94 Kalamazoo Nature Center 

wildlife viewing  |  directions and facility information

Hiking trails

Following are brief descriptions of the hiking trails available at Kalamazoo Nature Center.

EASY TRAILS

Habitat Haven (.5 mile)
This barrier free trail winds through many habitats, with interpretive signs. This trail traverses a beech-maple forest, a fen, swamp, and overlooks a pond. The diversity of habitats makes this an excellent trail to spot wildlife. You might hear deer crashing through the woods, see water snakes swimming in Trout Run Stream, or find dragonflies patrolling the pond. Bird watching opportunities abound.

Prairie Farm (.5 mile)
Easy walk linking Valley Trail with Prairie Pathway. Succession is beginning to occur in this old field; sumac and other bushes grow among wildflowers, producing shade and soil that encourages more shrubs and trees to grow. Many songbirds and small mammals find shelter in this shrubby area.

Prairie Pathway (.75 mile)
Easy walk along fields to a restored prairie. The prairie is awash with color from May through September. Big bluestem and other grasses tower over lead plant, spiderwort, black-eyed susans, purple coneflower, butterfly milkweed, and other prairie flowers. These unique plants attract myriad butterflies and other insects. Insect-eating and seed-eating birds also find plentiful food here.

MODERATE TRAILS

Beech-Maple (.65 mile)
This trail will take you through an old growth beech-maple forest, along a sparkling stream. On late winter evenings, listen for the calls of barred and great horned owls. Blue-eyed Mary cascades down a hillside in spring. Trout lily, trillium, marsh marigold, spring beauty, and many other wildflowers also bloom in abundance here.

Cooper's Overlook (.2 mile)
This trail runs along a ridge with large trees overlooking Trout Run Stream. Find mayflowers, long-spurred violets, trillium, and hepatica along the ridge in spring. Explore the community of insects, worms, and fungi that inhabit the large logs along this trail. Enjoy colorful foliage in the fall.

Green Heron Ravine (1.2 miles)
This is a moderate hike through a young forest, past small ponds. Look for raccoon, fox, deer, and other tracks in the winter. Listen for woodpeckers, frogs, songbirds, and woodcock in the spring.

Pioneer Woods (1.7 miles)
Walk through farm fields and a spectacular beech-maple forest to the pristine Source Pond, the headwater of Trout Run Stream. Spring wildflowers abound under towering trees. Search for wood ducks, kingfishers, and turtles at the Source Pond. Listen for spring peepers, warblers, and thrushes.

Ridge Run (.95 mile)
Take a moderate hike through young woodlands, pine plantations, and old meadows, including a short, steep climb. Glaciers once carried the huge boulder that now rests at the top of the rise. Watch for bats on summer evenings. This is an excellent trail for viewing fall foliage and sunsets.

Trout Run Trail (.6 mile)
Walk through a mature forest overlooking Trout Run Stream, with a good view of the cattail marsh bordering the stream. Listen for downy, red-bellied, and pileated woodpeckers. Look for beech-drops, a parasitic flowering plant, growing on the roots of beech trees.

DIFFICULT TRAILS

River Vista (.15)
Take a steep hike, which crosses Trout Run Stream to one of the highest points in the county. Enjoy a spectacular view of the Kalamazoo River Valley, especially in autumn. Watch hawks and vultures soar overhead. Hike down to old gravel pits and look for fossils, mudstone, sandstone, and granite.

Valley Trail (.6 mile)
This trail descends steeply to a small pond. Hike past the maple sugar house and through a beech-maple forest. Look for spicebush and wildflowers blooming in the spring, and signs of deer and wild turkey. Spot huge maple, beech, and oak trees that have been growing here for more than a century.