New trail opens by Red Run Drain

STERLING HEIGHTS — There’s a new place to run along the Red Run Drain in Sterling Heights.

Macomb County and Sterling Heights officials recently celebrated the public opening of a new 1.35-mile hike and bike trail. The trail winds along the Sterling Relief Drain and the Red Run behind Freedom Hill County Park.

The trail can be accessed at two points. One is from Metropolitan Parkway west of Utica Road, near the Red Run Drain. The other entrance is by the Sterling Relief Drain, east of Schoenherr Road and south of Metro Parkway.

The trail came about as a side effect of the Macomb County Public Works Office’s efforts to fight erosion and stabilize the Red Run’s northern bank. According to the county, maintenance vehicles had already needed a path to navigate along to perform the work, but it, too, was undergoing erosion. So county officials considered fortifying that area and turning it into a trail the public could use.

In order for the path to become a public amenity, the Sterling Heights City Council voted to approve the plan last January. At the time, the city said it would be responsible for upkeep on the western half-mile or so of the trail.

Besides making the trail, workers have planted lots of greenery in the trail area. The county expects there to be an additional 4,000 native pollinator plants, 2,500 shrubs and 475 trees by the time planting ends this upcoming spring. The foliage not only will beautify the area, but it’ll stave off erosion and filter out phosphorus and nitrogen from stormwater, officials said.

County officials said the drainwork’s $1.3 million price tag was paid for by the Red Run Intercounty Drainage District, and trailwork and plantings were made possible through a $300,000 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant, as well as $260,000 in state highway funds.

Macomb County Public Works Office spokesman Norb Franz said he checked with other officials on his team, and they said the biggest challenge of producing the trail was coordinating the different entities involved, as well as getting the grants.

“The economic benefit is water quality and of course the recreational aspect of the trail and the improved public perception of our water resources,” Franz said in a text message, adding that he was relaying what officials had told him. “As Commissioner (Candice) Miller said, it’s like being Up North when you’re on the trail.”

In a statement, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said the bank work and the trail will bring economic and environmental advantages. And Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor described the new trail as a “gift to our community in a lot of ways.”

“The trail creates yet another non-motorized asset for our community, provides an appealing option for walking, running and biking, and aligns well with Sterling Heights’ commitment to sustainability,” he said in a statement. “We’re grateful for the intergovernmental collaboration we have that allow projects like this to happen.”

Sterling Heights Parks and Recreation Director Kyle Langlois said the new trail aligns with the city’s goal of offering additional walkable recreation spaces. He called the new path quiet and peaceful.

“It’s a neat path in that it really looks like you’re in an Up North natural area right in the heart of the city of Sterling Heights,” he said. “These are the types of unique amenities that separate us from our contemporaries.”

Learn more about the Macomb County Public Works Office by visiting publicworks.macombgov.org.