 Hiking the Railroad Point trail with Judy Kelly Join us for a leisurely hike through the beautiful rolling hills at Pete's Woods, led by local botanist, Judy Kelly. Friday, May 19th, from 1 to 3 pm Meet you there! Bring your own water, bug spray, binoculars, or camera. About Pete’s Woods Courtesy of Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, the stewards of this property. Pete's Woods is a second growth, beech-maple forest crowned by century-old trees. Stewardship of the preserve includes the removal of garlic mustard, an invasive species, which improves the diversity of the understory. In short, more wildflowers. During the brief window between spring thaw and summer leaf-out – sometime between late April and early June – blooms will range from spring beauty and Dutchman’s breeches to squirrel corn, yellow trout lily and bellworth. Trilliums are a given. So are morel mushrooms. The preserve is named after Pedro Rodriguez, who with his wife, Iva, owned the forested ravines and the adjoining farm where they grew corn for cattle from 1928 to 1971. Consumer’s Power purchased the land in 1971 and the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy permanently protected Pete’s Woods in 2005 as part of Arcadia Dunes. Pete’s Woods Trail is a 1.5-mile loop up and around a forested ridge. The landscape is hilly, but the hiking is surprisingly easy as the gradual climbs follow the natural contours of the ridge. Although mountain bikes are allowed, off-road cyclists are encouraged to ride at nearby Dry Hill Trail, a trail system designed for them. Contact Aimé Merizon, outreach coordinator, at 231-882-4391 x 11; aime@benziecd.org for further information.Comments are closed.
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