Holly Oaks ORV Park BY DOM SANTINA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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n September 17, 2020, Oakland County gained a space that would thrill off-road enthusiasts. As the Holly Oaks ORV park opened for the first time. The park is operated by Oakland County Parks and Recreation in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The park is consisting of former and active sand and gravel minds. It is located off I-75 at Grange Hall and Dixie Highway. The county and DNR approved a 20-year agreement to use the area for the park with an option of a 10-year extension. The park was an original 106 acres but will be opening up 60 more acres this July. Which will be operated as a scramble area, allowing enthusiasts to “pick your own adventure” by blazing through trails in the dramatic mine landscape. The park is expected to reach a total of 235 acres by 2023. The park is open to all types of
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ORV including full-size vehicles, side-by-sides, all-terrain vehicles, and motorcycles. The park features many different obstacles for ORV enthusiasts including approximately 9.5 miles of trails with 3 looped trails and a 2.3-mile “ endurance trail that navigates around the park. Also in the park, is rock crawls/climbs, including Mt. Magna, a 9,000 square foot peak, that is designed to replicate the experience of popular rock formations out in Moab, Utah. The formation was donated by Magna Powertrain of Troy. Which is a part of 36,000 square feet of total simu-
MAY • 2022 • MICHIGAN SNOWMOBILER + ORV
lated rock features. The park also includes water crossings, log craws, sand/gravel and dirt hill climbs. While also having acres of land for riders to create their own paths. The park also has amenities that include portable toilets and picnic tables on several park overlooks. New to the park this year will be a retro-styled Bestop Air Station, which will allow enthusiasts to air down or refill tires as they enter or leave the park. Also new in 2022, will be a 1.5-acre remote control car or truck track and crawling course. There will be no additional cost to use your RC vehicle, but you must have your ORV pass to enter the park. The RC course has been an addition after park staff realized that many enthusiasts enjoy running RC cars or trucks while they take a break from using their ORV. The park has had some growing pains in the two-year process since opening. The park has made some
