,
OpenStreetMap
,
OpenStreetMap
Comments:
This is an outstanding nature preserve located about three miles north
of Chelsea. It offers open fields, oak-hickory forest, wetlands,
and close contact with West Lake. The shoreline portion of the trail
network here is usually dry despite being at about the same elevation
as the lake. However, during one winter visit, I found the trail in this
area buried under a
thick layer
of ice 
.
As reported in
this document ,
new trails and 56 acres were added to the preserve in 2017.
Unfortunately, the preserve web page has not been updated to reflect this,
although I am happy to report that the 2019 map posted there does
show these new trails.
The OpenStreetMap has been updated on multiple occasions in the past few
years as well and is reliably accurate.
A tour that follows the perimeter segments of the trail network is about 2 miles long. You can easily add another 1/2 to 1 mile to your hike by including some of the trail segments in the interior.
No dogs, bikes, boats, or hunting allowed.
Update (2023):
A new trail segment has been cut through the open fields in the
middle of the preserve. It passes by a small pond and climbs 25 feet
to a vantage point that offers
good
views
of the surrounding area. Although it is not shown on the trail map,
it is visible on the latest updates of the OpenStreetMap.
On MapPedometer, I've saved a route map for
a 2.85 mile tour
of the preserve that incorporates this new segment.
The route offers a full measure of everything the preserve has to offer,
including forests, grassland, wetlands, and shoreline.
Directions: Head west on I-94 toward Chelsea. Take Exit 162 (Old US-12) and continue west another 2+ miles. Turn right (north) onto M-52 (a.k.a. Main Street) in Chelsea. Continue north on M-52 for 2 miles to a roundabout. Take the first exit, onto northbound Werkner Road. After 3/4 of a mile, turn right (east) onto Waterloo Road, and look for the parking lot on the left (north) after about 1 mile down this unpaved road.
Driving time from the I-94 entrance at Jackson Road in Ann Arbor is about 20 minutes if the traffic in downtown Chelsea is light.
Excerpt from the website: [West Lake Preserve] trails take you through a wide range of ecosystems, such as upland forest, wetland, open water shoreline, and open fields. Bring your binoculars-—the diversity of habitats attracts numerous types of birds, including sandhill cranes, wild turkeys, belted kingfishers, and eastern bluebirds—-a bald eagle has even been spotted several times! The forested area of West Lake Preserve consists of mature oak and hickory trees with some portions having sandy soil dry enough for blueberry bushes and bracken fern to grow. Other portions of the property are very wet. A buttonbush swamp provides protection for young reptiles, including the State-protected Blanding’s turtle and various amphibians as they mature.