Anderson Woods Nature Preserve

Anderson Woods Nature Preserve is a forested natural area near Muskegon, Whitehall, and Montague. A wheelchair and stroller accessible trail system leads visitors through a towering oak and white pine forest, interspersed with glades lush with blueberry and wintergreen.

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Barrier Dunes Sanctuary

With more than 1,000 feet of pristine Lake Michigan shoreline and environmentally fragile barrier dunes, the Barrier Dunes Sanctuary is a great place for walking the beach, picnics, and wildlife viewing.

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Bradford Dickinson White Nature Preserve

Located near Lowell, the B.D. White Nature Preserve is a natural landscape legacy. With rolling terrain, a cold water stream, and a meandering trail, the preserve provides habitat for a multitude of wildlife and serves as a natural area for people to enjoy and learn.

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Brower Lake Nature Preserve

Overlooking Brower Lake near Rockford, this preserve protects rare bog and oak barrens ecosystems. The land provides quality habitat for a multitude of wildlife and provides people with a quiet natural landscape for hiking and nature study.

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Cascade Peace Park

This natural area in Cascade Township features a beautiful hardwood forest and a small stream and wetlands that feed the Grand River.

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Castle Park Nature Reserve

Castle Park Reserve protects nearly 400 feet of undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline in a designated Critical Dune area. Together with Dune Pines Nature Preserve and an adjacent privately-held conservation easement, Castle Park Reserve is part of a natural area that protects more than 50 acres of lakeshore habitat.

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DePersia South Highlands Nature Preserve

Nestled just south of Grand Haven, DePersia South Highlands Nature Preserve offers a small pocket of natural beauty along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Forested dunes like the ones found at DePersia provide critical habitat for wildflowers, reptiles, and migratory birds.

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Dune Pines Nature Preserve

Located just south of Holland, Dune Pines Nature Preserve protects a forested dune ecosystem. A loop trail leads hikers through rolling backdunes that feature mature trees and good opportunities for viewing birds and other wildlife.

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Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve

Located in northern Muskegon County, Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve protects unspoiled dune habitat along the lakeshore. A boardwalk leading to an overlook provides panoramic views of Lake Michigan and the surrounding dunes.

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Huyser Farm Park

This little-known park features a hardwood-pine forest with mature tulip trees. There are also pockets of wetlands and in the northwest there is an open β€œblow-sand” area that is a good reminder of how the land was left after the logging era.

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Kuker-Van Til Nature Preserve

Located just north of Holland, Kuker-Van Til Nature Preserve protects natural land in a highly developed area. A loop trail leads hikers through a variety of habitats: young oak forests, mature hardwood swamps, and open sandy dunes.

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Lake Breeze Nature Preserve

Just south of Pentwater, Lake Breeze Nature Preserve protects a diverse coastal forest and pristine vernal wetlands. A stone’s throw from Lake Michigan, the preserve is a quiet haven for wildflowers, wildlife, and nature lovers alike.

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Lamberton Lake Fen Nature Preserve

Lamberton Lake Fen Nature Preserve is the Land Conservancy’s most urban preserve. Despite being within the Grand Rapids city limits, the preserve protects a high-quality prairie fen, a type of wetland that is very rare in West Michigan.

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Lost Lake: Muskegon State Park

A hidden gem tucked behind tall dune hills, Lost Lake is a botanical treasure with plants found in both bog and coastal plain marsh habitats. An unpaved trail leads around Lost Lake, easily accessed from the Snug Harbor parking lot. A wheelchair-accessible trail from the Winter Sports Complex leads to an accessible overlook and viewing scope on the wetland’s north side.

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Maas Family Nature Preserve

Located in Rockford, the Maas Family Preserve is home to a remnant oak-pine barrens ecosystem–a unique savanna community that supports the endangered Karner blue butterfly. The preserve is a popular stop-off point for users of the White Pine Trail, particularly in May and June when the purple lupine is in full bloom.

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Meinert County Park

There are no trails leading through this rugged dune property. Steep, forested ridges are interwoven with narrow valleys. Tucked in the dune hills are wetlands and a small pond.

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Minnie Skwarek Nature Preserve

Located near Spring Lake, Minnie Skwarek Nature Preserve protects biodiversity, improves water quality, and provides a destination for those nearby to connect with nature.

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Muskegon River: Thornapple Access

The Muskegon River is the second longest river in Michigan and is known for its good fishery which includes the threatened Lake Sturgeon. Several tributary streams and wetlands supply high quality cold water to the Muskegon River in this section.

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Ottawa Sands

There are no trails leading through this rugged dune property. Steep, forested ridges are interwoven with narrow valleys. Tucked in the dune hills are wetlands and a small pond.

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Palomita Nature Reserve

Located near the lakeshore between Holland and Grand Haven, Palomita Reserve protects a critically-important Great Lakes marsh ecosystem. Its location along the multi-use Lakeshore Connector Path makes it easy to access and enjoy this beautiful property.

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Pere Marquette River: Bowman’s Bridge

Downstream of the β€œflies only” fishing section, this part of the river is heavily forested as it passes through several hundred acres of U.S. Forest Service land and non-developed private land.

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Pere Marquette River: Rainbow Rapids

This section of the river maintains much of its forest integrity, even though it is mostly privately owned. This portion is deeper than upstream, though there are areas that are still wade-able along the edges.

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Richmond Woods Nature Preserve

Located near Brohman in central Newaygo County, Richmond Woods Nature Preserve spans two watersheds, protects multiple wetland types, and features a sustainable, working forest.

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Roselle Park

A paved trail leads through former pastures, now being restored to natural habitats, down to the Grand River where there is a canoe landing and river overlook. Looping unpaved trails let visitors explore the lowland forest that shades the river in this Ada Township park.

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Saugatuck Dunes State Park

Located between Saugatuck and Holland with towering dunes, 2.5 miles of undeveloped shoreline, and no crowds–this is one of the great Lake Michigan parks.

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Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area

Hiking trails loop through the dunes, around wetlands, to the north shore of the Oxbow Lagoon, along the Kalamazoo River channel, and the Lake Michigan shoreline, offering scenic views at every turn. At the beach, look for migratory shorebirds including gulls, plovers, sandpipers, and terns.

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Saul Lake Bog Nature Preserve

Located east of Rockford, Saul Lake Bog Nature Preserve is one of West Michigan’s flagship natural areas. Convenient parking and over a mile of meandering trails allow visitors to appreciate the bog, prairie, forests, and fields–and the diversity of wildlife they support–in all seasons.

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The Highlands

The Highlands is a collaborative project between the Land Conservancy and Blandford Nature Center. It is located in the heart of Grand Rapids at the former Highlands Golf Club and is currently undergoing planning and restoration.

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Upper Macatawa Natural Area

This former cow pasture-turned-county park near Zeeland was returned to fields and wetlands. It meanders to miles of the Macatawa River, attracting a variety of wading and grassland birds. It offers extensive hiking and mountain biking trails.

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Wege Foundation Natural Area

Located just outside of Lowell, adjacent to Lowell High School and the Wittenbach/Wege Environmental Center, this preserve is often used as an outdoor classroom by Lowell-area students and nature enthusiasts. Hiking trails wind through mixed hardwood forests, cross over a trout stream, and wander through old farm pastures.

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