History and nature are well preserved and on display at Parker Mill Park. The Washtenaw County park straddles Fleming Creek just above it’s confluence with the Huron River west of Ann Arbor and US-23. The county-owned portion is a 26-acre tract that includes the historic grist mill, a pioneer log cabin and the old millpond site. An adjoining 18 acres is Forest Park, a dedicated natural area. Together the parks create a 44-acre preserve that are linked by 1.5 miles of trail.

The main attraction of the county park is Parker Grist Mill, the last of at least five mills that operated along Fleming Creek. Built in 1873, the mill originally ground flour and corn for the Parker family and neighbors but by 1887 a second building was added to press apples into cider. The mill was kept in operation until 1958 and the original milling machinery was still operable when the county took over the historic buildings in the late 1970s. Today the mill is one of the oldest surviving structures in Washtenaw County and open for public tours on the weekends in the fall.

Though the mileage is limited, the Hoyt G. Post Trail makes for an interesting escape from the urban scene that is Ann Arbor . The trail is a 0.6-mile long handicap accessible boardwalk that begins near the grist mill and then winds along the banks of Fleming Creek to the Huron River. Along the way you pass five interpretive areas.

Also within the park is Bituminous Path (also labeled Main Trail), a paved path that links Parker Mill Park with the City of Ann Arbor's Gallup Park by crossing the Huron River. The Bituminous Path provides access to the start of the Hoyt G. Post Trail as well as to a foot bridge used to reach the Sugarbush Trail, a 0.2-mile loop on the north side of Fleming Creek.

The outing described here is a portion of the paved path and Hoyt G. Post Trail that are commonly combined for a round-trip hike of 1.4 miles. The Bituminous Path is popular with cyclists and inline skaters but only hikers are allowed on Hoyt G. Post Trail.