Reviewed by: TSS ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
I am surprised this trail is even listed because it is so new and so far from being completed. As of Sept 6 the trail is about 4.5 miles long and many of the log jumps noted in the first review have been removed. New additions include a 20 ft long balance beam bridge, a ride "through a tree" and a short brdge over a gulley is under construction. Many new signs and flags have been added to help keep riders on the course. The landscape is about 50% flat to 50 % moderately hilly. Experienced rider may prefer doing several loops.

Recommended Route:
Follow the small yellow arrows and ground flags. The trailhead is located at==> from Glengary Rd turn North into Hickory Glen Park and follow the dirt rd straight toward ball diamond #1 in front of you. The trail head is just to the right of ball diamond #1..off of the blacktop bikepath. Look for ground flags near the trailhead.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Lakeshore Park, Novi
Highland State Rec Area
Pontiac Lake State Rec Area
Island Lake State Rec Area

Reviewed by: Northwoods ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Went for my very first ride with members of “girlbike” last evening. There were three of us altogether and it was really nice to ride with not only other women, but with better and more experienced riders.

I was told from the start that the trail would probably not be very well marked and as it turned out, it was not. The Hickory Glen Park entrance from the street was not well marked either, so keep an eagle eye out for it. The trail starts out at the very back of the park; straight back, just to the left of the last baseball field. Park your car at the baseball diamond. After you’ve parked, begin your ride by heading out on the wide dirt/sand path. No markers are there at the start so, just do your best and keep riding straight back (about 500’) until you see the start of a single track. You will fudge around on this for a short distance and then you just have to keep your eyes peeled for a yellow marker, as this will be the marker for the mountain bike trail. I really do not remember where the first one was, exactly. Just keep your bearings straight and if you get lost, climb the tallest nearby tree (yeah, right) and look for the big cell tower, which is right near the ball diamond (or simply bring your compass). Once that is in sight, you know you are near your car.

The trail started out sandy and switched to grass for a bit. Then, after accidentally coming upon the yellow arrow marker, we managed to find the rest of the trail. Here, it immediately went into the woods. The ground was soft, as if we’d happened upon a village of moles. But, the earth may have been soft because of the tearing out of trees for the trail or it may be that the soil there is just sand mixed in with the dirt. Maybe, with time, the trail will become more broken in. The trail immediately went into narrow and tight switchbacks. If you are a smaller rider, they won’t be too difficult to maneuver. However, it will not matter what your size, the tree limbs and brush lining along the narrow trail will be scratching at your legs, ankles, arms, and face for most of the trip. The switchbacks are tricky. There was one downhill, you must be careful for 90° switchback to the right on the downhill. I kept one foot off the pedal here. At one switchback point, I was headed straight uphill where, at the apex, I had to make a 90° left hand turn so as not to go straight downhill into the brush. Option; avoid the uphill altogether and keep to the left; you will continue on the trail. At another switchback point, I was headed straight uphill where, at the apex, I had to make a 90° right hand turn so as to avoid a straight downhill into a deep ravine of brush and trees. At another 90° left hand switchback, there was a 2’x2’ log hoist to get up and over. These logs are loose, so be careful. There is an option for this one: Right before the logs, there is a right fork option that loops up to the logs. Take this right fork option so that you can gain some momentum to get over the logs thus, avoiding the tight switchback. On yet another switchback, avoid the small, cellar-sized crater and make the switchback to the left. At the next hurdle, although not a switchback, there is a tree (from the ground, the tree has two trunks that spread out from the ground to the right and left) in the middle of the single track that you are supposed to ride through. It looks as if one cannot manage to get through it because it appears too narrow. It is possible if you are agile and manage to stay in the direct center. Otherwise, there is a right side alternate fork in the trail to avoid this tree. At another log point, there is a loose 2x6 used as a short ramp to get up and over another log. In general, the course is not well marked, is short and very windy, with many tight left and right switchbacks and tight ups and downs, with a lot of tree and brush protrusions, and many log jumps. Have you ridden Maybury? Well, Commerce is way windier and way less speedy and even shorter distanced than Maybury. We were probably done with our first loop inside of 30 minutes, having never ridden the course before and it was no aerobic challenge whatsoever. It is likely land is getting scarce and there is not much room to make new trails that are decent these days. Oh, yes, for those of you who do not like mosquitoes, they were fierce out there (within the month, they’ll be gone). I did not recall flies.

Recommended Route:
-Take I96 to the Novi/Walled Lake exit. -Turn right from the exit onto Novi Rd. (going north). -Keep on Novi Rd. as it turns into Decker Rd. (now, you're going west). Decker ends at South Commerce Rd. -Take a right on South Commerce Rd. (north). -At first traffic light, turn left (west) onto Glengary Rd. Go 1/2mi and turn right (north) into the park (keep an eagle eye out for the park entrance). Go straight back (north) to the last ball diamond and park there.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Island Lake, Brighton