AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

River Bends Park

Secret Beach & Yellow (Main Trail)

5.1 mi · ▲ 54 ft · 1 hr 44 min

Secret Beach & Yellow (Main Trail) is a 5.1-mile out-and-back in River Bends Park near Utica, MI. The route reaches Secret Beach. It is mostly level, with 54 ft of elevation gain. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi623 – 705 ft7.8 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.62603, -83.03738
Nearest town Utica, MI
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Secret Beach & Yellow (Main Trail)

5.1 mi · ▲ 54 ft · 1 hr 44 min

Elevation 623–705 ft

Out & Back · River Bends Park

Trailhead: 42.62603, -83.03738

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

Transit-accessible: Van Dyke Avenue & Hall Road stop 419 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

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

Trail surface

42% dirt37% paved21% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 7:19 AMSunset 7:33 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.9 mi in (~47 min). Leave by 6:26 PM for the 7:33 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:35 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Van Dyke Avenue & Hall Road stop 419 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Utica, Michigan