Opportunities to experience Michigan’s great outdoors continue to expand with the opening over the past two years of several noteworthy nature preserves. Here are five areas worth checking out.
McDuffee Creek Nature Preserve
The Pere Marquette River’s Little South Branch, a state-designated Wild and Scenic River, and McDuffee Creek flow through this lush Land Conservancy of West Michigan Preserve in Bitely. It opened last fall, and packs plenty into its 300 acres.
In all, a 3,500-foot segment of the Little South Branch and more than 3,200 feet of frontage on both sides of McDuffee Creek are protected by the property and provide an ideal spawning habitat for salmon, steelhead, and trout.
A 4-mile trail system meanders through wetlands and forests teeming with a variety of wildlife and plants. Stretches of the trail offer views of the waterways and surrounding scenery, which is especially dramatic in the fall.
Come spring, the wooded lowland near McDuffee Creek is home to vernal pools that host creatures like fairy shrimp, fingernail clams, and wood frogs.
“This is a beautiful place to explore in all seasons, but it’s especially vibrant in fall,” says LCWM’s advancement manager, Marie Orttenburger. “The northwest trail loop leads hikers through an aspen grove, which glows bright yellow in fall. Crimson-hued red maples, deep-emerald hemlocks, and towering white pines can also be viewed throughout the preserve, which is home to many species of animal life. You may even spot a porcupine.”
Turtle Cove Nature Preserve
The 120-acre Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy property, located roughly 10 miles southeast of Traverse City, opened in December and features a three-quarter-mile stretch of undeveloped Arbutus Lake shoreline, including the preserve’s namesake, Turtle Cove. The cove provides an ideal habitat for fish, amphibians, and invertebrates.
A 1.7-mile trail loops through a variety of habitats and a portion of it hugs the western shoreline of the lake. Hikers pass through mesic northern forest, dry-mesic northern forest, open fields, a steep bluff overlooking the lake, and a riparian area. There’s also a section of dry sand prairie and a leatherleaf bog.
Plant life and towering trees abound, including white pine, sugar maple, and oak, along with native flowers, ferns, and grasses. Coralroot, a type of wild orchid, blooms come fall.
Camping is available at Arbutus Lake State Forest Campground, which is located along the north side of the preserve. Pines Park, a natural area owned by East Bay Township, borders the west side.
“The trail follows Turtle Cove’s varied topography and offers great views of Arbutus Lake, with open views of the lake in fall and early spring,” says GTRLC stewardship specialist Steve Lagerquist. ”The cove has a variety of interesting vegetation, including water lilies that produce a fantastic fragrance, and it’s home to turtles and fish. In summer, birders can experience nesting bald eagles, great blue heron, hermit thrush, indigo bunting, and scarlet tanager.”
Melvin Family Hiking & Biking Trails
Scenic and hilly, yet designed for mountain bikers of all levels, the 150-acre Little Traverse Conservancy preserve opened in April and sits between Mullett and Burt lakes north of Topinabee in Cheboygan County.
An 8.5-mile trail system features 10 paths of varying lengths, including three designated as biking and hiking, six strictly for biking (no e-bikes allowed), and a hiking-only trail, as it follows old logging roads. Mountain bikers encounter fun obstacles like gravity trails, sidewinder segments, skills features, rollers, and berms.
Trails wind through rolling terrain marked by oak, beech, aspen, and red maple trees. Some of the trails’ most notable highlights are the stunning views, especially during fall, of Mullett Lake — the state’s fifth-largest inland lake.
Mullett Lake is best seen from a ridge on the property’s east side.
“Our Melvin trails go through beautiful hilly and very wooded terrain,” says the Little Traverse Conservancy’s director of communications and outreach, Anne Fleming. “The area is gorgeous when the fall colors are peaking, of course, but the view of Mullett Lake when the leaves are down is amazing.”
Saginaw River Headwaters Rec Area
Once an industrial site, this 334-acre park at the confluence of the Shiawassee and Tittabawassee rivers, which forms the Saginaw River, opened in April of 2023.
The property includes wetlands, several shallow-water ponds, and wooded sections. More than 3 miles of trails wander through the vibrant landscapes and along the river. The trails are perfect for hiking, biking, and birdwatching; fishing is permitted from the Saginaw River shore. An interpretive timeline at the park entrance details the rich history of the site.
Future development plans call for additional trails, observational overlooks, a fishing platform, and the planting of more than 1,000 trees and native pollinators.
To the southeast are the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and Shiawassee State Game Area, which offer more than 18,000 acres of protected lands and miles of trails. Greenpoint Nature Center is to the west.
“With its accessible trails, various wetlands, and high points at its center, this property provides some of the most unique views in the region,” says Saginaw County Parks and Recreation Director Brian Keenan-Lechel. “There are great opportunities for birding and wildlife viewing throughout the park. It’s also a great place to catch a sunset.”
Armintrout-Milbocker Nature Preserve
Showcasing astounding biodiversity, this 142-acre Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy gem just south of Allegan opened in the fall of 2022. More than 560 different documented plant species are found throughout the preserve’s 80 acres of pine and oak forest and 60 acres of wetland, which is home to about 25 percent of all plant types that grow in Michigan.
Armintrout also boasts 3 miles of Kalamazoo River frontage. Some sections of the preserve’s two loop trails, totaling more than 2 miles, take hikers more than 60 feet above the river, while another stretch meanders through a forested floodplain. Towering trees range from a red oak with a trunk measuring 5 feet in diameter to the unique honey locust. The rare hairy leafcup flower also grows in the preserve, which is home to coyotes, deer, and owls.
“Our preserve is a peaceful refuge, a hidden pocket of nature that’s conveniently close to downtown Allegan but still a world away,” says Amelia Hansen, the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy’s media specialist. “With an unusually wide array of plant varieties, it practically glows with fall color, especially when the red and yellow maples, rich brown oaks, and dark green pines frame gorgeous natural views of the Kalamazoo River from up close and high above.”
Plan it!
McDuffee Creek Nature Preserve
naturenearby.org/explore
Turtle Cove Nature Preserve
gtrlc.org
Melvin Family Hiking & Biking Trails
landtrust.org/explore
Saginaw River Headwaters Rec Area
saginawcounty.com/departments/parks-recreation
Armintrout-Milbocker Nature Preserve
swmlc.org/armintrout-milbocker-nature-preserve
Facebook Comments