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Meridian-Baseline Historic State Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 155 Google reviews · Running trail in Pleasant Lake, Michigan · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Distance
- 2 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Meridian-Baseline Historic State Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Nature area featuring wetlands and wooded pathways leading to a pair of survey markers in a line.
What runners say about Meridian-Baseline Historic State Park
“It's a very rustic park in the middle of nowhere but the pathway is well maintained and the woodland is a marvel.”
“The trail was very well maintained and graced on both sides by wildflowers and gorgeous wetlands.”
“Quiet trail with a few benches and forest openings that make it a birding hotspot.”
It's somewhat hilarious this place exists, but I'm glad it does. This is a state park that highlights a mistake that was made in Michigan land surveying in 1824. The north-south meridian had been mostly surveyed in 1815, but then two baseline intersections were made in 1824.
What a neat little stop, it is a short walk to two different circle markers. It felt... Haunted. We kept hearing stuff all around us, we saw a person down towards the other marker. It is almost exactly 1000 feet apart in a very straight line. We turned around for a second and the person was gone.
I stumbled upon this small park purely by chance. The trail was very well maintained and graced on both sides by wildflowers and gorgeous wetlands. The Meridian markers were fascinating with one in particular on an elevated platform due to the fact that it was placed in the wetlands.
These two baseline monuments establish the No/So meridian (mid-line) of the state of Michigan. Imagine! Every township border or section in this state tie directly back to these two monuments. It's a very rustic park in the middle of nowhere but the pathway is well maintained and the woodland is a marvel.
Trail conditions & character
“The Meridian markers were fascinating with one in particular on an elevated platform due to the fact that it was placed in the wetlands.”
“The trail was very well maintained and graced on both sides by wildflowers and gorgeous wetlands.”
“Quiet trail with a few benches and forest openings that make it a birding hotspot.”
“No restrooms, so go somewhere with those facilities first if you need to do that before you get there!”
Plan your run at Meridian-Baseline Historic State Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- Distance2 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadrestrooms — reported by runners
- Websitewww2.dnr.state.mi.us
- Phone(734) 475-8307
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 8 AM–10 PM |
| Tuesday | 8 AM–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 8 AM–10 PM |
| Thursday | 8 AM–10 PM |
| Friday | 8 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 8 AM–10 PM |
| Sunday | 8 AM–10 PM |
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