1. Nan Weston Preserve + Sharon Mills County Park

Update: The Nan Weston Preserve has reopened. In January of 2024, the trails in the Weston Preserve were closed for repairs and improvements. Some of the trails were reopened in March, and I am happy to report that based on a visit during the last week of May in 2024, all of the trails are now open.

Photos from the Nan Weston Preserve:

Photos from Sharon Mills Park:

Overview: The Nan Weston Nature Preserve at Sharon Hollow is a large parcel of land on the north side of the River Raisin near Manchester. It features wetlands and a dense floodplain forest that provide a habitat supporting a wide variety of wildflowers and aquatic birds.

Adjacent to the preserve is Sharon Mills County Park, which features a former grist mill (restored and functioning as a museum), a picnic area, and canoe access to the River Raisin. For hikers, the main attraction of the park is a network of multi-use biking/hiking trails that wind through open fields and along wooded areas near the river.

There are two trail segments running east-west that connect the Nan Weston Preserve and Sharon Mills: a southern route that runs along the shore of the River Raisin, and a northern route that takes you deep into the floodplain woods.

The Southern Route:

The southern route seems to provide the best opportunities for spotting wildlife. While hiking this trail, I've encountered herons, muskrats, rabbits, turtles , an opossum , a possible beaver lodge , and other evidence  of the presence of beavers. Waterfowl are often busy here and in the ponds north of the river on the Sharon Mills side. During the Spring of 2021, part of the trail was closed to protect an area where herons were nesting.

For an interesting discussion of beavers and muskrats in southeastern Michigan, see this blog post .

The Northern Route:

The 3/4 mile northern route is a trail that has been under construction (or perhaps renovation) for some time. It is shown on the Nan Weston trail map, the trailforks.com map, and now (after the latest updates) on the OpenStreetMap. There are bits of hardware and lumber stashed at various points on the trail suggesting that the intent is to increase the accessibility of the route to match the level found elsewhere in the preserve.

Even in its unfinished state, my experience has been that the trail is easy to navigate with the aid of the colored ribbons  that mark the way. However, do keep in mind that the floodplain landscape here is a bit wilder than the rest of the preserve. There is a spot or two where you may need to work your way around standing water, as well as a stream crossing that requires the use of a haphazard bridge formed by a jumble of fallen trees.

I have frequently spotted deer in this area, and on one occasion, a box turtle .

Update 1 (Summer 2022): Although the warning signs and caution tape  at the eastern end of the route have been taken down, they are still present at the western end. It is clear that the trail is still unfinished.

Update 2 (January 2023): All of the remaining warning signs and caution tape are gone, and there is now a sturdy bridge  across the stream. Although the trail still retains its "wild" character, the most challenging part of the route has been tamed.

The Mill Area:

You may want to take a side trip to tour the mill area, including the picnic grounds, the mill race, and the dam. There is also a short but interesting unpaved path near the canoe launch that runs downstream alongside the river before curling back and returning to a spot near the picnic pavilion.

Planning your hike: A grand tour hitting most of the highlights -- including the wilder northern route -- is about 4.6 miles long. I've saved a route map for it on MapPedometer . Note that it gives you three choices for where to park: at Nan Weston, or at either of the two Sharon Mills parking lots.

A side trip to visit the mill area will add perhaps 1/4 mile to your hike.

The trails that pass through the open fields along the northern rim of Sharon Mills are twisty-turny for the benefit of the mountain biking crowd. On the other hand, those same fields will at times be dense with wildflowers, and on a hot summer day, you may appreciate the moments of shade  afforded by the lines of trees that separate these fields. If you do decide to omit the northern rim from your hike, keep in mind that the trailhead (i.e., north) parking lot is on a grassy summit with a panoramic view  of the surroundings. You may find it worthwhile to either start your hike there, or make an out-and-back detour to see it.

Also note that the river trail in the southern half of Sharon Mills is actually a loop. The northern half of it runs along a slightly elevated ridge, offering an interesting view of the river  from a higher vantage point. On the other side of the ridge are two large ponds , and it is common to see ducks, geese, and sandhill cranes here. An alternative grand tour can be constructed by swapping out the northern section for a return along this ridge near the river. I've saved a route map for this 5.2 mile hike on MapPedometer .

For a hike entirely inside the Nan Weston Preserve, an out-and-back trek to the southeast corner of the preserve will range from 2.75 to 3.5 miles long, depending on which of the interior trail segments you use to get there. A loop around the perimeter of Sharon Mills will range from 1.5 to 2.2 miles, depending on how thoroughly you incorporate the twisty mountain bike trails.

In Sharon Mills, bikes and leashed dogs are allowed on the trails, but no hunting. In the Nan Weston Preserve, neither pets nor bikes are allowed, but limited bow hunting for deer is allowed. It requires permits from the state DNR and from The Nature Conservancy.

Directions: Head west on I-94, then south on M-52 near Chelsea (Exit 159). The first traffic light you encounter will be 7.5 miles later at Pleasant Lake Road. Turn right (west) onto Pleasant Lake. After 3.25 miles, precisely at the point where Pleasant Lake veers to the south and becomes Sharon Hollow Road, you have three options, depending on where you want to park:

  1. Turn right onto northbound Sharon Hollow Road. The large north parking lot for Sharon Mills and the main entry point for the park's trail network will be immediately on your left.
  2. Turn right onto northbound Sharon Hollow as in #1, but continue north and then eventually west where Sharon Hollow Road meets Easudes Road. The small parking lot and trailhead for the Nan Weston Preserve will be on your left (south) after about 1 mile down this dirt road.
  3. Continue south on Sharon Hollow and look for the main Sharon Mills parking lot on your left (east) after about 1/3 of a mile.

Driving time from the Jackson Road entrance to I-94 on the west side of Ann Arbor is about 25 minutes.

Excerpts from the websites: [The Nan Weston Preserve features] more than 260 species of wildflowers and other native plants. From the symphony of toads and frogs during spring, to the rain of yellow beech leaves in the fall, visitors will find year-round spectacles to enjoy. In the wet spring months, visitors can see vernal pools, which are temporary pools of water that provide habitat for insects, snakes and amphibians.

Located on the banks of the River Raisin in southwestern Washtenaw County, Sharon Mills County Park offers the opportunity to visit a significant historic site in a beautiful natural setting. The mill was originally constructed in the mid-1850s. It was then purchased and nearly rebuilt by Henry Ford in the 1930s for use as a small factory. Sharon Mills is listed on the State of Michigan Register of Historic Places. The mill is open to the public for tours on select dates from late spring through the fall, check the calendar for exact dates.