At Walking Washtenaw we love to get out and enjoy nature. With so many parks, preserves, and public gardens in Washtenaw County, it’s hard to know if you’ve missed someplace interesting. Our mission is to go out and walk as many parks as possible. Then post reviews, so you can find out which parks sound interesting to you.
So get out there, have fun and relish the bountiful nature around us.
Latest Posts
Baker Woods Preserve – Chelsea, MI
Today I explored a new find, Baker Woods Preserve. The preserve covers 70 acres of old forest, open grasslands, and rolling hills and features well-maintained a trail system. Its varied ecosystem supports a large variety of birds and animals.
Lillie Park – Pittsfield, MI
Lillie Park sits in 124 acres of restored land in Pittsfield Township. Once a gravel pit, the area has been transformed into play areas and beautiful walking trails.
A Special Place in Sharon Hollow – Nan Weston Preserve
In an area highly altered by agriculture, logging and development. The Nan Weston Preserve serves to protect the remaining native ecosystems and provide stopover habitat for migrating birds.
Fall Color Trek in The Bird Hills Nature Area
Beautiful birdsong and glorious fall colors combine to make a visit to Ann Arbor’s Bird Hills Nature Area a walk to remember. The Bird Hills Nature Area rises above a great bend in the Huron River west of Ann Arbor. Encompassing 146 acres, it is the largest natural area in the city’s park system. With a variety of pathways, hikers will find a sanctuary in this hilly woodland.
A Ramble Through Beautiful Brauer Preserve
Brauer Preserve, a 226-acre tract that protects diverse habitat types, from sandy knolls and upland oak/hickory forests to rich wetlands.
The Lively Lagoon at North Bay Park
North Bay Park is a hidden treasure. The park features a network of trails, a raised boardwalk, an observation tower, fishing platforms and a fitness trail. These are all built around a central lagoon that is abounding with waterfowl, turtles and lotus flowers. It is absolutely one of the prettiest parks in the county.
A Beautiful Forest on the Edge of Ann Arbor – Scio Woods Preserve
There is nothing more enjoyable on the mind than wandering through a pristine woodland preserve. Scio Woods Preserve certainly is one of the places to go when your soul needs finding.
Pittsfield Preserve – Early Spring, Squishy Walk
Twenty-some years ago, in 1999, there was a plan to build 1200 homes, retail spaces, and soccer fields in the center of Pittsfield Township. This plan included using a fleet of bulldozers and earthmovers to flatten, fill, and mow down a unique wetland area changing the township’s rural feel. Instead, the township purchased the land and created the Pittsfield Preserve that has become the pride of the area.
Joan Rodman Memorial Plant Preserve – Saline, MI
Joan Rodman loved this land and wanted others to enjoy it as much as she did.
Exploring the Past at Fox Science Preserve
Fox Science Preserve sits between Ann Arbor and Dexter in an old gravel quarry. The machines that dug deep into the soil are now gone, leaving behind a scene not too different from the glacial moraines of 12,000 years ago. This rocky and barren surface soon was recognized as a natural classroom for the study of biological succession. Teachers, students, and parents began exploring the boulders and limestone surfaces, observing as nature begins its transformation of the empty quarry into a fully functioning ecosystem.