Island Lake State Recreation Area: Hiking Trail (Blog Hike #656)

Trail: Hiking Trail

Hike Location: Island Lake State Recreation Area

Geographic Location: east of Brighton, MI (42.51174, -83.67625)

Length: 5 miles

Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)

Date Hiked: August 2017

Overview: A fairly flat loop featuring Trout and Kent Lakes.

Area Information: http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?type=SPRK&id=462

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=940979
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: West of Detroit, take I-96 to Kensington Road (exit 151).  Exit and go south on Kensington Rd.  Drive Kensington Rd. south 0.7 miles to the signed recreation area entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the recreation area, pay the entrance fee, and drive the main park road 0.7 miles to the large Kent Beach parking area on the left.  Park on the left (west) side of the parking area.

The hike: Established in 1944, 4000 acre Island Lake State Recreation Area is one of the most visited lands under Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ jurisdiction.  The area’s location just off of I-96 and US 23 less than 40 miles west of Detroit partially explains its popularity, but the area’s nice amenities factor in as well.  On point, the area offers 7 picnic shelters, canoe/kayak access to the Huron River, 2 cabins, a boat-in campground, and 2 ponds with developed swimming areas.  The area also contains the only hot air balloon launch in the Michigan state park system.

            For trail users, Island Lake State Recreation Area is best known as a biking destination.  A 4 mile one-way paved trail is good for street bikes, and 15 miles of dirt trails beckon mountain bikers.  Sometimes lost in the biking trails is the 5 mile Hiking Trail, a loop in the eastern part of the recreation area that is open only to hikers.  While the Hiking Trail has some flaws that I will point out in this trail description, the trail offers a surprising amount of solitude given how many people use this recreation area.  I hiked here on a nice Friday morning in early August and did not encounter any other trail users outside of the developed areas.

Trailhead at Kent Beach

            Start at the west side of the parking area where a wooden post bearing a trail map marks the trailhead.  As usual at Michigan state parks, major trail intersections are identified by letters, and this intersection is marked as trail intersection A.  This hike passes trail intersections A through I in “increasing” order, although trail intersections H and I appear on the map but are not yet posted on the ground.  Ignore the wide canoe/kayak access trail that goes downhill to the right and head due west on a fairly level single track dirt trail.  You may hear gunshots from a shooting range located across the river here, but all was quiet on my visit.  Also, parts of this trail pass through land that is open to hunting, so wear bright orange during hunting season to avoid accidents.

            The trail stays atop a bluff overlooking the Huron River before descending about 20 feet to enter the river’s flood plain.  The Huron River follows an unusual L-shaped course through southeastern Michigan.  The river rises near Indian Springs Metropark west of Pontiac and flows southwest past this point into northern Washtenaw County.  The river then makes a prolonged left curve to begin flowing southeast through Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and southern Wayne County before emptying into Lake Erie.  Like most rivers in this part of the state, the Huron River is wide and slow-flowing with a muddy bottom.

Entering a pine planting

            The meandering trail curves left more than right to climb out of the floodplain and enter a pine planting.  Some skinny sapling stumps sticking up in the trail make it easy to trip or stub your toe.  At 0.9 miles, you exit the woods at the recreation area’s entrance booth.  Cross both roads (straight and left) to continue a southward course through a meadow that was filled with blooming Queen Anne’s lace on my visit.

Hiking through a meadow

            After crossing the recreation area’s paved bike path at trail intersection B, a gradual descent brings you to the north shore of Trout Lake and trail intersection C.  A sandy beach-type area also sits here.  Turn right to begin a counterclockwise journey around Trout Lake.  Note that turning left here would omit the trip around the lake and reduce the length of this hike by just over 0.5 miles.

            The area around the lake is mostly meadow, so the lake stays in full view for most of your journey on the wide sandy path that circumnavigates the lake.  Unfortunately, adjacent Kensington Road and some nearby industrial areas also stay in view and within earshot, so you will never mistake this hike for a wilderness hike.  Some more sandy beaches beg you to stop, rest, and observe the lake, but be careful if you wade into the water: Trout Lake’s sandy floor drops off very steeply in some areas.

Trout Lake

            2 miles into the hike, you reach trail intersection D.  Future plans call for a trail to exit right here and connect with our route later in the hike, but on my visit the trail going right dead-ended in the middle of nowhere.  Continuing another 0.15 miles around Trout Lake brings you to trail intersection E, where you need to turn right to leave the Trout Lake area.  Note that angling left here would take you back to trail intersection C where you started your journey around Trout Lake.

The trail climbs slightly and curves right to reach trail intersection F just shy of this hike’s midpoint.  Continuing straight here would return you to the Kent Beach parking area in only another 0.2 miles, but if you are up to hiking some possibly wilder trails, turn right to head into the recreation area’s easternmost parts.  The trail narrows considerably as it heads east through a meadow that also features some red cedar trees.  Soon you reach trail intersection G, where the previously mentioned future trail from intersection D will join our route.  For now, the only option is to angle left.

Trail intersection G

            The next mile of trail assumes a general eastward course that passes very close to the recreation area’s southern boundary.  At first you are in meadow, but soon you dip into a forest dominated by oak trees.  I found evidence that the vegetation along this section of trail had been cut back in the past, but it needed to be cut again on my visit.  Prepare to wade through knee-high grass if you hike this section of trail.

Narrow trail through meadow

            After the recreation area’s main road comes into view on the left, you pass under a power line at 3.7 miles.  The trail gets a little rockier before you reach the next intersection at 3.9 miles.  This point is the aforementioned unsigned trail intersection H.  The Hiking Trail crosses a paved bike path here that connects the recreation area with the Huron Valley Trail, a 12.2 mile rail-trail that runs east of here.  If you have had enough wading through weeds, you can turn left here and hike the bike path back to the developed area.  Otherwise, continue straight to remain on the Hiking Trail.

            Road noise from nearby I-96 and Kent Lake Road comes in from the right as the trail curves left and reaches another paved bike path at 4.1 miles.  This point is trail intersection I, and this bike path leads to Kensington Metropark, which is located just beyond I-96 to the right.  With the worst of the trail conditions likely behind you, continue straight to remain on the Hiking Trail.

Kent Lake

            4.2 miles into the hike, the trail curves right to descend some wooden steps to a fantastic overlook of Kent Lake.  When I came here, the wind was whipping across the lake as a cold front blew through.  The single-track dirt Hiking Trail exits the platform to the left and begins a westward course along the south shore of Kent Lake.  The remainder of the hike parallels the lake shore, and more good lake views open up to the right.  All too soon you come out at the east end of Kent Beach, and walking through the beach area returns you to your car to complete the hike.