Ann Arbor Bike Ride: Mitchell Field to Gallup Park to Parker Mill
Sunset on the Gallup Park hike/bike path All photos by Irene Daria
Ann Arbor Bike Ride: Mitchell Field to Gallup Park to Parker Mill Park
Distance: 3.5 miles one way. 7 miles round trip. Click here for a map of the ride.
Starting point: The trailhead is at the eastern end of the Mitchell Field parking lot, on Fuller Road, just west of Fuller Road’s intersection with Fuller Court. (Address is 1900 Fuller Road.) This is diagonally across the street from the University of Michigan’s North Campus and very close to the university’s hospital. You can also just turn into the Mitchell Field parking lot, turn left after you’ve entered, and head to the end of the lot. This will bring you directly to the bike trail. If you live in Huron Towers, you can walk, or ride, directly onto the trail. Huron Towers consists of two large apartment buildings and is a very well managed, lovely place to live. It is popular with grad students studying at UMich’s North Campus, doctors working at the University’s hospital, and also houses a few local couples and families. My husband and I lived here for two very happy summer months and our son, an undergraduate at U Mich, currently resides there. If you are in the market for a rental apartment, we can’t praise it enough. A big plus: Every apartment has a balcony. When you tour it, make sure you see their lovely outdoor pool area and its view of the Huron River.
The view from the Huron Towers pool.
Enter the B2B trail by turning right onto the paved path in front of you. The biker in the photo is exiting the trail.
Follow the path for about a minute until you reach a metal bridge on your right..
Ride over the bridge.
Continue following the bike path.
1.5 miles into the ride, you will see the Gallup Park playground on your left.
When you reach the dam, cross the road and pass to the left of the wooden sign that says, “Trail access to Parker Mill – Forest Park.”
Continue on the trail.
Just before the end of the ride, you will reach a log cabin built in 1878.
In front, is a pretty grass area with half a dozen picnic tables. On summer evenings, this is a popular spot for young children’s birthday parties.
Kids love playing with the water pump at Fleming Creek and using the stepping stones in the water to get to the tiny island in the middle of the Creek.
Parker Mill was used to grind locally grown grains into flour and feed for livestock. The Parkers sold their flour, pancake mix, and breakfast cereal in local stores.