Introducing #ParksUnknown: Exploring the 5 Least-Visited State Parks Near Detroit
- Dan Cooke
- Jan 29, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 12
Tired of crowded trails, full parking lots, and impossible-to-book reservations? Then do we have a treat for you. Introducing Expedition Detroit's new #ParksUnknown series, starting with highlighting the 5 least-visited parks near Detroit!
"I can't believe that I've lived my whole life here and have never been here."
If only we could monetize that sentence... To this day I have yet to lead an Expedition Detroit guided hike and not hear some iteration of awe, surprise, or disbelief regarding the extent of world-class outdoor destinations that are, apparently, hiding in plain sight throughout our region. For both first-time visitors and lifelong residents alike, the vast majority of our parks and trails remain completely unknown.
The paradox behind that phenomena though is that the Detroit region, as a whole, is no stranger to visiting outdoor recreation destinations. According to recent reports provided directly to Expedition Detroit by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Belle Isle State Park experienced the largest amount of visitors of any Michigan state park in 2023 - approximately 5,587,381 visitors. Of the top 10 most visited Michigan State Parks and Recreation Areas, which collectively accounted for 47% of all state park visitations in 2023, 4 are located within Metro Detroit (Belle Isle, Island Lake Recreation Area, William C. Sterling State Park, and Waterloo Recreation Area). Yet even our guided trips to those uber-popular parks typically comprise of first-time visitors.
EXPLORE BELLE ISLE STATE PARK WITH EXPEDITION DETROIT
Since the genesis of our enterprise, we have actively sought out the Detroit region's outdoor destinations and experiences that the mainstream outdoor rec community have blatantly, and even offensively, disregarded. We didn't adopt the name "Expedition" Detroit to be ironic or cute, as many early deniers of our platform suggested. Several of our region's parks and trails that were established in the mid-20th century have fallen into a state of neglect and disrepair. Often times, it truly requires an expedition-worthy degree of planning, knowledge, endurance, and skill to recreate in our region's wildest places.
With #ParksUnknown, our goal is to shine a spotlight on the Detroit region's destinations that have fallen into a state of obscurity. This series will outfit you with the requisite knowledge for visiting those parks, trails, and waterways that have escaped the attention of the larger outdoor world.
If we owned a crystal ball, we'd be willing to bet that the popularity of these "unknown destinations" will rise in stride with the expansion of Michigan's outdoor recreation industry. Stated differently, if you're aching to avoid mainstream crowds like the plague throughout 2025, then the time is NOW to visit our #ParksUnknown destinations.
Without further delay, let's kick off this new series with these 5 least-visited state parks near Detroit.
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