Hartland in Hindsight #4- Settlers Park
With its wide sweeping views and variety of terrain, Hartland’s Settlers Park offers visitors and residents a place to escape and enjoy the great outdoors without traveling too far from home. Since the opening of the first phase in 2014, Settlers Park has not only become a favorite place for locals but has grown and developed into a destination for many outdoor enthusiasts.
Hartland’s population growth in the early 2000s spurred the township board to make efforts to preserve green spaces. With the intent of encouraging residents to enjoy outdoor activities in our bucolic surroundings, a park area was planned near the Township Hall. At inception, Settlers Park consisted of the now well-established 1.4 mile paved walking path extending from the parking area on Clark Road to the northwest corner of the Meijer parking lot.
With land reserved and a path in place, a citizen-led Parks Task Force was created and went to work planning future phases for Settlers Park. Keeping the end goal in mind: an easily accessible park to be utilized by a range of people, the Task Force made a list of potential park additions and presented it to the board. Together, a decision was made to construct a pavilion and restrooms, with a playscape following soon after. Because of Hartland’s conservative budgeting, these projects were funded with money from the general budget, and a park millage was never needed for any part of construction.
As the park grew in popularity with locals, others began to take note of the area’s potential. In 2018, the Motor City Mountain Bike Association (MCMBA) opened the first loop of their natural surface mountain bike trail on the west side of Settlers Park. This past year has seen the opening of both loops 2 and 3, establishing Settlers Park as a destination for mountain bikers and hikers across Michigan. The natural surface trail has added nearly 7 miles of pathways to the park, making even more of the park accessible to visitors.
And as the park has expanded, so has community involvement. Residents have grown to love the park and take ownership in making it great. Settlers Park has had the opportunity to host children’s running events, outdoor summer concerts, and numerous family gatherings. Reading trails have been placed seasonally to promote early literacy, while individual Scouts have made Settlers Park a part of their rank projects with installations of bird houses and bike racks.
Settlers Park has quickly become a Hartland establishment that will grow with our town for years to come. What started as an outdoor space for the community, has become a park that develops community among its residents. A destination that promotes involvement and outreach- a place where you belong!
