11. Bird Hills + Barton + Kuebler-Langford Nature Areas

Important News (August 2024): The Barton Nature Area trails have been re-opened.

More News (February 2025): And yet the disruptions at Barton continue. Another construction project , expected to run through June of 2027, is about to begin. While the trails within the oxbow remain open, access to Barton Pond and the dam area is now restricted .

Photos from Bird Hills:

Photos from Barton:

Photos from Kuebler-Langford (and Hilltop):

Overview: Among hikes within the city of Ann Arbor, this is the crown jewel.

My preferred route starts from the Bird Hills trailhead on Newport Road. Take the left (north) branch, which further splits into three parallel branches that all descend through dense, mature forest and exit at Bird Road. Each one of these branches has compelling features, although I have come to prefer the middle one -- it runs along a ridge that offers excellent views on either side. Once you reach Bird Road, walk down to and across Huron River Drive to the Barton Nature Area.

From the Barton parking lot, head towards the water and you will come to a pedestrian bridge across the Huron River with Barton Dam  looming above you upstream, and a gorgeous view  downstream. However, instead of crossing this bridge, you might want to investigate a detour to your left that takes you upstream above the dam along a canoe portage. There you will find a spectacular panoramic view of Barton Pond . At this point, you can either retrace your steps back to the pedestrian bridge, or take the catwalk across the top of the dam, then veer to the right and across the railroad tracks where you will rejoin the main trail on the other side of the Huron.

[Update (Fall 2022): MDOT has apparently decided that it will no longer tolerate having people cross the railroad tracks east of Barton Dam. A project to install fencing and other barriers  there is underway, although currently there are no "No Trespassing" signs posted in the vicinity. As a result, the catwalk across the top of the dam is now primarily of interest for the great views it provides and as a point of entry for the village of Barton Hills. Using it to rejoin the trail on the other side of the Huron River is no longer advisable.]

On the far side of the pedestrian bridge, immediately on the right (downstream) side, there is another optional side trip that will take you deeper into the woods and meadows of the Barton Nature Area. Some of the paths here are narrow and tricky to navigate. On a visit in late summer, at one point I found myself chest-deep in wildflowers on a path that was at most one foot wide. This detour may add 1/2 mile or more to your hike before returning to the main trail.

The main trail eventually takes you to a second pedestrian bridge across the Huron. With no side trips, it is about 1/2 mile from bridge to bridge. This second bridge delivers you to a parking area on Huron River Drive. At the eastern (i.e., downstream) edge of this parking area, across HRD you will see a trail that heads back uphill  into the forest. This trail starts the third leg of the hike. Technically this beginning is in the Hilltop Nature Area , but as you progress, the trail passes into Kuebler-Langford. You will discover a substantial maze of trails here (more about this below); the main takeaway is that the network consists of five(!) roughly parallel and interconnected paths that run east to west.

All of these trails eventually converge as you travel west, exiting Kuebler-Langford at Beechwood Drive. Across the street is a trailhead offering re-entry into Bird Hills. Taking the left branches from here on out will bring you directly back to the trailhead on Newport Road. If you are feeling a bit adventurous and energetic on your return to Newport, take the first right branch you encounter for a steep descent into a hollow. You'll appreciate the relative quiet here, being sheltered from most of the noise pollution emanating from M-14.

This round trip hike will be 3.25 to 4.5 miles long, depending on the extent of your exploratory side trips along the way. I've saved a route map for a 4.0 mile version of this hike on MapPedometer . Note that the difference in elevation between the Newport Road trailhead and the Huron River is about 200 feet.

Leashed dogs are allowed throughout.

Updates on the disruption at Barton:
1. (March 2024) Construction work on the Barton/B2B Trail Project  has begun. The goals of this project are to (a) route the B2B Trail from Bandemer Park to the Barton Nature Area through a tunnel underneath the railroad, and (b) extend the B2B Trail through the Barton Nature Area on its way to points farther west. This has resulted in the temporary closure of the pedestrian bridges at either end of the Barton oxbow, effectively cutting off any access to the nature trails. In the meantime, it is still possible to set up interesting loops that combine Bird Hills and Kuebler-Langford without entering the Barton Nature Area. For example, consider this 4.15 mile route .

2. (August 2024) The first phase of the project -- a concrete defilement  of the main bridge-to-bridge trail in the Barton oxbow -- is now complete . The good news is that (a) the trail network within the oxbow is open again, and (b) on a Bird Hills -> Barton -> Kuebler-Langford circuit, it is possible to avoid most of the concrete pathway aside from the last ~200 yards of it on your way to the second bridge.

3. (February 2025) And now, an entirely separate construction project  is about to begin in the Barton Nature Area. Leakage from the embankment that holds Barton Pond in place has been getting worse, and the city has hired a contractor to make repairs starting in March 2025. Already (February) the dam area, the canoe portage, and the pathway that runs along the top of the embankment are closed to the public  and will remain that way for the duration of the project. The good news is that parking at Barton and the bridges at either end of the oxbow remain open, so hikers can still pass through the nature area with minimal inconvenience.

Updates on the DTE clear-cutting at Kuebler-Langford:
1. (February 2023) DTE has closed the southernmost of the five east-west paths across Kuebler-Langford in order to install new power lines. This closure includes the westernmost portion shared by all five paths as they converge on the way to Beechwood Drive. Consequently, it is no longer possible to hike directly between Bird Hills and Kuebler-Langford. As an alternative, I have saved a route map for a 5.65 mile loop that uses the Barton Nature Area in both directions as a connector.

It should be noted that the trail in this area is not merely closed. DTE has completely obliterated it by clear-cutting all trees and vegetation in a strip about 20 feet wide, leaving behind a muddy quagmire.

2. (July 2023) The trail is open again. Although the effects of the clear-cutting remain conspicuous , the "quagmire" aspects have been mitigated. Starting from Beechwood Drive, the trail weaves in and out of the utility right-of-way for about 250 yards before an escape into the interior of Kuebler-Langford is available.

It will take quite some time before this portion of Kuebler-Langford lives up to its Nature Area designation.

Navigating the maze at Hilltop and Kuebler-Langford:
The official trail map shows the five interconnected trails running roughly east to west across the Hilltop and Kuebler-Langford Nature Areas. Of these five the two southernmost are not recommended, since they leave you out in the open and maximally exposed to the noise from M-14.

To get onto any of the three recommended trails from the eastern entry point on Huron River Drive, look for a fork in the trail soon after you begin your ascent. If you take the left branch, after a few more steps you will come to a second fork.

* If you opt for the left branch again (but avoid any additional options that lead farther south), the trail will take you along the south side of a ravine, and eventually down into the ravine and across the stream at the bottom. There is no footbridge here, so passage could be tricky after substantial rainfall.

* Opting for the right branch at the second fork will take you along the north side of the ravine. You may spot a forlorn flagpole along the way -- probably a remnant from when there was a Girl Scout camp here.

* If instead you opt for the right branch at the first fork, the trail will lead you uphill along the northern rim of Hilltop. There are several opportunities to veer to the south and join the path that runs along the north side of the ravine, but you might miss out on a few glimpses of the Huron River from a high vantage point. A handy turning point arises at an intersection where there is a bench 10 yards to your right facing the river. Turning left will take you to the ravine. Continuing straight ahead, you will eventually rejoin the other westbound trails but miss the ravine. Along this trail there is a spur that descends very steeply all the way down to some wooden steps ending at Huron River Drive.

Parking tips: The Bird Hills parking lot on Newport Road is small and often full. On days when school is not in session, another option is to park at nearby Wines Elementary. Or, use the parking lot at Barton Pond off Huron River Drive and start your hike there. That is, if you aren't lucky enough to live or work within walking distance of one of the trailheads.

Other optional starting points, with small parking areas, are the trailheads on Bird Road and Beechwood Drive.

Excerpts from the websites: Bird Hills Nature Area is the largest park in the city. Its hilly woods are a sanctuary for hikers. There are five trailheads: at Down Up Circle, at Bird Rd, at Beechwood Dr, and two near the Newport Rd parking area. No facilities are available in this undeveloped park. The unpaved trails wind through hills and ravines covered with beech, sugar maple, flowering dogwood, oaks and hickory and various spring wildflowers. Other areas have been planted with various trees not native to our area.

Barton Nature Area is a 102-acre park located along the Huron River on Huron River Drive, a few miles north of downtown. The park is in two sections: the larger is known locally as the oxbow, and connects to Argo; the smaller is known as Foster, and is accessible only by boat from Barton Pond. The main trail in the oxbow is wood-chipped, and connects the two bridges. Most of this area is open field, but some areas are shrubby, and lower wet areas support sedges and marsh plants.

Kuebler Langford Nature Area is a 31-acre park immediately north of M-14 where it is tucked into the sharp curve of Huron River Drive. Part of the park is an old field area, with very little top soil. Interestingly, some plants here are native dry prairie species such as round headed bush clover and stiff goldenrod. A deep ravine bisects the park from west to east, and a moist woods, like that found in Bird Hills Park, covers the steep slopes and the area north of the ravine. Further east along the ravine a drier forest dominates with large black and white oaks and an understory of witch-hazel and hazelnut shrubs.