12. Argo + Bluffs Nature Areas + Bandemer Park

Photos from the Argo-Bandemer Loop:

Photos from the Bluffs Nature Area:

Overview: Located right in the heart of Ann Arbor, the Argo Nature Area and Bandemer Park are on opposite sides of Argo Pond, a wide spot on the Huron River held in check by Argo Dam  at the south end. The Bluffs Nature Area is nearby, separated from Bandemer Park by North Main Street.

Entry points: If you are arriving by car, a free parking option that should be available every day is the dirt lot at Bandemer Park. You can reach this lot by driving north on North Main and turning right onto Lake Shore Drive. Another option is to continue farther north on Main, enter M-14 northbound and exit immediately at Barton Drive. Turn right onto Barton and look for the parking lot on your left.

On the opposite side of Argo Pond, there is free parking at the Argo Canoe Livery on Longshore Drive. This lot is often full, but on weekends there is another free parking option nearby -- UM Lot M-87 at the corner of Broadway and Wall Street. From this lot you will gain access to the Argo Nature Area via a section of the B2B Trail that runs alongside the Argo Cascades , a recreational water route that bypasses the dam.

If you're already downtown on foot, simply walk north across the Broadway Bridge. Once you cross the Huron River, exit to the left and you will reach the same "cascade" section of the B2B Trail enjoyed by those who parked in UM Lot M-87. Or, walk north on Fifth Avenue to the new (as of November 2020) non-motorized pathway  that takes you directly from Depot Street to the Bandemer side of Argo Dam.

Planning your hike: A basic Argo-Bandemer hike is a 2.5 mile loop around the perimeter of Argo Pond through woods and marshy habitats. It offers numerous scenic views . A majority of the loop is unpaved, including a long boardwalk at the north end of the Argo side. The portions south of the Argo and Bandemer canoe launching areas are on asphalt; the latter is also part of the B2B Trail.

If you enter and exit alongside the cascades at the southern extreme of the Argo side, that will add about 0.5 miles to your hike.

If you want to add something to your hike that has no asphalt, more wilderness, and rougher terrain, you should include a side trip to the Bluffs Nature Area. This is a terrific site that offers some steep hills through dense woods, with a ravine or two and a mini prairie  in the center. You may catch occasional glimpses of the Huron River  through the trees. The trail network here is extensive and well-documented, so there are many options for creating a 1 to 2 mile exploratory hike.

There is another nearby source of unpaved trails in an attractive natural area . It involves venturing north of Argo Pond and passing through a tunnel underneath M-14. The details are discussed below.

Leashed dogs are allowed throughout. In Argo and Bandemer, bicycles are allowed only on the paved trails.

Getting to Bluffs from Bandemer: Bluffs Nature Area has a marked entrance  directly across North Main from the Lake Shore Drive entrance to Bandemer Park. However, crossing North Main on foot is easier said than done -- there are four lanes of fast moving traffic, and the nearest crosswalk is half a mile away at Depot Street. On a weekday from 4 to 7 pm, the odds that you will be able to cross North Main here are low.

A longer but safer way to reach Bluffs from Bandemer is to follow the new pathway  south from the Bandemer side of Argo Dam over Allen Creek and under the railroad tracks, ending on Depot Street at Fifth. Head to the right (west) from there, crossing North Main at either Depot or Summit Street. Continue one block farther west on Summit and turn right onto Wildt Street. As Wildt turns northwest and becomes Sunset Road, you will see another marked entrance  to Bluffs on your right.

I've saved a 4.7 mile route that uses both of these options on MapPedometer . It starts from the Argo Cascades, enters Bluffs by crossing North Main at Lake Shore Drive, and returns via the new pathway.

An alternative is to try a Bluffs-only hike, starting from the parking lot  across from Bandemer at 1279 North Main. Other parking options include residential street parking near the entrance on Sunset, or at the unmarked entrances on Orkney Drive or Huronview Blvd.

Extending your hike north of Argo Pond:

At the north end of Bandemer Park there is a parking lot accessible from Barton Drive. If you walk north from this lot along the shoulder of Barton Drive for about 100 yards, you will spot a trail opening  on the opposite side of the road. This is an entry point into a small network of unpaved trails that is worthy of exploration.

This area is not part of the city or county park system; it seems likely that it is under the jurisdiction of MDOT. In any case, it is clear that mountain bikers have been involved -- perhaps covertly -- in the creation and maintenance of the trails. Questions of jurisdiction notwithstanding, someone has installed a sign proclaiming the area to be Mastodon Park . Cutting through the middle of it is M-14, although the roadway is at a nearly tree-top level and the trails are in its shadow, so the noise levels are lower than one might otherwise expect. There is a tunnel  that connects the trails on either side of the highway.

The trails west of M-14 will lead you toward the tunnel. Once you pass through, the trail forks, with the left branch heading east towards a trail crossing  sandwiched between two opposing dead ends of Hilldale Drive. If you continue east through the crossing, the trail leads across Pontiac Trail to Leslie Park and the adjacent Black Pond Woods Nature Area , should you have lengthier ambitions for your hike.

On the other hand, the most direct way to resume a clockwise loop around Argo Pond is to turn right and head south at the crossing  to the southern half of Hilldale Drive. Once Hilldale begins to bend to the east, turn right onto Brede Place, which quickly descends to Barton Drive. On the other side of Barton is a boardwalk that leads back into the Argo Nature Area.

On the other other hand, there are more unpaved trails in the vicinity. To take advantage of these, either follow the right branch as you emerge from the tunnel, or at the previously mentioned trail crossing, turn right again before you reach Hilldale Drive. Either option leads into Onder Park , a tiny (4.2 acre), amenity-free natural area. Useful exits from there are at Hilldale near Cloverdale Road, and on Brookside Drive. Be aware that it is possible to venture too far west and end up on a gated access road that runs parallel to an M-14 exit ramp.

On MapPedometer, I've saved a typical 1.25 mile route through this network, including a pass through Onder Park. If you use it as a substitute for part of your Argo-Bandemer loop, it will add about 1 mile to the hike.

Excerpts from the websites: In Argo you can explore dry forest, mesic forest, and emergent marsh habitats. The dry forest at the northern end of the park is characterized by large black oaks whose thick bark protects them from prescribed fires (conducted by city staff). This area is also home to witch-hazel, two species of hickory, and American hazelnuts. The mesic forest includes American basswood, hornbeam, and crack willow. Restoration efforts have contributed to the return of an abundance of wildflowers.

Bandemer has a variety of habitats which vary in soil moisture, from dry prairie by the railroad tracks to wet meadow along Argo Pond. From a canoe you can view the Michigan lily (orange with brown spots and curling petals) in the wet meadow, and the sweet scented water lily (white with delicate petals) on Argo Pond. The small purple gerardia can also be seen in the park. The northern portion of the property was used as pasture land and as stockyards for the railroad.

Bluffs Nature Area is ... located on a glacially formed ridge over North Main Street. [It] has a variety of natural features including an oak-hickory forest, wooded ravines, and an open field with remnant prairie species. There are also a few examples of large older trees including open grown oaks and a huge white ash. This area has long been a favorite place for bicycles, but hikers are also sure to enjoy the rugged trails throughout the park.