4 Winter Activities You Can Drive to Near Howell, MI

Wrap yourself up warmly, grab your outdoor gear, and head down the road in a Ford Explorer or Expedition with loads of legroom and cargo space to enjoy all the exhilarating winter activities in and around Howell, MI. Join exciting outdoor winter nature classes and programs, ski and snowboard down hills with 250-foot vertical drops, hit miles of rugged snowmobile trails, ice fish for bluegill, northern pike, and crappie, and ice skate on Kent Lake.

1. Outdoor Nature Classes and Programs

Explore the great outdoors right here in Howell at the 230-acre Howell Nature Center at 1005 Triangle Lake Road, where the fun never stops, not even in winter. The center hosts exciting classes, programs, and events throughout the year, from their popular Owl Prowls and Winter Survival Challenges to visiting the injured, non-releasable Michigan native birds, reptiles, and mammals in the Wild Wonders Wildlife Park.

The Howell Nature Center is open daily between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Please visit their website for more information on classes, programs, and events.

2. Snowboarding and Skiing

The Mt. Brighton Ski Resort at 4141 Bauer Road in Brighton, a quick 15-minute drive from Howell, has been a favorite family winter destination since 1960. The area has 25 trails covering 130 acres, and you’ll have a blast snowboarding and skiing down hills with 250-foot vertical drops on the legendary Mt. Brighton.

There are chairlifts, restaurants, a Children’s Ski and Ride School, and a cutting-edge snowmaking system. The resort is open Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.

3. Ice Fishing and Snowmobiling

The 4,000-acre Island Lake Recreation Area at 6301 Kensington Road in Brighton is an 18-minute drive away and ideal for ice fishing and snowmobiling. Ice fishing is a popular activity, and many come to the area in winter to reel in bluegill, perch, walleye, northern pike, and crappie. The recreation area has more than 14 miles of unpaved snowmobile trails, giving snowmobilers a lot of level ground and hilly terrain to cover.

4. Sledding, Ice Skating, and Cross-Country Skiing

It’s well worth the half-hour drive to 4,481-acre Kensington Metropark at 4570 Huron River Parkway in Milford to brave the icy weather and have a blast sledding, ice skating, and cross-country skiing. The park is geared for winter fun, with four great sledding hills and a bunny hill lined with padded trees for the little ones at the Orchard Picnic Area.

Enjoy ice skating on Kent Lake, with rinks for families and free skating and one for ice hockey players. The park also has over 12 miles of groomed cross-country skiing trails suitable for beginners and intermediate skiers. Kensington Metropark is open every day between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Brave the cold and find the fun and excitement outdoors this winter. While you’re out there discovering the great outdoors and having a blast, stop at Bob Maxey Ford of Howell today and test drive a brand-new 2023 Ford to find the perfect vehicle for exciting excursions down the road.

Image by Manfred Richter from Pixabay

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