Baker Woods Preserve – Chelsea, MI
Overview
Today, I explored a new find: Baker Woods Preserve. The preserve covers 70 acres of old forest, open grasslands, and rolling hills and features a well-maintained trail system. Its varied ecosystem supports a large variety of birds and animals.
Baker Woods has been part of the Washtenaw County parks system since 2012, when it was purchased under the Natural Areas Preservation program. The trails and parking area were created in 2014.
This remarkable preserve is located between Dexter and Chelsea in Lima Township, just a short distance from the I-94 Old US-12/Jackson Road exit (exit 162).
RATING
- Scenery – 5
- Trail Condition – 3
- Quiet/Solitude – 5
- Difficulty – 2
- Overall – 5
Gallery
The Walk
A graveled parking lot sits at the head of the trail. The park system maintains informational signs and maps here to inform visitors about the park and its trials. The trailhead also has a bike rack, so visitors can safely park their bikes while enjoying the park.
The first half mile of the path passes through a hardwood forest. It’s a very peaceful walk through tall oaks and hickory trees. Most trees here have been around for at least a century; some may be more than 200 years old. This forest is one of the few places in the county where I’ve gotten some idea of what Washtenaw must have been like before the 1800s.
When you take this walk, pause on this part of the trail and close your eyes. Let your other senses take in the area as well. After a few moments of smelling the forest and hearing the birds, I bet you’ll feel more relaxed, your mood will improve, and some of your everyday stress will have melted away.
After crossing a small stream, the trail leads to the meadows, a more open and grassy park area. As you walk up the trail, it forks, forming a loop around the park’s northern end. It doesn’t matter which way you go at the fork. In the end, you’ll end up back here. However, there is a shortcut trail through the meadow that cuts across the loop (see the map) that got me a little lost at first, but if you’re worried, always take the right path, and you won’t get turned around — or (pro tip) grab a map at the trailhead (like I forgot to).
On my visit, I found colorful Cedar Waxwings and Indigo Buntings flying in and out of the trees on the edge of the grasses. Numerous other sparrows, small birds, and butterflies filled the area. Finally, as I was getting ready to leave, a flock of 20 Sandhill cranes flew over to the farmer’s adjacent cornfield.
One note—the walk into the meadow loop also gains about 40′ in elevation towards the back of the park. The trail is well designed, so there’s never much of a hill ahead of you, but if you have any problems with climbing slopes, take the left turn at the fork, and the route up is less of an incline.
Overall, I had a great time at this preserve and will return as often as I need a dose of natural calm to combat the modern world.
Where is this?
Baker Woods Preserve is at 11914 Trinkle Rd, Dexter, MI 48130. It’s north of I-94 at Exit 163 (Old US Hwy 12 ) east of Chelsea, MI
Facts
| Address | 11914 Trinkle Rd, Dexter, MI 48130 |
| Trail Length | 1.25 Miles |
| Highlights | Part of the trail is paved, and some is hard-packed earth. The trail has no stairs, and some portions are steep. |
| Access | Unpaved Parking Lot |
| Amenities | Portapotty |
| Fees | None |
| Accessibility | Part of the trail is paved, some is hard packed earth. The trail has no stairs and some portions are steep. |
| Website | Washtenaw County Parks |
| Map | Baker Woods Trail Map |
| Best time to visit | Anytime |
