Botanical Gardens / Marshall Park
From Earhart Rd. about 0.3 mile north of Plymouth Rd., enter Domino's Farms turning left on Ave Maria Dr. (opposite Whitehall Rd.),
past the church, and make a right into the parking lot for Lobby B. PARKING MAP SEE DRIVING DIRECTIONS BELOW.
Starts at the Domino's Farms parking lot B, along Ave Maria Dr. off Earhart. The loop may be run in either direction; clockwise directions: Take Ave Maria Dr. south past the church, curving east, left on Earhart, then right onto Ford Road. Then right into Marshall Park, running the hilly and winding trails, exiting on Dixboro Rd. near Plymouth Rd. (Road alternative: continue on Ford. Rd. to right on Dixboro Rd.) Head south on Dixboro Rd., crossing Plymouth Rd., entering the U-M Matthaei Botanical Gardens trails near the barn, and emerging near the conservatory. Then it's back out to right onto Dixboro Rd. for a bit, then take first left into a subdivision, where we enter the trails behind the U-M East Medical Campus, emerging on Earhart Road turning left (south) to right onto Old Earhart Rd. (Road alternative: Left onto Dixboro Rd. for a bit, then right onto Arrowhead Dr., then right onto Goss Rd. past Toyota Tech Center, continuing straight onto Old Earhart Rd.) Finally, head north on Old Earhart Rd. re-crossing Plymouth Rd. to N. Earhart Pl. back to the start. About the roads: Ford Road is a pretty country road, and others are wide, safe, and pleasant with little traffic, especially on weekend mornings. Full route is about 6 miles. This loop can also be run counter-clockwise.
