Take A Hike

Six discoveries on two peninsulas

June 3, 2016

 

There’s no shortage of popular hiking trails and shimmering lakes for outdoors enthusiasts to enjoy in northern Michigan. But sometimes it’s nice to get away from the crowds and take advantage of some of the hidden gems on the Leelanau or Old Mission peninsulas. Here are a few suggestions:

LEELANAU

KEHL LAKE NATURAL AREA

Preserved in 1992, Kehl Lake sits at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula. It covers 279 acres and was used by generations of Ottawa and Chippewa for seasonal settlements.

The lake’s shape inspired its early name, Leg Lake. In the 1860s, the Kehl family farmed the southern part of the property, and the family name stuck. Hikers will encounter a towering mixed-wood forest featuring some impressive white pines. Wetlands provide cover for a number of birds and wildlife. To get there, take M-201 about 1.5 miles north of Northport. After 2.5 miles, turn left on Snyder Road, then right on Sugarbush Road, which eventually becomes Kehl Road. Shortly after passing Otis Road on the right, the sign for the Kehl Lake parking area is on your left.

HOUDEK DUNES NATURAL AREA

For more than a century, this 342-acre site was owned and partially farmed by the Houdek family. The sandy dunes are from glacial sediments that were exposed 4,000 years ago when the ancient Lake Nippissing receded. Over the years, the sand was blown to form the dunes we see today. From the trail, hikers see the dunes and walk through pockets of white birch, ancient maples, aspen and tamarack. Houdek Creek, which flows along the southeast corner of the area, is a spring-fed trout stream and a primary tributary of north Lake Leelanau. To get there from Leland, drive north along M-22 almost six miles, past County Road 626. A sign on the left side marks the cozy parking area.

CHIPPEWA RUN NATURAL AREA

Just outside Empire, this 110-acre property features a variety of fields, forests, wetlands and ponds. A former apple orchard, it’s home to a variety of wildlife. One highlight: a once-active beaver pond, it’s now host to scads of turtles and frogs and stretches of cattail marshes, which feature a variety of waterfowl. Chippewa Run Creek flows through the property and into South Bar Lake, a rich hunting and fishing ground with a long history of Anishinaabek settlements. Limited hunting is allowed on this property from Oct. 1 through January 1. To get to Chippewa Run, head north on M-22 less than a mile from the intersection of M-72 and M-22 in Empire; the parking area sits on the left.

OLD MISSION

PYATT LAKE: THE BILL CARLS NATURE PRESERVE

With a trailhead just off rugged Pyatt Lake Road, the hiking trail at Pyatt Lake is less than a mile in length but full of varied plant species and wildlife for visitors to enjoy. More than 250 species of plants have been identified here, including orchids and trillium, and a multitude of migrating waterfowl stop to rest in the shallow waters of the lake. The Bill Carls Nature Preserve is one of only three properties in northern Michigan classified as a "wooded dune and swale" habitat complex, a result of Pyatt Lake’s geologic history; thousands of years ago, it was an arm of Grand Traverse Bay. Owned and managed by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC), the Pyatt Lake site has expanded eight times over the years. Work at Pyatt Lake continues as GTRLC staff replaces and repairs the boardwalk and does other upkeep. The nature preserve is named in memory of a man who treasured Old Mission Peninsula and encouraged others to protect this property.

PELIZZARI NATURAL AREA

This is one of those hiking locales that are hidden in plain sight. It’s bypassed by thousands of people every day, and yet, often overlooked.

The 62-acre park sits amid a relatively dense residential area on Old Mission Peninsula along busy Center Road, just north of Homestead Court. Traffic usually zooms past the gravel parking area, which invites hikers to stop and check out the wide-open meadows, wetlands, quiet forest, old orchards and shoreline along some three miles of hiking trails.

Hikers can still see remnants of the land’s agricultural past as they meander along the trails, which offer abundant outdoor opportunities for hiking, dog walking and, in winter, skiing and snowshoeing. An impressive variety of birds can be seen along the trails, and some visitors have spotted a fox or two. Following the approval of a millage by voters, Peninsula Township purchased the land in 2009. The township, in partnership with the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, continues to enhance the property by maintaining the trails, planting native trees and shrubs, and removing invasive species.

OLD MISSION POINT PARK

At the tip of Old Mission Peninsula, a pair of parks straddle the 45th parallel. Lighthouse Park and Old Mission Point Park combine for 650 acres of natural beauty. While the Mission Point Lighthouse, built in 1870, draws the bulk of the visitors, hikers of all abilities will want to take advantage of the almost 10 miles of trails through both parks.

Old Mission Point Park sits on 520 acres that were covered in cherry orchards before the state of Michigan bought the property more than 30 years ago. Eventually the land was leased to Peninsula Township, which developed the current trail system, merging the existing trails in Lighthouse Park with new segments in Old Mission Point Park.

There are three trailheads, the most popular leading to a five-mile loop that begins near the lighthouse. This hike passes through a variety of terrain and scenery, including scenic views of both arms of Grand Traverse Bay, before looping back to the lighthouse.

A more secluded trailhead and parking area is located along Murray Road at the end of Brinkman Road; it’s reached from M-37 by heading east on Tomkins Road. A third trailhead is near the village of Old Mission and reached from M-37 by heading east on Swaney Road. After about 1.5 miles, the pavement ends; turn right on Ridgewood Road and keep your eyes peeled for the small parking lot about a half mile up. Each trail is well-marked, and maps are located at each trailhead.