13. Nichols Arboretum + Gallup Park + Furstenberg Nature Area

Update (September 2024): The new Gallup Park bridge has been opened for pedestrian traffic. For more on the status of the project, see A2Gov.org/Park-Planning  and the discussion below.

Photos from the Arboretum:

Overview: The Arb(oretum) belongs high up on the list of things that make Ann Arbor special. Tucked in next to the University of Michigan medical campus, it is a great spot to squeeze in a nature hike whenever you are nearby. And if you have more time, you can sneak out the back and reach Gallup Park and the Furstenberg Nature Area via Riverview Drive.

Leashed dogs are allowed at all of these sites.

Nappers in the Arb are welcome to bring a blanket, but not a hammock .

Parking: The main flaw of the Arb is that it is popular just about all of the time outside of winter or bad weather. Consequently, parking anywhere nearby can be a challenge. Of course if you have a UM blue permit, then you have quite a few options (I like Lot M-34 on Observatory), but even the nearby UM lots are generally going to be full from 8 to 4 Mon-Fri. For everyone else, here are some suggestions for parking:

Options: Some reasonable hikes (details to follow):

  1. A round trip entirely within the Arb (2 to 3 miles).
  2. A hike through the Arb and Furstenberg Nature Area and back (5.5 to 6.5 miles).
  3. A hike through the Arb and around Geddes Pond in Gallup Park (5.5 to 6.7 miles).
  4. A Gallup-based hike through Furstenberg and around Geddes Pond (2.75 to 3 miles).
You can also supplement a Gallup visit with a side trip into the Ruthven Nature Area (add 0.5 miles).

A hike that goes directly from the Arb's Washington Heights entrance to the eastern boundary is about 0.9 miles one way, and from the Geddes Avenue entrance it is about 1.1 miles. However, a lot of that is on boring gravel roads that you would probably rather avoid. Once you pass through the peony garden , you should choose any of the paths on your right that take you down into the Heathdale and show off more of the Arb's natural and human-curated wonders. From the Geddes Avenue entrance there are similar "wilderness" options. The OpenStreetMap shows that there is more here than what you see on the official trail map.

There are a few trails that traverse steep hills if you want your hike to be strenuous. Note that the change in elevation from the Washington Heights entrance down to the Huron River is about 120 feet. From Geddes Avenue it is 185 feet. In any case, it is easy to devise a loop of 2 to 3 miles entirely inside the Arb. However, it is also easy for adventurous first-timers to get disoriented, so you may want to bring a compass or use a GPS app. Do make it a point to take in a view of the Huron River  in the vicinity of trail marker #7.

The Gallup Park Area

Getting there from the Arb: At the eastern edge of the Arb there is a short walkway , complete with a large informative sign, offering passage between the Arboretum and Riverview Drive. Surprisingly, this entry point is not shown on Google's maps, nor on the Arb's website. Perhaps the wealthy homeowners living on Riverview Drive would prefer to have it unknown to the public. [Update: Although the passage and some modest signage remain in place, the fancy sign has been removed.] If you follow Riverview to Geddes Avenue, you will eventually reach a railroad crossing  for bikers and pedestrians. On the other side is a bridge across the Huron River that marks the western edge of Gallup Park.

I've saved a map of this 1 mile route from the Arb to Gallup on MapPedometer .

Caution: Inside the Arb and not far from the Riverview exit, there is an unsanctioned path that leads across the railroad tracks to a section of the B2B Trail that runs parallel to the Huron River. Proceeding downstream from there will take you to the bridge and into Gallup Park. However, there are signs and barriers making it clear that crossing the railroad tracks here entails trespassing on MDOT property. There has been an ongoing battle of wills between the MDOT and local miscreants, but it is apparent that the MDOT is becoming more determined in its efforts  to discourage would-be trespassers.

Assessing your options: Once on the bridge, you should pause for a moment to take in the view . In the final years of the old bridge, the view was marred by the addition of a chain link fence on top of the guardrails. Let us hope we will have at least a few years of fence-free views at this picturesque spot.

After crossing the bridge, one of your options is to stay on the pathway and follow a clockwise loop around Gallup Park. This will take you past the canoe livery on the north side of the Huron and then through a chain of islands linked by pedestrian bridges that return you to the south side. Although much of this loop is on asphalt, along the way there will be numerous panoramic views  of Geddes Pond . The loop is either 1.35 or 1.65 miles long, depending on whether you take the shortcut that runs alongside the playground in the southeast corner of the park.

The Furstenberg Nature Area:

A second option after crossing the bridge is to bear left and explore the Furstenberg Nature Area. What you will find there is a mix of wetlands and woods on a finger of land that juts out and curls around a lagoon off of the Huron River. The trail is mostly unpaved aside from some boardwalks in marshy areas. A round trip from the entrance at Gallup Park to the far northwest end of the preserve is about 1.35 miles.

The Ruthven Nature Area:

You can increase the Nature Quotient (tm) of a loop around Geddes Pond by taking a 1/2 mile side trip to explore the kame and kettle terrain  in the 21 acre Ruthven Nature Area. (Kames and kettles are the hills and basins left behind by a receding glacier.) Although the entrance is unmarked, the trail map shows that you will find an entry point on the north side of Geddes Road east of Huron Parkway, directly across from a parking lot. For added confirmation, look for the bat house  straight ahead as you enter.

The 2024 Bridge Replacement:

The project to replace the arched wooden bridge in Gallup Park is nearing completion. Although the old bridge remained open to traffic during the initial stages of the project, it was dismantled early in 2024 for "public safety reasons." As a result, it became challenging  for pedestrians to pass between the Arb and the heart of Gallup Park. However, now that the new bridge  is open to pedestrian traffic (September 2024), these challenges are largely moot, aside from the need to follow short detours around the construction zone.

In case there is a temporary closure of the bridge while the project is still underway, there is another option for crossing the Huron River on foot. It involves taking advantage of the protected sidewalks  available on both sides of Huron Parkway where it crosses Geddes Pond. This offers a direct route to the north side of Gallup Park, near where the canoe livery and Ruthven Nature Area are located. On MapPedometer, I've saved a 2 mile route that illustrates how to use this to fashion an unconventional loop around the pond.

Excerpts from the websites: Throughout the Arb you’ll find many special places to discover, including extensive but dispersed collections of native and exotic trees and shrubs masterfully crafted into a naturalistic landscape begun by O. C. Simonds in 1907. The Arboretum is jointly owned by the City of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan as a resource for the entire community. As you explore you’ll find one of the richest landscapes in the region, as well as a complex glacial topography that presents vast panoramas, broad valleys, and intimate dales and glens.

Gallup Park is a 69-acre park and is Ann Arbor’s most popular recreation area. It is located along the Huron River and Geddes Pond with scenic walkways that traverse small islands with bucolic pedestrian bridges. The park contains two playgrounds, a canoe livery, picnic areas and grills scattered throughout the park, and two picnic shelters.

Furstenberg Nature Area is a 38-acre park containing wetlands, woodlands, prairie, and oak savannah. It is located on Fuller Road just west of Gallup Park. A half-mile paved trail loops through the park, and a granular trail goes through the prairie and woods, connecting to 1/4 mile of wetland boardwalk. An interpretive brochure leads the visitor through a series of numbered posts explaining the natural ecosystems.