A 100+ acre park will be built in southeast Michigan.

Following years of planning and debate, off-road fans in the mitten state’s southeast corner will soon have a place to call their own. As part of a long-term goal of the Statewide Trail ORV Plan, the DNR wanted to create an opportunity for legal, public off-road vehicle recreation in the area.

Set to consist of former (and active!) sand and gravel mines, the park will be situated between I-75 and Dixie Highway across from Groveland Oaks County Park and Campground. The park will be open to all types of ORVs, including full-size rigs, side-by-sides, ATVs, and bikes. A self-supporting park is the goal, so expect a daily entry fee of around $15 or $25 per vehicle. An ORV license and trail permit will be needed, too. Good news – there will be no requirement for a recreation passport or the Oakland County parks and rec annual vehicle permit.

“This park has been a long time in the making,” said Dan Stencil, Executive Officer of Oakland County Parks and Recreation. “We’ve been talking with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources about this for 20+ years and working hard on this particular property for the past seven. The stars finally aligned, and we have a location with easy access, very few neighbors and the property is surrounded by recreation land.”

Any project which creates safe and legal spaces in which to go wheeling gets our stamp of approval. According to locals, the closest ORV park currently resides hours from registered riders who live near Detroit. If government data is any indication, there will be plenty of takers for this park. According to recent surveys, the area has the sixth-highest participation rate per capita for ORV activity. This new park will be the first to open in southeast Michigan.

The park has yet to be formally named, although the agreement at this time refers to it as Holly Oaks ORV Park. Have a suggestion for a name? The group is taking ideas until Friday, April 26^th. Follow this link to kick in your own two cents.

Approximately 113 acres are expected to be open in summer 2020 with additional acres coming online as mining is completed on the remaining property. The full 235 acres is expected to be operational by 2023.