Stony Creek Metropark

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Stony Creek Metropark is a Huron-Clinton Metropark located predominantly in Washington Township, MI and Oakland Charter Township, MI, with a small portion in Shelby Township, MI. The park covers 4,461 acres (18.05 km²) with a large lake at its center.

1 Geography
2 Activities
3 Wildlife
4 Tara Lynn Grant Murder
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Geography

Stony Creek Metropark completely surrounds a man-made lake built by damming Stony Creek, a tributary of the Clinton River. Stony Creek drains 72 square miles (116 km²) of northern Oakland County and the lake formed from the dams covers 500 acres (2.0 km²).

Stony Creek Metropark is situated on a moraine which makes for varied landscape. The park has forests, hills, prairies, as well as swamps. The park is also relatively high above sea level, 875 feet (267 m) at the park office. Although a visitor can see downtown Detroit (26 miles away) from the park office, it is not the highest point in Macomb County, as many people believe. Trombley Mountain, located in the Ford Proving Grounds (Bruce Township), is 1,150 feet (350 m) above sea level - the highest point in Macomb County.

[edit] Activities

Stony Creek has a vast amount of trails in four different locations around the park. There are 14 miles (22.5 km) of mountain biking/hiking trails located on the grounds of a former estate, of which the foundations are still visible. There are another 8.5 miles (13.7 km) of hiking trails near the nature center, and over 6 miles (10 km) of foot trails near Inwood lake. Additionally, there is a 6.2 mile (10 km) paved trail that circles Stony Creek lake which is popular with joggers, inline-skaters, and bicyclists.

Stony Creek Metropark also has:

A 6,981-yard (6,383 m), 18-hole golf course
Snowboarding, sledding and tobogganning hills
Two beaches on Stony Creek lake, one of which (Eastwood) features life guards
Picnic areas with basketball courts, baseball fields, playgrounds, and beach volleyball courts
Nature center
Ice skating rink
24-hole disc golf course
Boat launch
Rowboats, paddleboats, canoes, and kayaks available for rent
Cross country skiing trails and ski rentals

[edit] Wildlife

The park is reestablishing an osprey population in south-eastern Michigan. There are also wild turkeys, deer, and other animals one can expect in south-east Michigan in the park. Birding is encouraged with the nature center maintaining a species list.

[edit] Tara Lynn Grant Murder

In early 2007, some body parts of Tara Lynn Grant were found hidden in the nearby forest at Stony Creek. They were discovered by the Macomb County Sheriff Department during the manhunt for Stephen Grant.^[1]

[edit] References

^ Police Search for Tara Grant's Body Parts. The Detroit Free Press. Retrieved on 2007-03-07.

[edit] External links

v • d • e Huron-Clinton Metroparks

Dehli • Dextor-Huron • Hudson Mills • Huron Meadows • Indian Springs • Kensington • Lake Erie • Lower Huron • Metro Beach • Oakwoods • Stony Creek • Wolcott Mill • Willow

:See also: Tourism in metropolitan Detroit

v • d • e Metro Detroit

Topics	Architecture • Celebrities • Culture • Economy • History • Historic Places • International Riverfront • Lake St. Clair • Media • Metroparks & beaches • Music • Sports • Theatre • Tourism

Central city	Detroit

Suburbs (over 80,000)	Canton Township • Clinton Township • Dearborn • Livonia • Sterling Heights • Troy • Warren • Westland

Suburbs (50,000 to 80,000)	Dearborn Heights • Farmington Hills • Grosse Pointe • Macomb Township • Novi • Pontiac • Redford Township • Rochester Hills • Royal Oak • Saint Clair Shores • Shelby Township • Southfield • Taylor • Waterford Township • West Bloomfield Township

Outlying focus cities	Ann Arbor • Brighton • Flint • Howell • Lapeer • Monroe • Port Huron • Windsor, Ontario

Counties in MSA	Lapeer • Livingston • Macomb • Oakland • St. Clair • Wayne

Counties in CSA	Genesee • Monroe • Washtenaw

:See also: Michigan