With its wide sweeping views and variety of terrain, Hartland’s Settlers Park features one of the Brighton Howell Area’s destination trail systems. Located conveniently close to the M-59/US-23 corridor, the trails can be accessed from the Clark Road parking area and the northwest corner of the Meijer parking lot.

Settlers Park also features a pavilion, a play structure, bathrooms, and a butterfly garden. Winter activities include hiking, cross-country skiing, sledding (on a dedicated sledding hill), and fat biking.

Trails

The original 1.4 miles of paved trails are accompanied by 6.5 miles of natural surface trails. This park is ideal for those seeking a more challenging hike or bike while taking in a diverse natural vista. The natural surface trails comprise three loops, the Section 21 Trails. The trail can be accessed by parking in the Hartland Meijer or the park’s main parking lot.

Trail Loop 1 is 2 miles long and runs through older forests and meadows. It is beginner-friendly for cyclists, with many optional features for more experienced riders. Loop 2 is 3 miles in length with a greater variety of terrain with hills, fields, and areas of deep tree cover. Bikers and hikers will love the optional skill sections with rock gardens, log piles, dirt jumps, and wooden features to challenge beginner and more experienced riders. It also has several beautiful views of meadows and wetlands. Loop 3 is a 1.5-mile forest loop with tight, twisty singletrack, hills, and berms. It also contains a very large optional rock feature. It, too, is a beginner-friendly loop.

Cyclists should ride all loops clockwise, and trail runners and walkers should travel counter-clockwise. Each loop is interconnected with multiple access points from the paved trail. In cooperation with Hartland Township, volunteers from the Motor City Mountain Biking Association built and maintained these loops.