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Wege Foundation Natural Area

County: Kent Established: 1999 62 Acres
Features
  • Cross Country Skiing
  • Hiking
  • Interpretive Signs
  • Water Feature
Amenities
  • Leashed Pets Allowed
  • Parking

At a Glance

  • Approximate Street Address: 11715 Vergennes Road, Lowell, MI
  • Located just outside of Lowell, adjacent to Lowell High School and the Wittenbach 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.
  • Trail length: 1.3 miles (Download Trail Map)
  • Before you visit, check out our preserve guidelines. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Visitor Information

Parking is available at the Wittenbach Center, directly across from Lowell High School. Refer to the large trail map behind the Wittenbach Center for directions to the preserve’s trails.

A well-established system of trails leads hikers through diverse habitats on the preserve, including mature hardwood forests, young mixed woodlands, and old fields undergoing restoration. Tired hikers can cool their feet in Lee Creek, a coldwater tributary of the Grand River, then extend their hike by exploring trails on the Wittenbach Center property immediately to the west of the preserve.

Wege Foundation Natural Area is a Category 1 LCWM nature preserve. Category 1 preserves have designated parking and well-marked trail systems. Most feature interpretive signs, overlooks, or other points of interest, and see fairly high levels of public use. If you’re new to exploring nature, this is a great place to start.

Trail Information

The trails at Wege Foundation Natural Area are marked with color-coded blazes on the trees. The natural surface trail is 1.5 feet wide. The average grade is 1%, the maximum grade is 6%. The average cross slope is less than 2%.

The trail map outlines 4 different loops that span both Wege Foundation Natural Area and the neighboring Wittenbach Center property. From west to east:

  • The Purple Trail leads visitors on a 0.64 mile loop through a sunny prairie filled with native wildflowers. This mowed grass loop is 6 feet wide and is mostly flat.
  • The Yellow Trail, including connecting trails, is 0.96 miles long and takes visitors through a sandy forested area. The natural surface trail is 1.5 feet wide. There are interpretive signs throughout this route and the northern tip of the loop overlooks a wetland.
  • The Orange Trail is 1.4 miles long and connects the Wittenbach Center and Wege Foundation Natural Area properties. It contains two loops that guide visitors through oak savanna and oak forest habitats and along bubbling Lee Creek. The northernmost loop includes a spur that leads to a wetland overlook. Reg Cridler’s cabin is located on this loop.
  • The Blue Trail is 0.64 miles long and provides similar views to the Orange Trail along a shorter route. It meanders through the oak savanna and oak forest between the Wittenbach Center and Wege Foundation Natural Area and spurs to overlook Lee Creek. Stop by the photo monitoring station on this route to help capture the ongoing restoration of the oak savanna.

Conservation Value

Wege Foundation Natural Area protects high-quality natural land in an area dominated by suburban and agricultural land uses. The hardwood swamp and shrub-carr wetlands on the property are particularly diverse, together supporting more than 100 native plant species and an abundance of wildlife. Those areas also protect water quality along a half-mile of Lee Creek, a groundwater-fed trout stream that flows into the Grand River. The Land Conservancy–with the help of many volunteers–is also working to limit the impacts of invasive species on the highest quality forests and wetlands on the preserve.

The Land Conservancy is also leading a long-term project to restore oak barrens and oak forest habitat in an area of the preserve that was previously a plantation of red pine. Similar restoration projects are planned for the old pasture on the south end of the property.

History

Much of Wege Foundation Natural Area has a history of intensive use. Prior to European settlement, the land hosted a mix of black oak barrens, shrub swamp, and oak-hickory forest. By the 1930s, the western half of the property had been clearcut and was likely used as a pasture. The eastern half of the property remained more intact but was partially logged.

In 1960, Reg Cridler purchased the property and soon afterward planted several acres of pine in the old pasture. Along with his daughter Anne, he built a small log cabin that remains on the preserve today. Mr. Cridler also dug two ponds adjacent to Lee Creek in the northwest corner of the property. A now-defunct system of pipes and pumps diverted water from the creek and adjacent wetlands to a nearby house on Vergennes Street. Despite the changes in the land, Mr. Cridler appreciated the property for its natural character and rustic feel.

The property remained in the Cridler family until 1999, when the family offered to sell it at a price far below the appraised value in order to preserve it as a place where students could learn about nature, forestry, ecology, and agriculture. The Wege Foundation graciously donated the money needed to the Land Conservancy, allowing the organization to create its first nature preserve in the Lowell area. Around the same time, Lowell Area Schools established the Wittenbach Center on the neighboring property. This marked the beginning of a long-lasting partnership between the two organizations to encourage the use of both properties for natural exploration and education.

Features
  • Cross Country Skiing
  • Hiking
  • Interpretive Signs
  • Water Feature
Amenities
  • Leashed Pets Allowed
  • Parking