Parker Mill County Park: Hoyt G. Post Trail (Blog Hike #658)

Trail: Hoyt G. Post Trail

Hike Location: Parker Mill County Park

Geographic Location: east of Ann Arbor, MI (42.27395, -83.66825)

Length: 1.8 miles

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: August 2017

Overview: A semi-loop mostly on boardwalk through alluvial forest.

Park Information: https://www.washtenaw.org/602/Parker-Mill-County-Park

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=639228
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: Near Ann Arbor, take US 23 to Geddes Road (exit 39).  Exit and go east on Geddes Rd.  Drive Geddes Rd. east less than 0.3 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, and park in the only parking area.

The hike: Owned and maintained by Washtenaw County, tiny Parker Mill County Park comprises 45 acres along Fleming Creek and the Huron River.  The park is named for a pair of mills William Parker and his family operated for nearly 90 years.  The grist mill and cider mill date to 1873 and 1887, respectively, and both structures stand near the trailhead for this hike.  The grist mill is still operable, while the cider mill has been converted into a small museum.  Grist mill tours and demonstrations are held on select Sundays in September and October.

            In terms of trails, the park’s best offering is the 1.2 mile Hoyt G. Post Trail, a boardwalk through the floodplain forest along Fleming Creek and the Huron River.  Because the Hoyt G. Post Trail has no direct trailhead access, you will need to hike part of the park’s asphalt bike trail in order to reach the boardwalk.  The bike trail also connects with the City of Ann Arbor’s Gallup Park and the Huron River Greenway Border-to-Border Trail, so it sees plenty of traffic.  While bike trails do not make for the best hiking, the segment on the bike trail is short, and the boardwalk you eventually reach offers a very pleasant and interesting hike.

Starting the asphalt bike trail

            Pick up the asphalt trail that leaves the northeast corner of the parking lot.  The only noticeable elevation change on this hike comes at the very beginning as the asphalt bike path drops about 20 feet to enter Fleming Creek’s floodplain.  The historic grist mill and cider mill stand to your right here, but you have to admire the plain wood and stone structures from the outside unless you can time your visit to coincide with one of the grist mill tours.

Grist mill and cider mill

            The asphalt bike path curves right to begin heading downstream along Fleming Creek.  Ignore the asphalt trail that exits left and heads under Geddes Road for Concordia College.  Next you pass the restored Parkers’ log cabin on the right.  The cabin was built in the 1870’s, and it is fun to imagine what it would have been like living in this cabin and operating the mills.

Parkers' log cabin

            At only 0.1 miles, the gravel Sugarbush Trail exits left to cross Fleming Creek on an iron bridge with a wooden deck.  The Sugarbush Trail forms a completely flat and very short 0.2 mile loop, so you may as well tack it on so that you can say you hiked every trail at Parker Mill County Park.  After completing the loop, keep heading down the asphalt trail to reach the signed start of the Hoyt G. Post Trail on the left.  Turn left to leave the asphalt and begin the wooden hiker-only boardwalk.

            Immediately you walk through a stile designed to keep bikes off of the boardwalk and pass a meeting area that features numerous interpretive signs.  Several short spur trails lead to Fleming Creek, which flows to your left.  Many large oak trees grow in this area.

Passing under the railroad

            0.75 miles into the hike, an active rail line crosses above you via a nice stone and concrete bridge.  The boardwalk is built directly over Fleming Creek here as they both pass under the low and narrow bridge.  A couple hundred feet later, the boardwalk splits to form its loop.  For no particular reason, I chose to turn right and use the left boardwalk as a return route, thus hiking the loop counterclockwise.

            Almost immediately you reach the first to two spur boardwalks that exit right.  The first spur takes you to a peat dome.  An interpretive sign tells you that peat domes form when underground springs swell a peat deposit with water.  The sign also warns of the 17 foot deep mud that lies just off of the boardwalk here.

Confluence of Fleming Creek and Huron River

            Following the main loop a little further brings you to the second spur boardwalk.  This boardwalk leads to an overlook of Fleming Creek’s confluence with the Huron River where good waterfowl viewing can be had.  Continue following the main loop as it takes you through more nice floodplain forest.  At 1.2 miles, you close the loop.  Turn right to head back to the asphalt path, and then turn right again to retrace your steps past the historic mills to the parking lot and complete the hike.