By Christina Collie
This is the fifth in a series about parks and recreational areas to explore in Flint and surrounding areas within 20 miles, presented in no particular order.
Chevy Commons Park
200 N. Chevrolet Avenue
Flint, MI 48503
Hours: Dawn – Dusk
Located near Kettering University in a former river valley, Chevy Commons has strong ties to the history of General Motors (GM) and Flint.
This 60+ acre park was once a sprawling manufacturing complex referred to as “Chevy in the Hole” – the location of a landmark event in labor history as the site of the Flint Sit-Down Strike of 1936-1937.
During the strike, workers occupied the site’s now-demolished plant in demand of better working conditions and for recognition of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. The strike led to a 44-day standoff, culminating in a victory for the workers and setting a precedent for labor rights across the nation.
Today, the site again finds itself at the center of another piece of history: Genesee County’s first state park.
The designation was announced by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2021, though the site was already open to the public after a host of Flint residents and local leaders came together to clean up the brownfield left behind from the GM complex’s demolition from the mid-90s to 2004.
According to Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources website, site enhancements and a play garden should be added to Chevy Commons between the fall of this year and the summer of 2026.
But even without those enhancements the park is already a lovely space.
Its myriad of crisscrossing, paved pathways make Chevy Commons a great place to get active outdoors: walking, jogging, on-leash dog walking, as well as biking along the Flint River and Swartz Creek aqueducts are all options.
There are two free lots where visitors can park. One is off Kearsley Street, and the other is off of South Chevrolet Avenue, near Kettering University. While there aren’t actual restrooms, there are two port-a-potties at the South Chevrolet Avenue lot.
After venturing away from your car or bike, you’ll notice the park is just a stone’s throw from downtown Flint, so you can admire the city’s skyline while you roam. Plus, one path actually ends over by Tenacity Brewing if you want to end your excursion with a beer or kombucha.
For those looking for a longer visit, the Genesee Valley Trail runs through Chevy Commons on its way toward Linden Road. While that’s a bit too far for me to explore, a friend told me you can actually take the trail all the way to Genesee Valley Mall.
But, for those not satisfied by even that roughly 8.6 mile round trip between the park and the mall, there are also plans to link Chevy Commons to the Iron Belle Trail.
That trail, which is roughly 71% complete, begins at Detroit’s Belle Isle and goes all the way to Ironwood in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
For now though, my suggestion is to take the path that crosses South Chevrolet Avenue if you’re not a fan of sun and heat, as the site’s new trees on the city side haven’t matured enough to cast much shade yet.
Happy exploring!
This article also appears in East Village Magazine’s April 2025 issue.
