35 of 52
Have you ever made your life harder just to see something that you could have planned to see in an easier way? That’s what we did when it came to our excursion at Haven Hill. The original hike was meant to be approximately 3.7 miles, but I was under the impression that the Haven Hill Estate would be visible from the loop. When we discovered this assumption to be wrong, we decided to detour and climb Haven Hill to see Edsel Ford’s old estate. This actually increased our hike to almost 7 miles and increased the difficulty, due to the steep incline up the hill, to much more than my brother and I were expecting.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. The Haven Hill Estate is a piece of Michigan history that truly speaks to the man that Edsel Ford’s father, Henry Ford was, as he created the “haven” to escape the pressures of his father and his business. The Fords lived there until the late 1940s and the estate was gifted to the state for preservation of the trails that wind through the area. The mansion no longer stands, but the ruins leave an interesting picture in your head and it’s definitely worth the hike up the long, steep driveway.
The Haven Hill Loop is also a popular area for horses, so keep an eye out for riders and the remnants of horse droppings. We went in late September and the greenery was gorgeous, even if the climb did try to destroy my legs.
Raven K 