Saugatuck "Airport" Trail

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Geological Significance · Historical Significance · River/Creek · Views · Wildlife

This land was once intended to become an airport, but those plans were abandoned. For a while, it was a Christmas tree farm and then home to a snowmobile club. It is now in the process of becoming an officially recognized trail. While the land is in Saugatuck Township it belongs to the City of Saugatuck.

This area features a mature, biodiverse forest with hemlocks, oaks, tulip trees, paw paw, American chestnut, American beech, and sugar maple. Animals you might see include wood thrush, warblers, tanagers, barred owls, pileated woodpeckers, hawks, rabbits, white-tailed deer, raccoons, opossums, foxes, turtles, snakes, salamanders, and frogs. The quality of the native plant community is exceptional, including 102 species; a couple of notable ones are lizard's tail and toadshade. The prominent shrubs are witch hazel, spicebush, and prickly gooseberry.