P6. Maybury State Park

Comments: Maybury State Park is located in the extreme northwest corner of Wayne County, on land that was once the site of a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients. It has an extensive network of unpaved trails for hikers, bikers, and equestrians, as well as a 4 mile long paved pathway.

Almost nothing from the sanatorium era (1921-1969) remains, although you will surely notice the original gateway , and in a few places you may come across a decaying slab of concrete . A number of historical markers are in place along the trails to help paint a picture of what was once here.

The landscape consists of gently rolling hills running through mostly forested terrain, along with a few scattered open fields and wetlands. One of the hiking trail segments in the hills on the west side passes to within a few feet of the highest hilltop  in Wayne County. A key highlight is the large pond  on the east side of the park -- waterfowl are frequently found there. After a dry spell, the water level in the pond can get alarmingly low .

While the mountain bike trail is largely isolated from the rest of the trail network, the hiking, equestrian, and paved trails form a complicated tangle of intersecting loops. The color-coded maps posted at trail crossings make it only slightly easier to unravel the mess.

On MapPedometer, I've saved a route map for a 5.3 mile tour that covers most of the official hiking trails while using a few short segments on asphalt or gravel pathways as connectors. If you have a limited amount of time, you can shave 0.6 miles off of the hike by cutting out the northern segment that runs through the grasslands and a small woodsy area near the park headquarters, and another 0.6 miles by omitting the forested loop on the west side.

I've saved a more ambitious 5.85 mile route that (after a revision) avoids the paved pathway almost entirely. It veers south along the rim of a ravine and includes segments on the equestrian trails (0.8 miles) and mountain bike trails  (0.5 miles). If you follow your own version of this route, plan on hiking around the pond clockwise, so that you will end up westbound on the mountain bike trail (i.e., against the flow of bikers).

Leashed dogs are allowed on the hiking trails, but bikes and horses are not.

Directions: Take M-14 east from Ann Arbor to Beck Road (Exit 18). Head north on Beck to Eight Mile Road (about 4 miles). Turn left (west) onto Eight Mile and look for the main entrance to Maybury State Park on your left (south) after about 1.2 miles. The entrance driveway ends at a T intersection after about 1/4 mile. There are large parking lots to the left and right that both offer direct access to the trail network; the one on the right has the main trailhead , while the one on the left is where the sanatorium gateway  is located.

Another option for those driving from the north side of Ann Arbor is to take Pontiac Trail north all the way to Eight Mile Road. Turn right (east) onto Eight Mile and look for the main entrance to Maybury State Park on your right (south) after about 6 miles. For added confusion, you will first pass by two entrances to Maybury Farm -- one for the public and one for employees.

If you are arriving via M-14 and Beck Road, a shorter route to a parking area that also has easy access to the trail network is available from the Beck Road entrance. Although the main purpose of this entrance is to provide access to the equestrian staging area and riding stables, there is general-use parking here as well.

Driving time from North Main in Ann Arbor via M-14 is about 25 minutes.

A Michigan recreation passport is required for vehicle entry.

Excerpts from the website: Maybury State Park is a busy day-use park, one of the few state parks serving the Detroit metro area. An oasis of lush, green forest amidst developed land, the park is a place for visitors to connect with nature on its miles of varied trails. The state acquired the land in 1971 from the City of Detroit following the closure of the Maybury Sanatorium that once occupied the site.

Containing almost 1,000 acres of gently rolling terrain, open meadow and mature forest, the park offers a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities including an extensive trail system for hiking, biking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing, youth organizational camping, fishing, educational programming, a riding stable and a working farm.