South Parks
Aerial photo of County Farm Park
The South Parks route (6.6 mi) starts inside County Farm Park on Platt, just south of Washtenaw. SEE DRIVING DIRECTIONS BELOW. There are three loops inside County Farm Park, colored (in running order) blue, red, and green on the above map.
From the parking lot, we go into the park, past the pavilion, and up to the gazebo. The first time through, we run the Inner Loop (it's marked on posts that way). At the gazebo, bear to your left, and take all the left turnings you come to, which will bring you back to the gazebo at the perennial garden.
This time go to the right, which is the Outer Loop (it's marked on the posts that way). At the first real fork in the trail, take a left at the sign post. A bit further on, there will be a path on your right coming into the trail from the parking lot; stay on the trail, don't go right. You'll go along for a while, and at a three-way intersection, take a right, then at the bottom of the short hill, take another right. This will bring you back to the pavilion.
Come down the hill to the pavilion and turn left onto the Parcour, which will take you around to the parking lot on the other side of the park. We leave the park here, and we'll return and pick up the rest of the Parcour on the way back. Go out the parking lot to Medford, and turn left onto Medford.
Map showing the course outside County Farm Park
Take Medford to its dead-end, then take a right onto Dorchester. About a block and a half on, there will be a left turn that will take you into Buhr Park. Keep going through Buhr park, staying on the right side. At Packard, turn left and cross when safe.
A little more than two blocks later, there will be an entrance to Mary Beth Doyle (formerly Brown) Park on your right. Go that way, onto the path and across the bridge. On the far side of the bridge, take a left onto the trail. Look for a trail that breaks off to your right, take that. It will wind through the woods, and eventually dump you onto a paved path. Turn right. Take this and bear right on the paved path until you get to the Brown Park Pond. Just before the pond, there is a gravel trail that will bear right, take that to the bridge you crossed before, turn left across the bridge, and return to Packard.
Turn left on Packard and cross when safe. When you get to Cobblestone Farm Park, turn right, and run along the fence line. At the far end of Cobblestone Farm Park, you will come to Allen School. Make your way through the school yard and the drive to the street, which is Towner. Turn left, then left again on Dorchester, then right onto Meford, which you take back to County Farm Park's entrance.
As you enter County Farm Park, the Parcour will continue off to your right by the rings. Continue on the Parcour back to the pavilion.
(contributed by Bennet Fauber)
