AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

River Bends Park

Secret Beach & Yellow (Main Trail)

6 mi · ▲ 27 ft · 2 hr 1 min

Secret Beach & Yellow (Main Trail) is a 6-mile out-and-back in River Bends Park near Utica, MI. The route passes Secret Beach before reaching Secret Beach at the turnaround, 3 miles in. It is mostly level, with 27 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi610 – 666 ft8.8 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Clinton River Park Trails 42.61153, -83.02613
Nearest town Utica, MI
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Secret Beach & Yellow (Main Trail)

6 mi · ▲ 27 ft · 2 hr 1 min

Elevation 611–666 ft

Out & Back · River Bends Park

Trailhead: Clinton River Park Trails · 42.61153, -83.02613

Weather Sep 21: sunrise 7:19 AM · sunset 7:33 PM

Transit-accessible: Van Dyke Avenue & Utica Road stop 446 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Clinton River Park Trails, heading NW.
  2. 50 ftContinue straight onto Clinton River Park Main Trail, heading NW.
  3. 0.2 miTurn right onto Clinton River Park Trails, heading E.
  4. 150 ftContinue straight onto Clinton River Park Main Trail, heading N.
  5. 0.9 miBear left, heading W.
  6. 0.4 miTurn right, heading N.
  7. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  8. 0.4 miBear right, heading N.
  9. 100 ftBear right onto Blue (South End), heading N.
  10. 200 ftBear right onto Clinton River Hike and Bike Trail, heading N.
  11. 50 ftContinue straight onto Blue (South End), heading N.
  12. 50 ftBear right onto Oakland-Macomb Interceptor Drain (OMID) Access Road, heading N.
  13. 50 ftTurn left onto Blue (South End), heading NE.
  14. 450 ftContinue straight onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading N.
  15. 300 ftTurn right onto Green (Two Track), heading N.
  16. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading N.
  17. 50 ftContinue straight onto Green (Two Track), heading NE.
  18. 150 ftContinue straight onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading NE.
  19. 50 ftContinue straight onto Green (Two Track), heading NE.
  20. 250 ftContinue straight onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading N.
  21. 50 ftBear right onto Yellow (Dragstrip), heading N.
  22. 250 ftBear left onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading NW.
  23. 150 ftPass Secret Beach.
  24. 350 ftBear left onto Green (Two Track), heading NW.
  25. 250 ftContinue straight onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading W.
  26. 50 ftContinue straight onto Yellow (Drop), heading NW.
  27. 50 ftBear left onto Green (Two Track), heading NW.
  28. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading W.
  29. 100 ftBear right onto Green (Two Track), heading W.
  30. 100 ftTurn left onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading W.
  31. 0.3 miBear left onto Clinton River Hike and Bike Trail, heading N.
  32. 0.1 miPass Secret Beach.
  33. 0.2 miReach Secret Beach, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  34. 0.3 miBear right onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading NE.
  35. 0.2 miTurn left, heading NW.
  36. 350 ftTurn right onto Green (Two Track), heading N.
  37. 100 ftBear left onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading N.
  38. 100 ftContinue straight onto Green (Two Track), heading N.
  39. 0.1 miBear right onto Yellow (Drop), heading NW.
  40. 50 ftContinue straight onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading NW.
  41. 50 ftContinue straight onto Green (Two Track), heading NW.
  42. 250 ftBear right onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading NW.
  43. 500 ftBear right onto Yellow (Dragstrip), heading NW.
  44. 250 ftBear left onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading W.
  45. 50 ftContinue straight onto Green (Two Track), heading W.
  46. 250 ftContinue straight onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading W.
  47. 50 ftContinue straight onto Green (Two Track), heading W.
  48. 150 ftContinue straight onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading W.
  49. 50 ftContinue straight onto Green (Two Track), heading S.
  50. 0.1 miTurn left onto Yellow (Main Trail), heading N.
  51. 300 ftContinue straight onto Blue (South End), heading N.
  52. 450 ftTurn right onto Oakland-Macomb Interceptor Drain (OMID) Access Road, heading N.
  53. 50 ftBear left onto Blue (South End), heading N.
  54. 50 ftContinue straight onto Clinton River Hike and Bike Trail, heading N.
  55. 50 ftBear left onto Blue (South End), heading NE.
  56. 200 ftBear left, heading E.
  57. 100 ftBear left onto Clinton River Hike and Bike Trail, heading E.
  58. 0.4 miTurn right, heading E.
  59. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  60. 0.4 miBear right onto Clinton River Park Trails, heading W.
  61. 0.9 miTurn left onto Clinton River Park Main Trail, heading SE.
  62. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Clinton River Park Trails, heading S.
  63. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/abandoned-dragline-excavator-secret-beach-out-back-5-sights-16-km

Trail surface

64% paved30% dirt5% boardwalk1% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 7:19 AMSunset 7:33 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.5 mi in (~61 min). Leave by 6:12 PM for the 7:33 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:48 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Van Dyke Avenue & Utica Road stop 446 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Clinton River Park Trails Trailhead

Hikes near Utica, Michigan