Hadley Hills

Hike Name: Hadley Hills Location: southeast MI Length: 25 Submitted by: Dave LaPorte Date Submitted: 9/9/08 Rating:	more Michigan trail reviews Michigan national parks Michigan state parks
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Description
The Hadley Hills are part of the Ortonville Recreation Area of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. This area in SE Michigan is north of Ortonville and south of Hadley where Oakland, Genesee and Lapeer Counties meet.

The best paths in the park are the equestrian trail system that starts in the horse campground off Fox Lake Rd. The trails are well marked with numbered points at regular intervals. The terrain is quite varied. There are ponds, streams, meadows, canyons and some really huge marshes. A hike in the Hadley Hills is like a roller coaster ride. It's fairly tame at first, with the hills getting progressively steeper as you go.

A typical hike will climax with an ascent of Pinnacle Peak (or is it Pinnacle Point?). The approach from the north, by disregarding arrows that steer you west as you near the summit, is the steepest climb I can think of in Michigan. At the top, there are ruins of a stone observation tower. There are other old stone structures throughout the park. A variety of connected loops allows for the hike to be customized for length and degree of difficulty.

The best seasons, in my opinion are spring and fall. There are spectacular wild flowers in spring. The hardwoods provide a wide spectrum of fall colors in mid October. In winter, the hills can be quite slippery. So be prepared. In summer, the wetlands produce a plague of bugs, most notably mosquitos and deer flies. Cover your head.

This is generally a very quiet area, which is rare in SE Michigan. The only annoyance is that it is within ear shot of a shooting range. Also, it can get trashed up during hunting season.

Enjoy.

Directions to Hike
From M-15 in Ortonville, take Oakwood east to Hadley Rd. Go north on Hadley Rd to Fox Lake Rd. Go east on Fox Lake Rd about one mile to the equestrian campground on the right. MI DNR park fees apply.

Contact Information
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

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