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15. Whitmore Lake Preserve

• Specs: 235 acres; 3 mile hike; in Northfield Township
• Google map , OpenStreetMap 
• Trail map (2018 PDF)
• Preserve website 

Comments:

This preserve seems to be a bit underappreciated. The initial stretch northward to Trail Marker 2 is about 0.4 miles along a dirt road before you reach the main network of trails. Once there, you are treated to a mix of woods, wetlands, open fields , a bit of marsh, and a peek at Lawton Lake. In the spring and summer, the left branch of the trail leading north from Marker 2 is likely to be dense with wildflowers. Another interesting feature is that the woodsy sections have an impressive variety of moss, ferns and wild grasses compared to what I have seen elsewhere in the county. Look for the library-on-a-stick that some locals have installed on the right fork of the trail north of Marker 2. A couple of tree stumps that could serve as seats are nearby....

I've saved a GPX route map for a 2.7 mile hike around the perimeter here [What's this?].

Note that the above route map includes a trail segment that is not shown on either the OpenStreetMap or the 2018 trail map. It is east of the (documented) segment connecting Markers 4 and 8. The route map also has markers that show where the endpoints of the segment are located -- one is a short distance south of Marker 8 on the Yellow Trail; the other one is southeast of Marker 4 on the Blue Trail.

A previous route map for a perimeter hike that I posted on MapPedometer  is still available online. This version does not show or follow the "unmapped" segment.

No dogs, bikes, or hunting allowed.

Directions:

Head north on US-23 toward Whitmore Lake, exiting at Barker Road (Exit 52). Turn right (east) onto Barker, right (south) onto Main Street, and then left (east) onto East Shore Drive. After about 3/4 mile, turn right (southeast) onto Seven Mile Road. Follow Seven Mile for another 3/4 mile and look for the sign for Nollar Road. The parking lot and trailhead is on the left (north) side of Seven Mile directly opposite Nollar.

Starting from North Main in Ann Arbor, the drive is about 12 miles and should take about 15 minutes if the traffic on US-23 is light.

Excerpt from the website:

Whitmore Lake Preserve's trails let visitors explore diverse habitats, including, meadows, mixed hardwood forest, and wooded wetlands, with scenic views over a large marsh and small lakes.