – A Wilder Side Confession

Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

Stony Creek Metropark extends from easternmost Oakland County well into Macomb County and entices hundreds of visitors on crisp autumn days. Some come for birding with hopes of seeing the resident Bald Eagles, others visit the nature center, while many just come to hike the trails, fish, or take photos of colorful leaves. Others have a late season picnic, or just jog, walk or bike around the scenic 6.1-mile paved trial that circles Stony Lake. The Stony Creek Metropark brochure, which may be viewed online, or acquired at the entrance contact station makes mention of the “heart pounding excitement of riding miles of mountain bike trails.” I tended to always ignore those words, but that is where this true life confession Wilder Side of Oakland County trail tale really begins. Continue reading →

MAY’S WOODLAND WILDFLOWERS MAKE WAY FOR JUNE

Oakland County, MI Government 2 Comments

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

Spring wildflowers of Oakland County woodlands capture our hearts, stir memories and draw the attention of woodland hikers, nature lovers and sometimes white-tailed deer. The flowers of May are short-lived flowers, and must emerge from the moist soil, grow rapidly, flower and produce seeds before the abundant oaks that named our county Oakland County leaf out and block the sun from the forest floor. The days of muted, dappled light seemingly dancing on the forest floor are rapidly fading. Shade will soon dominate and end the show of the ephemeral flowers. Now is the time to go for a woodland wildflower hike on the wilder side of Oakland County while their blooms remain; and there may even be a bonus, late-emerging morel mushrooms.

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