Rotary Park — Attraction in Detroit

This is one of my favorite local parks but unfortunately it has a few problems you should be aware of.

First it has some great walking trails but you'll need to keep yourself oriented because you may become lost. A lot of the trail markers are old and some people have even knocked them down or switched them entirely. Just be prepared if you get lost for a bit, it's not the end of the world though since you're still in the city so you can use your phone to see your GPS location or download a compass app if you can't see the sun. For first timers I recommend taking a right when you enter the trailhead and then stick to the loop that goes around the outer perimeter of the park.

Second is that even though it's illegal a lot of people let their dogs off-leash. I've lost count of how many times me and my dogs have been charged by dogs here over the years. Luckily, so far none of my dogs have been injured but it is a ongoing problem and you should be prepared. I've tried to politely ask and educate these owners but many don't care, feel entitled, or become hostile . I've even tried to file a complaint with the city but it's a hard thing to enforce since so many people visit daily. I suspect most are local residents that live around the park and access the trails from their local subdivisions.

Despite these issues it's still a beautiful local nature area with some wonderful old beeches and maples. When the water is low enough it's fun to visit the creek and look for frogs and crayfish. There's lot of sand bars close to some of the trails so you don't have to get too wet to get around. You might even see some deer playing and chasing each other during the early morning on late evening.

Anyways it's worth a visit but just be mindful and please respect...

Easy to find. This park is in a 1 mile square between 6 and 7 Mile and Merriman and Farmington Roads. The entrance to the trails is easy to find. It starts out great; the trails are wide, and it is very pretty.

But the trails are not well marked, there are no signs. The only map is at the very beginning and very useless. Some tress have colored blotches painted on them, but these are irregular the farther you walk. There are many plank bridges placed by Eagle Scouts.

At first the trails are dark soil but soon change to very sandy ground. There is a creek you can walk along. It’s a branch of the Middle Rouge, I think the Tarabusi Creek. Hoards of mosquitos live here. I have over 20 itchy burning bites. My fault, I should have worn bug spray, if I had been planning to go. Who knew such sandy soil existed in the middle of Livonia?

Then you realize you are lost, walking in circles, and and the mosquitos are feasting, having invited all their friends. A red tailed hawk was following, probably to catch the squirrels and chipmunks I was disturbing. A few times the trail ended in backyards.

Obviously, I did finally escape. Later I heard this park is notorious for people being lost.

This is a pretty trail. Bring water. Wear gallons of bug spray.

Eagle Scout, your next project should provide better trail markers and directions. Maybe maps along the trails, telling us...

This used to be a nice nature trail at one time. However, now it's a dog doo trail. I couldn't believe the amount of filth on that trail. Everyone walks their dogs, and rarely clean up after them, even though the city kindly provides poo bags at the entrance. Not only that, a woman was walking a pit bull, and it lunged unprovoked at one of the elderly men in my hiking group. Plenty of pit bull owners on the trail, and some owners refuse to leash the dogs. Dog feces are known to carry diseases such as norovirus, Pasteurella, Salmonella, Brucella, Yersinia enterocolitica, Campylobacter, Capnocytophaga, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Coxiella burnetii, Leptospira, Staphylococcus intermedius and Methicillin resistance staphylococcus. NO WAY would I take children to walk here or play in the park due to the pit bull owners and dog filth. Unless you want to risk your child getting mauled by an uleashed dog, or getting ill from the amount of dog waste. If you go, be sure to take a bleach wipe on your shoe before getting in your car, or better yet change your shoes and throw the walking shoes...