![]() From there it’s a smooth path all the way to the riverfront hill. He has fond memories of hot humid days and running the Dequindre Cut, starting from the Gratiot Avenue entrance. Longtime runner Ken Coleman calls it “heartbreak hill.” Before the mound closed, the Detroiter ran up the hill up to four times a week. What are your personal Detroit landmarks, the under-appreciated and uncharted places on your internal city map? Here at Outlier, we want to celebrate them while they’re here, or leave a record if they’ve been replaced. I still get slightly bummed when I walk by the fenced-off mound. The elevation and fabulous view always lifted my spirit. Shutting down the mound made me kind of blue. The routes are scenic and soothing, but there are not many steep climbs. I still find solace in the Riverwalk, the Dequindre Cut and Belle Isle. Getting rid of the steps meant eliminating another rare chance to spice up my routine with a climb. When crews began to raze the Joe Louis Arena in 2019, we lost the two-story stairs on the riverfront side of the venue. Only after the mound was shuttered did I realize Detroit is weirdly flat. Too many places in this city – buildings, neighborhoods and spaces – have been destroyed in the name of so-called progress. Then the mound’s peak was lopped off by work crews and the entire thing became even more brown and ugly than usual. In early 2021, when the pandemic had shut down virtually everything for months with no end in sight, the mound was fenced off and closed to the public. The hill is 25 feet high at its peak, 220 feet wide and 300 feet long, according to the DNR. “We had no plan or idea that it would become so popular.” It’s the only topography of any height in the area,” Olson said. “I thought people would like to go up there and get a better view. Back then, the State considered removing the dirt pile from the riverfront but Olson convinced officials to let it stay, he said. The mound is part of the park but decidedly less manicured. It’s made from dirt that was removed during upgrades to the harbor in Milliken Park, a state park, which used to be called Tri-Centennial Park. The mound was created in 2003 by the State of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) out of happenstance, according to Ron Olson, the DNR’s chief of parks and recreation division. The site is expected to reopen this summer. The State of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources is finishing $850,000 in upgrades. To me, the mound reflects Detroiters’ DIY creativity. It somehow made the view of the Detroit River, the Windsor skyline and the riverfront neighborhood more satisfying. I loved it even when the dirt path leading to the lopsided top was muddy. Until recently, the mound remained an uneven hill with splotches of grass and an abundance of weeds. Everything around it is changing into a thoroughly-planned landscape, with parking lots, pricey apartments and public space. Some even gave the anonymous heap the cheesy name of “Ze Mound,” an homage to the city’s French past. I recently discovered I’m not alone – the mound has a fanbase of others who plan their walks, runs, activities and even wedding photos to include a quick climb. ![]() Milliken State Park and Harbor and The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre. It stands where the paved pedestrian and biking path veers from the river’s edge for several blocks to make way for William G. For years, I’ve enjoyed walking up this heap of earth, about two storeys high, near the downtown Riverwalk.
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