Palmer Park

Palmer Park is a large wooded park on Detroit's north side, just off Woodward Avenue near McNichols, and one of the city's longest-standing gay cruising grounds. The surrounding neighborhood was the heart of gay Detroit in the 1970s and 80s, and the park's trails still see discreet after-dark activity, documented across decades of local LGBTQ+ history. It is a public, patrolled city park, so activity is tolerated rather than official — keep your wits about you, stay aware of your surroundings and respect other park users. By day it is simply a pleasant green space near the Menjo's and Eagle bar cluster.