Township to celebrate grand opening of Paint Creek Junction

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP — The public is invited to celebrate and explore the township’s new trailhead at Paint Creek Junction Park, north of Adams and Orion roads, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the Paint Creek Trail.

The Oakland Township Parks and Recreation Commission and the Paint Creek Trailways Commission are hosting the official grand opening of the park and trailhead on National Trails Day. The ceremony, which is open to the public, will begin at 11 a.m. Sunday, June 3, at the park, 2210 Orion Road in Oakland Township. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held at the Paint Creek Cider Mill, 4480 Orion Road.

“We hope people do come and get out on the new trail and see the new park, if they haven’t yet,” said Eryn Grupido, the administrative assistant for the Paint Creek Trailways Commission.

Oakland Township Parks and Recreation Director Mindy Milos-Dale said community members can help inaugurate Oakland Township’s newest park facilities with activities that highlight the park’s railroad and trolley history, a ribbon-cutting and recognition ceremony, light refreshments, and railroad-themed giveaways.

“There will be a representative from the Oakland Township Historical Society that is going to talk about the history of the parcel, because it is interesting that we had both the railroad running on the west side of the parcel and the Detroit United Railway running on the east side of the parcel at one point,” said Milos-Dale.

The township’s Parks and Recreation Commission purchased the 6-acre parcel in 2003 to allow for future trail connections between the Bald Mountain State Recreation Area, the Paint Creek Trail and Marsh View Park.

The land, which was renamed from Marsh View Connector to Paint Creek Junction Park in February 2015, was undeveloped.

The Oakland Township Parks and Recreation Department opened the new trailhead, north of Adams and Orion roads, to service the northern part of the Paint Creek Trail in October 2022.

“We always knew there was a need at the north end of the trail — it was just locating the right parcel to do this,” Milos-Dale explained. “This parcel is in a great location. Not only does it service, generally, the north end of the trail, but it’s not that far from the fishing access area on Paint Creek. It’s not that far from the connector that goes from the Paint Creek Trail onward, so it’s a good parking area for people,” said Milos-Dale.

The park includes a 35-space universally accessible parking lot with horse trailer parking, an access trail, two unisex universally accessible vault toilets, a well for water, a rain garden, a bike fix-it station and a picnic area. Interpretive signage incorporates the trail’s natural and cultural background — sharing information about the Paint Creek Trail’s railroad history, Paint Creek Junction’s section of the Detroit Urban Railroad, and how railroads contributed to the preservation of native prairie areas.

The Paint Creek Trail is part of the Polly Ann Trail System, as well as the Iron Belle Trail that’s over 700 miles long and goes from Ironwood, Michigan, to Belle Isle, in Detroit. The Paint Creek Trail also has great fishing access areas all along the trail.

The project cost around $400,000, with approximately 75% of the cost covered by grants — including a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Legacy Funds of the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, combined with funding from an Oakland Township parks and recreation millage and donations from Back to the Beach Runners and the Friends of the Paint Creek Trail. Milos-Dale said the township paid approximately $75,000-$100,000.

“I hope that people will include this in their Trail Day activities, whatever they may be. It would be really wonderful if we had people not only driving to the park for the grand opening, but maybe walking or biking from the Paint Creek trail, too,” Milos-Dale said.

Paint Creek Junction Park is located at 2210 Orion Road in Oakland Township. For more information, visit oaklandtownship.org or call (248) 651-7810.