It's Time to Rec and Roll

As we wake from our long winter slumber and dust the snow off our shoulders, for many of us the burning desire to get outside and do something is overwhelming.

Fortunately, for Brighton residents there many different ways to spend a beautiful Spring or Summer day out in the sunshine at one of the surrounding metroparks or state park recreation areas. Below are just a few of the activities that are offered at these facilities.

Bike Trails

Kensington Metropark has a 8.5 mile paved bike trail that circles around the picturesque Kent Lake. This trail isn't very difficult for most, but offers a nice ride over gently rolling hills with a few challenging climbs strewn throughout. If you go at either dawn or dusk you'll have a good chance of seeing some deer along your trek.

offers mountain bikers two very different trails to do some off-road shredding. The Murray Lake trail is a nine-mile-long moderate, single-track ride through scenic forests and grassy marshes. This trail is fairly beginner-friendly and has a few areas where riders can stop and take a break.

The Torn Shirt trail at Brighton State Recreation Area, however, is another beast. This six-mile expert trail earns its name for its narrow single track that often has riders twisting and turning through steep inclines and declines over rocky terrain with trees lining both sides that are so close that you could snag your shirt on them. This is not one for the faint of heart or for an inexperienced rider. Remember your bug spray for both of these trails.

 Boating and Fishing

Kensington Metropark offers rental kayaks, canoes, paddleboats and rowboats for $6-$12 per hour. If you have your own outboard motor, feel free to bring it for fishing, just be mindful of the horsepower restrictions the park has in place. A maximum of six horsepower motor is allowed to be used with the 12-foot rowboats and a 10 horsepower motor allowed on the 14-foot rowboats.

Renting a boat is a great way to do some fishing on beautiful Kent Lake. Expect to catch some bass, bluegill, black crappie, and yellow perch. There is no fishing on Kingfisher Lagoon or any of the posted areas of Wildwing Lake. Be sure to bring your 2011 fishing license with you.

Hiking Trail

There are numerous hiking trails of varying lengths and difficulties at the surrounding state recreation areas. At Island Lake Recreation Area one scenic moderate hiking trail that offers two different loops through a mature hardwood forest that hikers can enjoy. There is both a five- and a nine-mile loop. The hiking trail is shared with mountain bikers, so keep an eye out.

Disc Golf

Brighton is near smack-dab in the middle of what some refer to as a disc golf mecca. Within 20 miles there are six disc golf courses, with several more just beyond that radius. Kensington Metropark has the Black Locust disc golf course that was established in 2009. Many say the course favors right-handed forehand players due to the abundance of left-to-right shots. There are 27 holes all together, nine of them being the longer and more difficult, “Champion Nine.” It costs $2 to play or $50 for an annual bag tag that allows you to play at any metropark within the Huron-Clinton Park system.

Kensington also opens its temporary, “Toboggan Course” each year in late May in order to host the annual Amateur Nationals Tournament. The course offers huge elevation changes as players throw up and down mammoth hills that are utilized as toboggan runs in the wintertime, hence the name. Many golfers covet this temporary course as one of the best in the world. It is not for inexperienced players, with a difficult layout and unforgiving rough.

Hudson Mills Metropark has two beautiful, well-maintained courses for golfers to enjoy. The original course, established in 1992, offers both experienced as well as newer players a good challenge without being overtly difficult. There is a good variety of open and wooded holes that keeps the round interesting.

Kid-Oriented Activities

Kensington Metropark has its own mini waterpark to keep kids cool during those hot summer days. Splash and Blast, located at Martindale Beach costs $4 for adults and $3 for the kids, offering two 250-foot water slides and a jungle of snakes, palm trees and water cannons that spray water.

Kensington also has its Farm Center where kids can come and meet a variety of farm animals, including chickens, cattle, sheep and horses. Kid-oriented programs are often held at the Farm Center with topics such as maple-syrup making, farm animals and the origins of the foods we eat. Children can even take a hayride or a sleigh ride, depending on the season.

With an annual metropark pass costing $25 and or the new Michigan State Park Passport for $10, you and your family can have a very cost-effective way of staying active all summer, enjoying the sunshine and never being bored of doing the same thing old thing over and over again.