P7. Proud Lake Recreation Area Trails

Photos from the Marsh Trail and from vantage points along the Huron River:

Photos from the Red & Blue Trails:

Overview: The Proud Lake Recreation Area has a network of easy-going hiking trails that pass through a beautiful combination of woods and waterways. Highlights include trail segments along the Huron River and around a pond that is frequented by waterfowl. There is also a spur trail leading to Proud Lake .

Most of the hiker-only trails are on the east side of Wixom Road. There you will find numerous options, including three loops: the Marsh Trail and the overlapping Red and Blue Trails. West of Wixom there are several multi-use trails for hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers. Cutting across both sides of Wixom is the Chief Pontiac Trail, a point-to-point hiking trail that runs parallel to the Huron River on the east side, through the fishing/picnic area at Marker 24[*] near Wixom Road, followed by a long gentle ascent on the way to Old Plank Road at the western boundary of the park.

[*] The marker locations are shown on the above trail maps.

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

Be aware that hunting (in season) is allowed in the park, although there is a no hunting zone that encompasses the parts of the hiking trails that are east of Wixom Road and south of the Huron River. This includes the Marsh Trail but not the Red and Blue Trails.

Hiking east of Wixom Road

The topography east of Wixom is relatively flat -- the difference in elevation between the highest and lowest points on the trail network is less than 30 feet. Given the proximity to several bodies of water, it should therefore come as no surprise that you may find mud or even flooding on the trails at any time. For example, during one visit, the passage between Markers 10 and 18 along the Huron River was challenging, and between Markers 21 and 22 on the Chief Pontiac Trail, there was a section of boardwalk submerged under 3 inches of standing water. For winter hikes, you might need ice cleats.

On your first visit to Proud Lake, you will probably want to explore some combination of the Red, Blue, and Marsh Trails. Starting out from the main hiking trailhead near the park headquarters off Wixom Road, you have the option of heading north, east, or south.

The south option leads to the Marsh Trail, which loops around a scenic pond offering views that can occasionally be spectacular . Although you might expect from its name that the Marsh Trail would be one of the likeliest places for encountering mud, it tends to be relatively dry. Most of the trail sits well above the level of the pond.

Hiking north and west from there via Markers 4 and 8 to Marker 9 will take you to a bridge across the Huron with additional captivating views . On the other side of the Huron, you will find the overlapping Red and Blue Trails. The latter is a 3 mile loop that has a shortcut across the middle that connects Markers 13 and 17. Hiking the 1.8 mile Red Trail amounts to following the Blue Trail, but taking the shortcut.

The Blue Trail offers a worthwhile side trip to Proud Lake  at Marker 15. If you are traversing the loop counterclockwise, after you pass through Marker 13 heading east you will end up out in the open  while passing underneath some high voltage power lines. The trail forks here, with the left branch continuing eastbound through Marker 14. Instead you should take the right branch as it follows the power lines south before bending back to the east and into the woods. After a short distance through the woods, you will emerge at Marker 15, where a boat launch for Proud Lake is located.

From Marker 15, walk north along the boat launch access road for 0.65 miles to Marker 16 and the resumption of your Blue loop. This walk is likely to be pleasant  -- the access road is unpaved and has minimal traffic.

On MapPedometer, I have saved a route map for a basic 5.8 mile hike that follows the above directives and uses a segment of the Chief Pontiac Trail to return to the trailhead.

But wait there's more...

* The trail segment connecting Markers 2 and 20 has a beautiful stand of red pines  that were planted in the 1930s as part of the WPA . More of these pines line the main entrance to the park off of Wixom.

* On your way to Marker 15 and Proud Lake on the Blue Trail, there is another fork in the trail at the point where you turn east (left) into the woods. The right branch of this fork is a 0.2 mile spur that continues further south underneath the power lines, ending at the shore of Proud Lake. The wide-open view  here is superior to what is available from Marker 15.

* On the Red/Blue Trail between Markers 17 and 19, a new 0.4 mile section of the Chief Pontiac Trail opened up in 2022. It is shown on the OpenStreetMap, but not on the trail maps. While the existing Red/Blue Trail stays in the woods adjacent to wetlands, the new trail runs farther north in open fields  dotted with trees. Look for trail markers blazed with the CPT logo  at the entry points about 0.15 miles west of Marker 17 and 0.3 miles east of Marker 19.

Hiking north from the main trailhead:

* North of the main trailhead are the Upper and Lower Pines Organizational Campgrounds. Assuming they are not in use, it is worthwhile to include a side trip into this area on your hike. A 0.8 mile round trip from the parking lot to Markers 22, 23, the Lower Pines Camp , and the picnic/fishing area  at Marker 24 will provide some great views  of the Huron River.

Hiking west of Wixom Road

The multi-use trail network west of Wixom Road provides another option for putting together an outstanding day hike. Possible staging areas for such a hike include the parking lot  at Marker A where Childs Lake Road and East Dawson Road meet, or the small parking area on the shoulder of Garden Road near Marker J. My preference is to use the parking lot for the picnic/fishing area  at Marker 24 on the east side of Wixom Road. This location has the advantage that it offers an easy side trip to the previously mentioned Upper and Lower Pines campgrounds.

Given that you are starting your hike from Marker 24, follow the access road southwest to Wixom Road. Across Wixom you will see a sign  that marks the Chief Pontiac Trail -- this is your entry point into the west side trail network. A few paces beyond that, you will come to the first of many forks in the trail. The left branch continues the CPT while the right branch offers a tempting detour through a pine forest  to a nearby canoe livery. The detour rejoins the CPT shortly before the trail crosses Garden Road headed south to Marker K.

Navigating the CPT: At Marker K, the CPT turns to the west and passes through Markers M and D. On the M-to-D segment, the trail emerges from the woods  into a broad open field with some marshy areas and Norton Creek  flowing through the middle of it. There is a dilapidated hiker-only bridge  that crosses the creek here, and the trail on either side of the bridge can be muddy at times, or even flooded . If it seems impassable when you arrive at this point, the only other way across the creek that doesn't involve getting wet is to detour north to a second bridge  near the horse staging area at Marker H. (I've saved a copy of the route on MapPedometer .) This detour adds about 0.7 miles to the hiking distance from M to D.

About 150 yards beyond Marker D, the CPT veers to the south and begins a long gentle climb through dense woods, gaining 200 feet in elevation on the way to Markers E and F. On the D-to-E segment, the trail crosses Childs Lake Road and enters a maze of intersecting mountain bike and equestrian trail segments. Much of the complexity here is due to the 2022 addition of a new, twistier version of Loop 4 optimized for mountain bikers (shown in blue on the OpenStreetMap ). With equestrians continuing to follow the old version of Loop 4, the bikes and horses are now less likely to interfere with each other.

For map readers, it is unfortunate that some of the trail segments shown on the OpenStreetMap in the Loop 4 area no longer exist. However, quite a few orange plastic trail markers for the CPT have been added to the network here, making it easier to stay on track. In any case, beware that the routing of the CPT through this area has shifted slightly, and no longer conforms to the labeling shown on the OpenStreetMap.

On MapPedometer, I've saved a route map  that follows the current configuration of the CPT for 2.2 miles from Marker 24 through Markers K, M, D, E, and F. The route ends a short distance beyond F at a crossing  where the CPT exits the Loop 4 area on its way to Old Plank Road at the park's western boundary. If you want to keep going, the CPT continues on the other side of Old Plank along a 2.1 mile connecting trail that leads to Kensington Metropark.

Adding some equestrian or mountain bike trail segments to the mix:

Of course you may complete the above CPT hike by retracing your steps. On the other hand, if you are unfazed by the need to stay out of the way of bikes and horses (and werewolves ), there are plenty of options for further exploration of the area west of Norton Creek on your return. Some suggestions:

* Starting from the end of the outbound route, this 3.5 mile return  continues west on the CPT across Old Plank Road and then north on a section of the Kensington connecting trail for about 0.3 miles through some beautiful woods and wetlands . The next stage follows an equestrian trail back across Old Plank Road into the Loop 4 area at Marker G. From there, one should follow the equestrian trail markers that point the way to Marker A (or follow the new version of Loop 4 if you prefer a much longer and twistier mountain bike route). After arriving at A, the route continues east to Marker D, re-crosses the railroad tracks, and turns north to the equestrian staging area at Marker H and the second bridge  across Norton Creek . The final stages involve passing through Markers I and J on the way back to Marker 24. You can trim 0.4 miles off of the route by omitting the pine forest detour at the finish.

* Another option to consider for your return is this 3.9 mile route . It departs northbound from the CPT on an equestrian trail and heads directly to Marker A. From there, it continues to Marker B and turns left (west) to enter Loop 3. This area has an interesting variety of terrain, including woodsy hills , open fields, and a picnic table on a summit . Note that as of 2023, the trail network in this area has been redesigned in a way similar to Loop 4 -- a new loop optimized for mountain bikers has been installed side-by-side with the old Loop 3. For the best hiking experience you'll probably want to stay with the equestrians on the old loop. Fortunately, the OpenStreetMap  appears to be accurate here, and there is ample signage in place to help keep you on track. The route I've suggested takes a shortcut midway through the loop and exits eastbound near Marker C, crosses the railroad tracks, and joins Loop 2 southbound on its way to the horse staging area. The return from there follows the same route as the previous one: H to I to J to 24. Again, you can trim off 0.4 miles by omitting the pine forest finish.

Another west side option:

For an alternative route that completely avoids the Loop 4 maze and the hiker's bridge on the M-to-D segment, consider this 5.75 mile loop . Highlights include an exploration of the hills and hollows  in the northern half of Loop 3, and a series of small ponds , woods and open terrain  along the most attractive part of Loop 2.

Directions: Head north on US-23 to eastbound I-96, exiting at Milford Road (Exit 155). Turn left (north) onto Milford then right (east) to Pontiac Trail after 0.35 miles. Continue east on Pontiac Trail for 4.2 miles to Wixom Road. Turn left onto North Wixom. After 2.5 miles North Wixom appears to end at a T-intersection. Continue on North Wixom by turning left (westbound) and follow it as it eventually turns north again.

The entrance to the park will be on your right (east). After entering, look for the main trailhead parking lot on your left after about 0.2 miles. If you are headed for the fishing/picnic area at Marker 24, you should instead continue northbound on Wixom for another 250 yards and look for the entryway on your right.

If traffic is light, driving time from North Main in Ann Arbor is about 35 minutes.

A Michigan recreation passport is required for vehicle entry.

Excerpts from the website: Proud Lake Recreation Area, with more than 3,000 acres, is located on the scenic Huron River in Oakland County and offers diverse and plentiful recreational opportunities. More than 20 miles of trails cover several diverse habitats. During the winter months, skiers can enjoy seeing the evergreens draped with snow. In the spring, hepatica, marsh marigold, violets and many other wildflowers abound. Guided interpretive walks and other nature activities are offered.