7. Sloan Preserve

Comments: The Sloan Preserve offers a beautiful mix of woods, wetlands, and waterways conveniently located in Scio Township about 1.5 miles south of Dexter.

Based on the old PDF trail map and the inaccuracies of the OpenStreetMap at the time, one could have been misled into thinking that the trail network here is not extensive enough to devise a hike that meets my minimum standard of 2 miles. However, it turns out that the online documentation has been lagging behind the reality on the ground. A floodplain loop in the southwest corner and a reconfiguration of the trail segments in the north were not on those maps. A grand tour of the trail network as it exists today is probably 2.2 miles long, easily making this hike worthy of inclusion on The List.

Updates (Summer 2023):

Will you be willing or able to cross the stream?

The trails in the northern and southern sections both lead you through mature woods to views of Mill Creek. There is also a stream crossing in the northern section and a warning on the old trail map that this may be difficult when the water is high. On some occasions it may not be so bad , requiring only a bit of agility to maintain balance while testing to see which rocks are stable enough to step on. A walking stick could prove to be useful here. At other times, you may discover that the water is at a level above the rocks , requiring either a willingness to get wet or knee-high waterproof boots.

It isn't immediately apparent that this stream is in fact a small branch of Mill Creek, but after crossing it you will eventually discover that you are on an island. The main branch of the creek is farther west, and the trail here is essentially an exploratory loop that takes you to the edges of the island, including spots near where the creek splits  and where the two branches re-join . The grass grows tall and thick  here, and as a result, the trails on the island can get difficult to follow if there is a lapse in maintenance.

Fishing and leashed dogs are allowed, but no bikes and no hunting.

Directions: Take Jackson Road west from Ann Arbor, turning right (north) onto Baker Road. Or take the Baker Road exit from westbound I-94 and turn right. The small parking lot and the trailheads for the northern and southern halves of the preserve are on the left (west) side of Baker about 1.25 miles north of I-94.

Excerpt from the township website: While not the first nature preserve in Scio Township, the former Sloan property is the first preserve the Township owns outright.... The parcel includes woods, wetlands, and frontage on Mill Creek, which is designated by the state as a natural river. The property is 50 acres in size and is called the Sloan Preserve in honor of Louis and Augusta Sloan, who purchased the original parcel in 1965.