These 12 hikes offer colorful views of wildflowers in Michigan.

Spring is the ideal time to enjoy native wildflowers in Michigan. The Wildflower Association of Michigan explains that native wildflowers are essential to preserving the natural ecosystem and that many native plants have become endangered or even extinct as a result of the planting of invasive plants, as well as things like urban sprawl and industrialization that have destroyed natural habitats.

Fortunately, there are many organizations in Michigan dedicated to preserving—and celebrating—wildflowers in Michigan. You can get involved by visiting these trails that feature awe-inspiring views of wildflowers in Michigan, or learn more about what wildflowers you can plant in your area.

No matter how you choose to honor the heritage of wildflowers in Michigan, one thing is for certain: They are a sight for us all to enjoy. 

1. Loda Lake National Wildflower Sanctuary

• Address: 4794 N Felch Ave, White Cloud, MI 49349
• Hours: May 1-October 31, Sunday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Cost: $5 fee per day (Weekly/Annual passes available)
• Pet Policy: Dogs permitted on a leash

What better way to see wildflowers in Michigan than at an actual wildflower sanctuary? The self-guided trail is located in the  Manistee National Forest and takes visitors through a variety of habitats such as oak-maple woodlands, streams, shrubs, and wetlands.  Wildflower sightings include pink lady’s slipper, round-leaved sundew, jack-in-the-pulpit, and trailing arbutus, to name a few!

There are two options for the trail: a breezy half-mile loop or a 1.5-mile loop with mild elevation. The trail has 39 viewing stations, and you can visit the office to obtain a map with full details. When you visit, the park warns that the trail can be rough in certain areas, with muddy spots and some exposed roots. 

2. Empire Bluff Trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

• Address: (Park) 9922 W Front St, Empire, MI 49630
• Hours: Lakeshore is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Cost: $20 per vehicle 7-day pass or $40 annual pass
• Pet Policy: Pets on leashes allowed

The Empire Bluff Trail is located within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, so you will need to pay more than just the Michigan Recreation Pass for state parks. One note: Sleeping Bear does not accept cash, so you’ll need to have a credit card to pay your entry fee. 

The hike is a 1.5-mile round trip and leads out to a high bluff boardwalk overlooking Lake Michigan. The Lakeshore cautions that the trail is a moderate and hilly hike, winding through a beech-maple forest dotted with wildflowers and woodlands. This hike is especially beautiful for postcard-worthy sunsets looking out over the lake (bring flashlights for the return hike!) The office will provide you with plenty of information for your self-guided hike, as well as stopping points to take in the view. 

3. Cottonwood Trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

• Address: (Park) 9922 W Front St, Empire, MI 49630
• Hours:  Lakeshore is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Cost: $20 per vehicle 7-day pass or $40 annual pass
• Pet Policy: Pets on leashes allowed

Also located in Sleeping Bear Dunes Park, Cottonwood Trail offers sweeping views of the water and lots of colorful wildflowers to witness. The  1.5-mile trail loops over the dune plateau and serves up sights such as sandy dunes, Lake Michigan, and the Manitou Islands. The trail is accessible to adults and children, but the beginning part of the trail is hilly and sandy, so very young children may get tired. 

Be prepared to see a diversity of nature between hills of sand, cottonwood trees, and native wildflowers along the trail, including wormwood, a humble wildflower that blooms from July through October. Also, keep your eyes peeled for beach pea plants, which are bright pink flowers that bloom in July and August. They resemble the garden sweet pea and improve the soil for fellow grasses and sagebrush.

4. Chapel Rock Trail at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

• Address: 1505 Sand Point Rd, Munising, MI 49862
• Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week year-round (check for snow closures in the winter)
• Cost: $15-$25 day pass (annual pass is $45)
• Pet Policy: No pets are allowed on Chapel Rock Trail (other areas of the park do allow pets, be sure to check if you plan on visiting other parts)

Pictured Rocks Lakeshore is worth a visit no matter what the occasion, but during the spring, many of the trails are also dotted with breathtaking wildflowers. The Chapel Rock Trail has spectacular views of Lake Superior and the Michigan coastline, as well as epic views of Chapel Lake and Chapel Falls along the way.

During the 10-mile Chapel Loop Trail (not for beginners!), hikers will see colorful and intricate rock formations and arches formed by wind and water. The trail is a popular one, so the park recommends parking before 9 a.m. before the trailhead parking fills up—otherwise, you’ll be adding another mile or two to your hike just to get to the trailhead! Another pro tip: keep in mind that, as a backcountry hike, there is no cell service on the trail. 

5. Ives Road Fen Preserve 

• Address: Sutton Rd, Britton, MI 49229
• Hours: Sunday-Saturday, 6 am – 8 pm
• Cost: Free
• Pet Policy: No pets permitted

Ives Road Fen Preserve offers a free and easy 3.2-mile loop open year-round where you can see rare plants, wildflowers, and migratory species. In the spring, visitors will be treated to a chorus of Spring peepers, while those visiting from June to August can see wildflowers and prairie grass blooms. 

Want a head start? Starting in early spring, hikers can spot Marsh Marigold flowers blooming along springs and marshy hollows. You might also get glimpses of water-collecting wildflowers known as Pitcher Plants, which are tall carnivorous plants with purple petals found in fens throughout Michigan in April and May.

6. Erie Marsh Preserve 

• Address: 3149 Dean Rd, Erie, MI 48133
• Hours: January 2 through August 31, gates open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. but the preserve is open to the public from dawn to dusk
• Cost: Free
• Pet Policy: No pets allowed

One of the largest marshes in Lake Erie, Erie Marsh represents 11% of Michigan’s remaining marshlands. Visitors can hike a  5-mile loop around the marsh that follows a series of dikes through the wetlands. Sights to see include  American Lotus and swamp rose-mallow—both state-protected—growing in slow-moving water, particularly in mid-to late-August.

Bring binoculars for signs of Bald eagles, Great egrets, Sandpipers, and a whole host of migratory birds that refuge here throughout the year. Keep an eye out for marsh-specialty wildflowers like the bright yellow Marsh marigolds, water plantains, sedges, spike-rushes, pond lilies, pickerel weed, arrowheads, bulrushes, and cattails.

7. Crahen Valley Park

• Address: 4355 Leonard St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525
• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm 
• Cost: Free
• Pet Policy: Leashed dogs allowed

A lesser-known hike located in a valley in the Grand Rapids area, the Crahen Valley Park Loop is a moderately challenging hike through woods, paved, and unpaved paths. It’s open year-round and is a great place for bird-watching, cross-country skiing, and hiking, in addition to spring wildflower sightings. 

The primary loop is a beautiful 3.1-mile trail with varied terrain and options to intersect with other trails for further exploration (or to shorten your hike if so desired). There are some partially paved areas of the hike, but others are not paved, so caution is suggested if you’re bringing children or wheelchairs. 

8. The Manistee River Loop Trail

• Address: Manistee National Forest, Mesick, MI 49668, trailhead near Seaton Creek Campground 
• Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, unless otherwise posted
• Cost: Free
• Pet Policy: Dogs are welcome on a leash

This moderately challenging route is a 19.2-mile loop and is described as one of the best backpacking trails in Lower Michigan. The entire trail is popular for backpacking, camping, fishing, and enjoying the natural beauty of Michigan. Visitors say they enjoy hearing the sounds of waterfalls and the river as they hike along the trail.

Several observation sites offer vista views of the river and wildlife, as well as a chance to spot wildflowers in the, well, wild. Look out for the Pitcher’s thistle, which only blooms once after many years of growth—the best chance to see this threatened species is in late summer through early September.

9. Cascade Peace Park

• Address: 8900 Grand River Drive Southeast, Ada, MI
• Hours: Sunday-Monday, 7 am-9 pm

• Cost: Free
• Pet Policy: Pets are permitted on leash.

A large park spanning 198 acres, Cascade Peace Park offers various trails that wind through rolling hills, beautiful hardwood forests, and a stream that feeds into the Grand River. Plus, there’s a large meadow clearing that will definitely be blooming with wildflowers at the right time of the year. 

There are many ways to enjoy Peace Park, including via two access points: a handicapped accessible parking area located at the west end of Bold Drive and a second Grand River Drive access located in the northeast. The main trail winding through the park is 4 miles long. If you walk it, be sure to keep an ear out for warblers and Scarlet Tanagers in the spring. 

10. Potawatomi and Crooked Lake at Pinckney State Recreation Area

• Address: 2 Crooked Lake Trail, Pinckney, MI 48169
• Hours: Open year-round, Sunday-Monday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Cost: Michigan Recreation Pass
• Pet Policy: Dogs welcome on a leash

Just an hour outside of Detroit and close to Ann Arbor, this is one of the best places for colorful foliage in the fall, cross-country skiing in the winter, and access to various terrains with natural beauty in all seasons. However, the real star of the Crooked Lake Trail is the abundance of wildflowers that burst forth in the warmer Michigan months. Visit in the spring or summer and look for Michigan wildflowers like daylilies and violets.  

The main trail is a 4.4-mile loop moderate hike with flat, packed dirt paths, boardwalks, sandy terrain, and rugged hills. Potawatomi Trail also circles Crooked Lake and intersects with several other trails and picture-perfect views. You can camp along the trail with reversed campsites or bring your mountain bike, as the trail is shared with mountain bikers and hikers.

Parking is available at the Silver Lake Trailhead. If you visit during hunting season, be aware that hunting awareness should be in place. 

11. Maxton Plains Preserve

• Address: E Bruce Point Rd, Drummond, MI 49726
• Hours: Sunday-Saturday, 6 am-8 pm 
• Cost: Free
• Pet Policy: No pets allowed

Home to 10 Michigan state-rare plants and wildflowers, this preserve on Drummond Island in Chippewa County protects the alvar landscape (alvar is 400-million-year-old exposed limestone) and offers a safe habitat for state-threatened osprey and shorebirds. Mid-June is the best time to view beautiful, pale rose blankets of prairie smoke and a plethora of wildflowers blooming together.

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, two unusual early blooming flowers growing in the alvar are Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum), which is a species threatened with extinction in Michigan, and the early buttercup (Ranunculus fasicularis), as well as the early saxifrage (Saxafraga virginiensis).

By September, visitors can enjoy the changing colors of prairie grasses and aspen leaves. The preserve is also a popular place for stargazing thanks to the dark sky and open spaces. It’s ideal for casual hiking, birdwatching, and exploring. 

12. Maybury Hiking Trail Loop at Maybury State Park

• Address: 49601 Eight Mile W, Northville, MI 48167
• Hours: Sunday-Saturday, 8 am-10 pm, year-round
• Cost: Michigan Recreation Pass
• Pet Policy: Dogs are welcome on a leash

This relatively easy 4-mile loop through Maybury’s State Park in Michigan transforms in late April and early May with the blooming of trilliums. The park is so well-known for its beautiful wildflowers, in fact, that it even hosts an annual Wildflowers Hike through the trail. (Pre-registration is required.)

The trails are marked by green posts, but you can adapt your hike to your preference and accessibility level. No matter which path you choose, you’ll enjoy the sights and sounds of nature leading to and around a peaceful pond, with rolling terrain and open meadows. The recommended trailhead with parking, water, picnic area, and restrooms is located at the Walnut Picnic Shelter at the west end of the park. The state park also has options for mountain biking and horseback riding, as well as community areas of playgrounds and a baseball field.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.