How the Huron-Clinton Metroparks is building systems where everyone belongs
On a summer afternoon at Lower Huron Metropark in Wayne County, Mich., a father in a wheelchair rolls down a paved path to a fishing pier, casts a line, and waits for a bite beside his children. It’s an unremarkable scene, and that’s the point. Getting him there took intentional planning that most visitors will never notice—an accessible parking spot, a smooth route from car to pier, and an accessible restroom.
That intentionality and inclusivity is the work of the Huron-Clinton Metroparks, the largest regional park system in the state. The system spans 14 properties across five counties around Detroit—Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne—and boasts nearly 25,000 acres of woods, water, and recreational facilities. Every year, more than 7 million people visit the Metroparks to partake in year-round activities like swimming, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, boating, sledding, and more.
For a park system of that scale, meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the floor, not the ceiling.
