MCMBA: Settlers Park (Hartland)

[Sherpaboy]

Please post trail conditions or items here for the MCMBA Maintained Settlers Park Trails

[Hermannator]

Settler's Park in Hartland is open for riding. The trailhead can be found at the NW corner of the Meijer parking lot in Hartland. The trail is currently only 2 miles long, but plans are for two more loops resulting in a 5-6 mile system. When you enter the trail go clockwise. There are occasional flags. Please ignore the pink chalk paint some idiot sprayed on the trees to build a personal hiking loop. We hope to have signage next month. Some sections have easy/ difficult options that too need signage. The trail itself is fairly beginner friendly (some rocks and ridgelines) and shared with hikers. The current trail has a short-cut that allows you to ride it in a completed and fairly dry loop. If you travel north from the shortcut you pass though a low area and then across a hiking trail to a rockgarden and a nice long hill section. This can be ridden also as a loop back though a field but it returns you back through a real low swamp. The land manger will be proving fill for us to shore up this section and the other low section in the next few weeks (these sections are unavoidable). Hopefully by mid-May we can have a complete full dry loop and we will close the shortcut, but don't let that stop you from exploring now. The trail also connects to a bike path that takes you to a Pavillion/ bathrooms near the Township Hall as well as a connection to Hartland High School and Dunham Road. Gravel grinders will recognize that road as a connection to the wonderful Hartland/ Fenton / Holly gravel road system (just mile to the east). So you can mix some singletrack, gravel and pavement and make a day of it. The trail needs wearing in... We will be having a trail day the second Saturday of May to hopefully put the finishing touches on this loop.

[joemel08]

Rode the trail yesterday, pretty good start! It was short but still fun, a little overgrown in the grassy areas. Small amount of mud after the drainage ditch. If you have to go shopping go ride this loop.

[Hermannator]

Thanks- Were going to give it another mowing out there in a week or so. Waiting on the township to bring in some fill dirt for the low section I'm sure you discovered. Then we will give it a good mow and the township has promised to keep it maintained (not so sure about that, so we have a plan B). There are plans for another two loops out there with some 5-6 miles total and some hills in those two new loops. With the bathrooms near the future trailhead (3/4 down the paved path) it should be a great after work ride. Work in progress.

[GorillaCookies]

The trail was just mowed it’s in great condition. We need more riders to wear the trail in.

[Rider]

I was out there on Friday. Great job on the trail! Short and sweet. Definitely need to get more riders out there to wear in the singletrack.

[elangley]

I road over with my son yesterday to ride Settler's for the first time. Whomever did the layout, did a great job of space utilization. Even for having only 2 miles built, they have a few unique sections, in and out of dense trees to the open areas. It's a great start! There are a few rocks and roots that might need to be removed, from a safety perspective (hard to see, or in a turn that could catch a wheel/pedal, etc.). But, I'm sure if we get some more traffic the riders will establish the natural lines and some things will improve naturally. I think once complete this could rival Maybury, as it seems similar to the technical layout, and should be very close from a time/distance as well.
Could the trail coordinator please PM me? I'd like to see if I could support further maintenance, as I'm very local.
And please, if your reading this - head over and ride it! You can get 2-3 laps in around 30 minutes. New trails don't get built every day and we all need to support opportunities like this to ride new trails.

[Hermannator]

Thanks for the nice kudos. I'll PM you...

[Karter59]

Just rode the trail. In good shape and a good start. Was having fun until I ran into a cranky old man who thought the trail was for hiking only. I dont think he understood the trail is a loop and not separate trails. A map at trailhead would help in this case.

[Hermannator]

Karter59- Thanks for the info. Saw your comment on strava and wondering about that situation. There is a map planned for the trailhead, just going through the channels to get it. If the old man had just looked at the sign posts carefully he could have figured it out, but you never know. Starting to lay out loop #2 this fall to add 3 more miles on the trail. That should thin out the hiking traffic...

[elangley]

Road here last week. The trail is wearing in quite well! I cannot wait to see what the 2nd phase will bring - any chance the TC will post a preliminary trail map for the new stuff planned?

[Hermannator]

Elsngley- Pm me or find me on Facebook (Tom Hermann) and I’ll send you a copy of the proposal. Thanks.

[Hermannator]

Settlers Park (Hartland) loop 2 has been mowed and cut. It still needs some raking, bench cutting and a bridge to be built (over a dry gulley) as well as a minor reroute in the field section. It is open to riding and exploring. There will be signage coming sometime in May. It it linked to the existing loop at its extreme west point, and can be accessed by the paved path three times. The trail is intended to be ridden clockwise (as the 1st loop is). This trail will add 3.2 miles to the existing 2.1 miles of loop 1. The final loop will be about a mile (giving a total of 6+ miles) and will be completed for next year. Here is a strava trace of the route of loop 2. https://www.strava.com/activities/22555 ... i_pob2MfDY

Here is a map of loop 1. https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/704011 ... park-trail
Though Loop 1 is not even a year old, it has had quite a bit of use and is wearing in nicely.

The field sections of Loop 2 are quite rough, but will smooth out with riding.

[elangley]

Got a peak of most of the Loop 2 work yesterday with my son. As mentioned, it's quite ruff and has some lower lying areas that was very damp. But, a good portion of the sections between the trees is great already. Hopefully the city will let the Tom and the trail maintenance team(s) get some larger equipment brought in. Having a large rototiller would be fantastic in the open field crossings - getting those area flattened out and more rideable would really help traffic and peoples use of the new area. But, really, great job so far!

[Hermannator]

Thanks for the report Eric. We are planning some (5) reroutes before we put the signage up and call the loop totally open. The field sections are currently a "working document" so to speak. The rain has exposed the places where we have to reroute. The good news is only one wooded section needs a minor reroute. As for the bumpy fields, the township has actually offered to pay for a rototiller to be used on the trail. Just have not got a chance to take them up on that offer. Also lack a vehicle to get a large rental rototiller out there. But I have considered it and may do so this summer if I can make arrangements.