Sierra Club Crossroads Group

***Not an official Sierra Club event, this event is hosted by the Friends of Island Lake, who helped build this trail***

Join us as we ring in the New Year with a hike on our Hickory Ridge hiking trail. First Day Hikes are a great way to get your year started the right way; after all, life is better outside!

As of Dec 30th, the trails are only a bit icy in spots. We are hoping the predicted snowfall will cover the icy spots.
Just in case, we recommend you bring ice cleats/spikes/traction and/or hiking poles if you have them.
You can buy ice cleats on Amazon, or any sporting goods store, or Costco. We don’t recommend the coil-type grippers as they aren’t as stable on ice and break easily.
Also make sure to dress warmly in layers.

This trail has several options: 5.2 miles, 4.1 miles, 3.3 miles, 2.3 miles, and 1.3 miles. See the map uploaded on this meetup page for details. We will have leaders for the 5.2 mile and 2.3 mile routes.

If you wish to do one of the other options, you can follow the map yourself. This tends to be a very large hike so please plan on the group getting very strung out. Take a picture of the trail map if you have not hiked it before. It is easy to follow.

Meet at the Kent Lake beach parking lot (first lot on the left as you head straight back into the park). Please arrive 15 minutes early.

We hope to see you there!

This hike is rescheduled after the rain and sleet of 12/28.
Join us for a 2 or 4-mile hike around Wildwing Lake and other nature trails. (You can decide to stop after the first 2-mile loop or continue with us for another 2 miles).

Please arrive at 12:45 PM for sign in so we can start promptly at 1:00.
NOTE: dogs are not allowed on the Kensington nature trails.

Cost: requires Metropark entry fee ($10/day or $40*/year).
*2026 annual passes are on sale for $35 until 12/31.

We will meet at the Nature Center parking lot. This lot is close to the Kensington Road exit off of I-96. See map attached to this meetup.

The presentation will include a discussion of a recent fifteen-day adventure in Vietnam, both in cities and the countryside, beginning in Hanoi and ending in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and the Mekong Delta. The speaker will provide an overview of Vietnam encompassing background information on the nation and its people, while providing details on its history and environmental challenges.
Brett Swanson is a retired automotive engineer that lives in Hartland Township. As a young child, before the Vietnam War, he lived with his family in Saigon. He has always wanted to return. He is active in the Sierra Club Crossroads group as an Outings and Conservation Leader.

Programs are free and open to the public.