Trailblaze Detroit: Blazing New Trails while Backpacking Metro Detroit

Sunlight gently breaks through the thick canopy above as you take your first steps into the dense forest shrouding the Chief Pontiac Trail. Spring's fresh growth covers the forest floor, hiding coveted mushrooms and other wonders of the surrounding woods. A bald eagle flies overhead, welcoming you to a domain rarely visited by Metro Detroit's locals and guests alike.

Now in its 68th year, this well-worn backpacking trail through the heart of Metro Detroit has experienced firsthand every era of our region's recreational ark. From the automotive picnicking heyday of the 1950s and 60s to the lull of the turn of the millennium and post-Covid resurgence, the Chief Pontiac Trail has hosted scouting groups and intrepid local explorers alike for generations. While certain segments of the Chief Pontiac Trail have remained as popular as ever, vast sections of the traditional 16.5 mile thru-hiking route have depreciated from neglect - or been abandoned altogether.

For the Trailblaze Detroit Team - an adventure-travel collaboration between Expedition Detroit and Visit Detroit - the trail's current state provides an unmatched opportunity to lean into our namesake and blaze a new route of the Chief Pontiac Trail. Still linking the traditional route's three parks, but introducing a "Pure Michigan Trail Town" and its world-class amenities to the trail.

Okay, Trailblaze readers - let's go backpacking through Metro Detroit along a reimagined Chief Pontiac Trail!

Fresh Take on a Classic Route: Reimagining the Chief Pontiac Trail for the Modern Backpacker

Total Miles: 16.9 miles

Elevation Gain: 964 feet

Initial Trailhead: Highland State Recreation Area

Camping Location: Proud Lake State Recreation Area

Terminus Trailhead: Kensington Metropark

Our "Trailblaze Detroit reroute" of the Chief Pontiac Trail begins just as it always has: in the heart of Highland State Recreation Area in White Lake, Michigan. As you commute to the trailhead, you may find yourself surprised at the surplus of modern, suburban amenities that surround you along M-59. For fans of the Trailblaze series, you'll even spot the familiar sight of Alpine Valley Ski Area directly across the highway from the state park entrance.

You'll be equally surprised by how quickly those sights and sounds dissipate as you enter the park and venture towards the trailhead. Highland State Recreation is home to nearly 6,000 acres of Metro Detroit's wildest and most accessible terrain. Even though major urban centers like Pontiac are within cycling distance, Highland's rolling terrain and wildlife-dense wetlands create the delightful illusion that you have crossed into a wilderness area never before touched by civilization.

Here are the "Highlights of Highland," your first destination along the Chief Pontiac Trail:

• Popular Activities: Mountain Biking, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Hunting, Fishing, and Paddling
• Trails: 45 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails
• Namesake: Highland is named after the several glacial moraines that form the park's "highlands," with the tallest being Mt. Kanzer (1,060 feet)
• Hidden Gem: Haven Hill Natural Area, the former estate of Edsel Ford and a National Natural Landmark.

While in Highland Recreation Area, the first 4 miles of the Chief Pontiac Trail will follow the traditional trail's route. Beginning on the outskirts of the historic Haven Hill Natural Area, the Highland section crosses under Duck Lake Road through the classic "Tunnel Trail" and directly next to the famous Highland Mountain Biking Trailhead sign (recently renovated for the 30th anniversary of the mountain biking trail system). You will also reach the highest elevation of the entire Chief Pontiac Trail while hiking up and over Mt. Omich (1,133 feet).

The Trailblaze reroute begins directly east of Mt. Kanzer, the tallest of all of Highland's towering moraines (1,160 feet). You will deviate away from Highland's "West Loop" to the Mount Kanzer/Milford Connector Trail, a recent trail addition intended to divert pedestrian and cyclist traffic away from narrow country roads. This trail deviation further serves to lead backpackers to Michigan's newest "Pure Michigan Trail Town": the Village of Milford, Michigan.

While the Chief Pontiac Trail has changed dramatically since its inauguration in 1958, one constant aspect of the trail remains camping at Proud Lake State Recreation Area. While the traditional route leads backpackers along several miles of dangerous "road hiking," our reroute conveniently - and most importantly, safely - accesses Proud Lake just outside of the quietest streets of Downtown Milford.

There are two camping options for backpackers at Proud Lake Recreation Area, depending on your affiliation:

• For youth organizational groups, the Lower and Upper Pines Campgrounds are available for special reservation with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
• For all other backpacking affiliations, Proud Lake's main Modern Campground is available for online reservation, also available for recreational vehicle reservation or conventional camping getaways.

While you may be tempted to just pitch your tent and crawl into your sleeping bag after a long day of hiking, we strongly encourage you to utilize the overnight at Proud Lake to explore more of its 3,000 acres.

Here are Proud Lake's "can't miss" recreational gems, which absolutely require a return visit:

• Kayaking the park's segments of the Huron River National Water Trail
• Mountain biking through Proud Lake's new MTB loops
• Fishing around Moss Lake Dam
• Hiking the one mile loop around the Proud Lake Marsh
• Horseback riding along the park's extensive trail system

Regardless of any "add-on adventures" that you may tack on to a full first day on the Chief Pontiac Trail, we guarantee that you'll nod off to sleep in your tent with two main thoughts circulating in your head:

First, an unbridled sense of accomplishment from a full day of adventure.

Second - and especially as nature's lullaby fills your tent - a complete disbelief that you're a mere 40 minute drive away from the bustle of Downtown Detroit.

For nearly 70 years, Boy Scouts that successfully complete the Chief Pontiac Trail have received special medals containing the following honorary inscription: "WALKED IN CHIEF PONTIAC'S STEPS."

Will you receive the iconic medal for successfully backpacking the Chief Pontiac Trail? Well, unless you're an active Boy Scout, probably not. But as you rise from your tent on the second day of your adventure through Metro Detroit, you will absolutely be walking in Chief Pontiac's steps as you traverse the final, storied miles of the trail. The same route that generations of Detroit region backpackers have followed across Proud Lake's formidable marshlands, over its challenging moraines, and into the rolling fields of Kensington Metropark.

If you embarked upon the Chief Pontiac Trail in search of a true "wilderness escape," then congratulations - you've arrived at your destination. After crossing Wixom Road, all signs of civilization are quickly engulfed within Proud Lake's dense growth and towering pines. Then, just over a mile into the day's trek, you're faced with the true crux of the trail: crossing the seemingly-impenetrable Norton Creek marshlands.

But wait, there's more. Once through the marshlands, the trail rewards your indomitable spirit with the sharpest, most prolonged climb of the trail. Mountain bikers zip past you as you complete this climb, surprised at the sight of a non-biker venturing this far into the woods. This is easily the most difficult section of the trail from both a physical and mental perspective. Take your time, follow your map, and enjoy the challenge of a legitimate backcountry experience found in the heart of Metro Detroit.

And then, right when you start to wonder if the Chief Pontiac Trail might just push you beyond your limit, you finally see it: a long decline towards Old Plank Road, the official boundary between Proud Lake State Recreation Area and Kensington Metropark. You've made it to your third, and final, park of the trail.

Kensington Metropark is a Detroit region outdoor destination that hardly requires an introduction. With over 4,500 acres of protected recreational prowess, the Metropark receives nearly 3 million visitors each year that enjoy the following amenities:

• Hiking, biking, and equestrian trails weaving through over 700 acres of forests, fields, fens, and swamps
• Boating, paddling, and fishing along the Huron River and massive Kent Lake
• Tee times at its 18 hole golf course
• Family-friendly exhibits and events at its Nature Center and Farm Center
• Playgrounds and beaches
• Ultimate summer fun at "Splash ‘n’ Blast" water park

With its abundance of amenities - and impressive visitation figures - readers of this article might be surprised to have only just learned that the Chief Pontiac Trail crosses through the beloved metropark. If you fall into that camp, then know that you're far from being alone. In fact, that sentiment is representative of one of the best aspects of the Chief Pontiac Trail experience: leading backpackers through the least-visited segments of an extremely popular metropark.

As you complete the Chief Pontiac Trail, you'll enjoy stunning natural vistas that remain hidden from the majority of visitors to Kensington. From rolling grasslands to stunning explosions of wildflowers and dramatic ridge lines, the dramatic approach to the Huron River provides a gorgeous finale to your long morning on the trail.

A final descent to Kensington's "Group Campground" illuminates the finish line of the Chief Pontiac trail: the Group Camp Road Bridge over the Huron River. In true Detroit fashion, there's no glitzy sign or over-hyped fanfare waiting for you at the end of the trail. Instead, nearly 20 miles of backpacking through the heart of Metro Detroit provides you with the following rewards:

• A lifetime of memories gathered in two days
• Unmatched sense of accomplishment and adventure
• Lasting awe and affinity towards the beauty of Metro Detroit's outdoors
• Shattered expectations regarding "Pure Michigan" trail experiences
• Stunning views of the shining Huron River

Congratulations on walking in Chief Pontiac's steps, Detroit.

We can't wait to see you at another trailhead soon.

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Trailblaze Detroit is a multimedia series co-produced by Visit Detroit and Expedition Detroit. The core purpose of the series is to promote outdoor adventure tourism and discovery throughout Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties, as well as highlight the Detroit region's natural spaces, seasonal activities, hidden outdoor gems, and the individuals that support them.

Are you interested in using adventure marketing to promote your organization or business? Awesome - we're here to help! Contact us at info@expeditiondetroit.com or 734.821.6416 to learn more.