Parks

50,000 acres of parks call the Brighton Howell Area home. The region has three recreation areas, two metroparks, and a variety of small parks.

Spend the day hiking wooded trails, having a picturesque picnic by the lake, or letting the kids burn off some energy at the playground. Throughout each season, all parks offer something new to explore. Chase fall foliage in the autumn, strap on your cross-country skis during the winter, experience blossoming flowers in the spring, and hit the waters during the summer.

Brighton Recreation Area

Experience a combination of high, irregular ranges of hills, interspersed with various attractive lakes. The area has several miles of trails available for equestrian riding, mountain biking, and hiking. Provides 4,947 acres of recreation for park visitors to use. Also home of the Brighton Recreation Riding Stable.

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Scofield Park

Take a walk, play on swings, picnic with family and friends, or enjoy the beach at this city park. Valid seasonal or daily pass needed May 27 to Labor Day. Pick up your seasonal passes between mid-April and September at the Bennett Recreation Center with proof of residency. Thompson Lake offers a Boat Launch available for use, entry requires a valid seasonal or daily pass from May 1st to October 31st.

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Huron Meadows Metropark

Experience nature’s finest and get that “up north” feeling at this 1,576-acre park. Play the par-72 course with rolling fairways or cast a line off the pier at placid Maltby Lake. A densely packed, oak-hickory forest provides a quiet, serene setting to observe scarlet tanagers and yellow-billed cuckoos. Cross-country and skate-skiers will enjoy stunning views along well-manicured paths. Three picnic areas provide the perfect setting for your next family gathering or group outing.

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Island Lake Recreation Area

A 4,000-acre park in Livingston County that offers an “up north” experience without leaving southeast Michigan. The terrain is a mixture of open brush land to mature hardwood forest, with some pockets of open meadows mixed in. Island Lake is the only balloon port in the state park system. Balloons usually take off in early morning or late evening, depending on the wind and weather.

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Kensington Metropark

Kensington’s 4,543 sprawling acres of wooded, hilly terrain surrounds beautiful Kent Lake, and is home to an abundance of wildlife and waterfowl. Multitude of recreational activities throughout the year, from biking and boating to cross-country skiing and tobogganing. Plenty of fun on 1,200-acre Kent Lake includes; swimming at Martindale or Maple beaches, get soaked at the Splash ‘n’ Blast, or fishing, boating or picnicking along the water. Take a lake tour aboard the Island Queen II in the summer and fall, or enjoy a winter day ice-fishing or skating.

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Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park

One of four linear state parks in the Michigan State Park system that have been converted from abandoned railroad corridors. The 13-gravel surface trail passes through wooded areas and rolling farmland. Designed for hiking, bicycling, wheelchair, and horseback riding. Cross-country skiing is popular in winter. Motorized vehicles and hunting are prohibited.

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Pinckney Recreation Area

It is a paradise for backpackers, mountain bikers, anglers, and other recreation enthusiasts, Pinckney is known for its extensive trail system and chain of fishing lakes. Over forty miles of multi-use trails lead to remote campsites in a secluded countryside setting. A wide variety of activities in its three major areas; Silver Lake Day Use area, Bruin Lake Modern Campground, and Halfmoon Day Use facility. The landscape, a terminal moraine area, was formed during the last glaciation period.

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Manly W. Bennett Park

Manly Bennett Park is a 384-acre recreational facility in Hamburg Township. It includes baseball/softball/T-ball diamonds, soccer fields, playgrounds, football practice areas that accommodate rugby, a model airplane runway/flying field, picnic areas, hiking, and biking trails, and a disc golf course. In addition to numerous sports programs, for the past several years, Manly W. Bennett Park has hosted the annual Family Funfest.

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Lutz County Park

100 acres of public recreation use. 1.3-mile trail system provides opportunities for users to experience high-quality natural areas, scenic views, and wildlife and its habitat while at the same time passing by farm fields. Also available are picnic tables, benches, nature interpretive signs, trail head display, a parking area and restroom.

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Deerfield Hills Nature Area

Enjoy 365 acres of park area, as well as five miles of hiking trails alongside pristine wetlands.

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More Things To Do Outdoors