National Parks Near Detroit! There’s so much more to the Wolverine State than Motown. In this article, More Than Just Parks gives you some exciting vacation destinations within a day’s drive of Detroit.
I’ve been to so many of these amazing places since retiring from teaching in 2018. Did I mention that I taught history? I spent a lifetime teaching about the history behind these momentous sites. Then I got to see them firsthand. And now I’m sharing the stories of these incredible places with you. It doesn’t get any better than that!
To be clear, these include national park sites (as in managed by the National Park Service) but not capital letter National Parks. To learn more about the difference between the various National Park Service designations check out our article that explains everything!
Now let’s go ahead with 4 reasons why you’ll want to hop in your car and make a day’s drive from Detroit to one of these truly amazing places.
Why Trust Us About National Parks Near Detroit?
You should probably know that we don’t just make this stuff up out of thin air. My sons have spent their entire adult lives exploring and filming America’s national parks and public lands.
As for me, I’m a retired lifelong educator and a proud dad of these two wonderful guys who are hopelessly obsessed with the national parks. I taught history for over a quarter of a century. Now I enjoy researching and writing articles for More Than Just Parks. I’m always on the hunt for topics where nature and history intersect so please feel free to share any ideas that you might have with me.
We’ve worked with the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, and the U.S. Forest Service for years creating films on important places and issues. Our work has been featured in leading publications all over the world and even some people outside of our immediate family call us experts on the national parks.
Meet The Parks Brothers
We’re Jim Pattiz and Will Pattiz, collectively known as the Pattiz Brothers (and sometimes the Parks Brothers) and we absolutely LOVE the national parks.
Our goal here at More Than Just Parks is to share the beauty of America’s national parks and public lands through stunning short films in an effort to get Americans and the world to see the true value in land conservation.
We hope you’ll follow our journey through the parks and help us to keep them the incredible places that they are. If you’re interested in joining the adventure then please sign up below!
Best National Parks Near Detroit
1. North Country National Scenic Trail
Distance From Detroit: Two hours via I-96 W.
The North Country National Scenic Trail provides visitors opportunities from bird watching to backpacking.
The trail traverses eight northern states and connects a host of natural, historic and cultural sites. You can see everything from small towns to larger cities, valleys to hilltops and much more.
If you’re planning to go then I recommend picking up The North Country Trail: The Best Walks, Hikes, and Backpacking Trips on America’s Longest National Scenic Trail by Ron Strickland.
In addition to a full overview of the trail’s tread in each state, the guide describes in detail forty of the NCT’s premier segments, with helpful information including easy-to-read trail descriptions, physical and navigation difficulties, trail highlights, hiking tips, and precise maps incorporating the latest GPS technology.
The History Of The North Country National Scenic Trail
In 1980, the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT) was authorized by Congress. It stretches 4,600 miles from upstate New Hampshire to its western terminus at Lake Sakakawea State Park.
The trail actually traversed seven states until 2019 when Vermont was added. The Vermont section is only about 70 miles long.
Across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP) the Trail primarily provides a wilderness experience. The UP’s prime scenery includes large lakes, old growth forests, rugged hills, numerous waterfalls and the colossal Lake Superior shoreline – all set amid some of the most remote, uninhabited country found on the North Country Trail.
The five-mile segment that is the Mackinac Bridge can be crossed on foot during the annual Mackinac Bridge Walk each Labor Day. In Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, the Trail winds through the expansive Manistee National Forest, and a wide variety of state and county parks, state forests, state game areas, small towns and urban areas. (Source: North Country Trail Association)
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2. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore | National Parks Near Detroit
Distance From Detroit: Five hours & 45 minutes via I-75 N.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore stretches 42 miles. It offers visitors the opportunity to marvel at its kaleidoscope cliffs as well as explore its pristine beaches, mammoth dunes, and seek out the quiet beauty of stunning waterfalls.
There are some great winter activities at Pictured Rocks. You can snowshoe through the woods, ice climb at Sand Point or enjoy more than 20 miles of cross-country skiing through a breathtaking landscape of different habitats and topography.
You can also view some amazing ice columns along the Pictured Rocks escarpment between Munising Falls and Sand Point along Sand Point Road.
Snowmobiling is another popular activity. Snowmobiles are permitted on unplowed park roads used by motorists in summer, as well as the frozen waters of Lake Superior and Grand Sable Lake.
RELATED: 10 INCREDIBLE Things To Do At Voyageurs National Park
3. River Raisin National Battlefield Park
Distance From Detroit: 36 minutes via I-75 S.
Most folks, especially from the great state of Texas, are familiar with the battle cry “Remember the Alamo.” What about “Remember the Raisin?”
The Battle of Raisin River was fought during the War of 1812. It began on August 15, 1812. General James Winchester’s Kentuckians attacked Frenchtown (now Monroe, Michigan) in order to secure much needed supplies. On January 18, 1813, Winchester’s men took the settlement.
British forces and their Native American allies counterattacked four days later, however, in what has become known as the Battle of the River Raisin. Winchester’s Kentucky troops were forced to retreat.
After the battle, some of these troops were taken prisoner and marched northwards. However, between forty and sixty-five of the wounded Americans were killed by Native American troops. Because of these atrocities, “Remember the Raisin” became a rallying cry for America during the War of 1812.
To learn more about what became known as the “Second American War For Independence” I would recommend The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict, Bicentennial Edition by Donald R. Hickey.
RELATED: 10 BEST Revolutionary War Sites In America
Things To Do At River Raisin
At River Raisin, you have an opportunity to walk the hallowed grounds and final resting place for many of the fallen soldiers. Visitors will see the historical markers while there. Southeast Michigan, believe it or not, witnessed the greatest defeat for the United States in the War of 1812.
It was here that the largest number of prisoners of war ever be taken by a foreign power from within the United States and the largest number of American soldiers killed during any single battle of the War of 1812 occurred.
The Battlefield is the site of the greatest victory for the largest Native Nation alliance ever assembled in the United States. They came to defend their lands against foreign invaders.
Their victory, however, ultimately led to their forced removal.
RELATED: 10 BEST Civil War Sites In America
You Can Enjoy The River Raisin Heritage Trail
On a lighter note, the River Raisin Heritage Trail has eight miles of paved biking and hiking trails which provide scenic routes. Visitors can walk, run, cycle and/or in-line skate on this trails.
The trail connects major historic sites, state and local parks, nationally significant buildings and ecological features.
RELATED: 4 GREAT Wisconsin National Parks (Helpful Tips + Photos)
4. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore | National Parks Near Detroit
Distance From Detroit: Four hours & 15 minutes via I-75 N.
There are some wonderful things to see and do at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. If you’re a first-timer then I recommend that you begin your visit at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center. There you can pick up maps, watch an informative slide show and ask the park rangers questions.
The park features 64 miles of curving sand shorelines and the largest dunes east of the Mississippi. There’s also scenic hiking through hardwood forests, climbing up to beautiful bluffs and paddling along crystal clear rivers. Did I mention the biking and camping options?
There are 21 lakes at the Sleeping Bear Dunes. It’s a great place to go fishing. Inland lakes like Otter, Bass, and Glen Lake provide great spots for catching trout, bluegill and perch.
You can even explore an island. The Mishe-Mokwa (Mother Bear) ferry at Manitou Island Transit will take you to South Manitou Island where you can explore its tall lighthouse, giant cedars, shipwrecks and isolated beaches.
If you prefer a bike to a boat then there’s 22 miles of biking trails along the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail. This biking trail conveniently connects to the kid-friendly Dune Climb, iconic Glen Haven and fun eateries and ships as well as the beach towns of Empire and Glen Arbor.
CHECK OUT: 3 EPIC Vermont National Parks For Your Visit To The Green Mountain State
5. The Automotive Hall Of Fame
Distance From Detroit: 18 minutes via I-94 W.
Okay, so it’s not a national park site. Remember: We’re More Than Just Parks so we’re giving you a little something extra. And why not given the history of the Motor City.
The Automotive Hall of Fame is an American museum and hall of fame celebrating the men and women whose automotive innovations changed the world and revolutionized the transportation industry.
This museum, located in the metro Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, houses cars, displays and changing exhibits. The Hall of Honor contains an 11-foot (3.4 m)-high and 65-foot (20 m)-long mural painted with 90 images to celebrate the impact of the motor vehicle on the world’s culture.
And if you love cars and want to learn more about them then check out The Life of the Automobile: The Complete History of the Motor Car by Steven Parissien.
Readers learn the grand and turbulent history of the motor car, from its earliest appearance in the 1880s―as little more than a powered quadricycle―and the innovations of the early pioneer carmakers. The author examines the advances of the interwar era, the Golden Age of the 1950s, and the iconic years of the 1960s to the decades of doubt and uncertainty following the oil crisis of 1973, the global mergers of the 1990s, the bailouts of the early twenty-first century, and the emergence of the electric car.
While You’re Visiting The Automotive Hall Of Fame Why Not Check Out The Henry Ford Museum Too
And, it gets even better than that because right next door to the Automotive Hall of Fame is The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.
It recounts the story of American innovation and history across 250 acres, over 300 years and with the aid of 26 million artifacts, some of the buildings that were physically moved from their original locations in Ohio, Georgia and even Switzerland.
There are 4 unique attractions which include: a repository of artifacts from 19th century household items to JFK’s presidential limo; Greenfield Village with its incredible collection of historic buildings such as the Wright Brothers’ Cycle Shop; the Ford Rouge Factory Tour and the Giant Screen Experience theatre.
If you love cars or history or both than it doesn’t get any better than the Henry Ford Museum. From JFK’s limousine to the bus that Rosa Parks rode on to Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park Complex and the Wright Brothers Cycle Shop, it’s all there for you to see.
CHECK OUT: 25 Bucket List FAMOUS Landmarks Across America
Map Of National Parks Near Detroit
List Of National Parks Near Detroit
- North Country National Scenic Trail
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
- River Raisin National Battlefield Park
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
- The Automotive Hall Of Fame
Our goal here at More Than Just Parks is to share the beauty of America’s national parks and public lands through stunning short films in an effort to get Americans and the world to see the true value in land conservation.
We hope you’ll follow our journey through the parks and help us to keep them the incredible places that they are. If you’re interested in joining the adventure then please sign up below!
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