City Guide
Other Local Parks of Note
Other Local Parks of Note
On the west side, Hunt Park sits atop a glacial hill and offers a panorama of downtown as well as basketball and tennis courts and softball diamonds. Wurster Park on the Old West Side also affords nice views for much of the year. Newly renovated West Park near downtown is especially attractive, with little hillocks perfect for young sledders in winter, a band shell, wetlands, a community garden, a baseball field, and walking/biking paths.The city park system abounds in wild pockets. The wildest of all is Marshall Nature Area, 79 acres of ridges, hollows, and low-lying meadows east of Domino's Farms. Enter at a hidden driveway on the west side of Dixboro Rd. just north of Plymouth Rd. One circular trail leads through the park-much of it indicated only by paint blazes on tree trunks. A smaller counterpart on the northwest side of town is Miller Nature Area. Two obscure entrances on Miller west of Newport drop off immediately into a densely overgrown valley. So many small trails switch direction so quickly that disorientation can set in; plunge ahead and you'll eventually emerge in a quiet neighborhood on Arborview. Bird Hills Nature Area climbs impressively from Huron River Dr. to the top of a glacial moraine. Several trails traverse the park's 147 acres. Enter on Newport just north of M-14, or on Bird Rd. Adjacent to Bird Hills is Hilltop Nature Area. The former girl scout camp is now a public park and offers a spectacular view from the bluffs of the Huron River valley.
Ann Arbor's western edge abuts an area of glacial land, pockmarked with swampy kettle lakes. Dolph Nature Area has trails above an intricate system of creeks and wetlands connecting First Sister and Second Sister lakes. Nearly invisible spur trails lead down to the water. In Eberwhite Woods, owned by the Ann Arbor Public Schools with a new addition owned by the city, glaciers left three ponds, one a vernal pool that dries up every summer. In the spring a green lace of undergrowth, including many common and a few rare wildflowers, spreads under the branches of the mature oak and hickory trees and younger maples.
Black Pond Woods Nature Area is formed around another glacial ripple. At its center, between two sharp ridges, is a heavily shaded pond further darkened by leaves decaying in the water. Enter on trails starting at the Leslie Science Center.
On the southeast side of town, 80-acre Mary Beth Doyle Park provides picnic tables, a basketball court, swings, paved and unpaved trails, and an 18-hole disc golf course. A wetland preserve affords opportunities for wildlife viewing year round. The north side offers 54-acre Olson Park, at Dhu Varren Rd. and Pontiac Tr. Transformed from a gravel pit, Olson includes wetlands, woods, Traver Creek, and Traver Pond, providing a habitat for many species of native plants, birds, and butterflies. It has a half-mile paved path surrounding Traver Pond, a basketball court, a picnic shelter with barbecue grills, mountain bike trails, and an accessible fishing platform. Dog Parks
The city and county operate a 10-acre enclosed, off-leash dog park at Swift Run, at the southwest corner of Platt and Ellsworth rds. There's a smaller, enclosed dog run in 54-acre Olson Park, at Dhu Varren Rd. and Pontiac Tr. To use either park, you must buy a permit from the county treasurer (222-6600) or city clerk (794-6140).
