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Pinckney Recreation Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,766 Google reviews · Running trail in Pinckney, Michigan · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Distance
- 40 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Pinckney Recreation Area'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.
Several fishing lakes plus biking & hiking trails galore adorn this 11,000-acre park with camping.
What runners say about Pinckney Recreation Area
“Bathrooms by the lake still unlocked and clean Nov 1!”
“Dexter and the surrounding farm areas are just so beautiful and serene.”
“Dexter and the surrounding farm areas are just so beautiful and serene.”
It is one of my favorite hiking and trail running spots in Michigan, with an easy 30 min drive from where I live Ann Arbor. Lots of parking and flexibility for distance, with small loops like 4 miles, 8 miles if you include some parts, and up to ~18 miles for the full Potawatomi trail, which I ran once while training…
I rented a yurt here, which was a little way down the road from this location on it's own private gated drive into the woods. It's very private, except for a walking trail that goes through the property, but we only saw a few people using it, and the little creek down the hill from the yurt.
The Pinckney Recreation is one of my favorite areas in all of Michigan for hiking. It's full of beautiful forests, wetlands, and wildlife. There is a vast network of trails here. The Waterloo-Pinckney trail is the main trail, but there are dozens of other loops and legs to explore.
Had a super great time tent camping here! Stayed at site H7 and got to hear the frogs croaking through the night, which I loved!! Also, found some good hiking not too far away and found a lot of cool critters (frogs, snakes, woodpeckers, butterfly’s).
Trail conditions & character
“Dexter and the surrounding farm areas are just so beautiful and serene.”
“Stay on left side of area as bathrooms are in a line in parking lot only on left side, not sure why they put a couple on right side of lot?”
“Dexter and the surrounding farm areas are just so beautiful and serene.”
“It's very private, except for a walking trail that goes through the property, but we only saw a few people using it, and the little creek down the hill from the yurt.”
“Stay on left side of area as bathrooms are in a line in parking lot only on left side, not sure why they put a couple on right side of lot?”
“Home of the beautiful 17 mile Potowatomi trail.”
Plan your run at Pinckney Recreation Area
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- Distance40 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitemichigandnr.com
- Phone(734) 426-4913
- 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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