Gunnar Mettala Park

Oak Hills Basin & Ruffino Basin via Michigan Air Line Trail

6 mi · ▲ 26 ft · 2 hr 1 min

Oak Hills Basin & Ruffino Basin via Michigan Air Line Trail is a 6-mile out-and-back in Gunnar Mettala Park near Wixom, MI. The route passes Ruffino Basin before reaching Oak Hills Basin at the turnaround, 3 miles in. It is mostly level, with 26 ft of elevation gain. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi909 – 961 ft6.8 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.52872, -83.51583
Nearest town Wixom, MI

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Oak Hills Basin & Ruffino Basin via Michigan Air Line Trail

6 mi · ▲ 26 ft · 2 hr 1 min

Elevation 910–960 ft

Out & Back · Gunnar Mettala Park

Trailhead: 42.52872, -83.51583

Weather Sep 20: sunrise 7:20 AM · sunset 7:37 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading N.
  2. 300 ftTurn right, heading N.
  3. 0.1 miTurn left, heading NW.
  4. 50 ftBear left onto Michigan Air Line Trail, heading W.
  5. 50 ftBear right, heading W.
  6. 1 miTurn right, heading W.
  7. 0.3 miBear left, heading N.
  8. 50 ftBear right, heading N.
  9. 0.7 miTurn left, heading N.
  10. 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
  11. 0.7 miTurn right, heading N.
  12. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  13. 150 ftPass Ruffino Basin.
  14. 0.1 miReach Oak Hills Basin, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  15. 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
  16. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  17. 0.7 miTurn left, heading S.
  18. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  19. 0.7 miBear left, heading S.
  20. 50 ftBear right, heading S.
  21. 0.9 miTurn left, heading E.
  22. 0.4 miBear right, heading E.
  23. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  24. 0.1 miTurn left, heading E.
  25. 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 surface

59% paved12% gravel29% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 7:20 AMSunset 7:37 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.3 mi in (~7 min). Leave by 7:10 PM for the 7:37 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:59 PM — 6 min before dark.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

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