Happy Boots and Hepatica Hill - Michigan Wildflower Adventure

 2026 April 9 Thursday

You won’t find Happy Boots on a map.  Marie and I made up that name for a place in Allegan County,  many years ago.  It is a delightful swampy woodland with wildflowers! 

Here are a few things we saw on this day in April. 

Marsh Marigold

Spring Beauty

Anemone 

Marsh Marigold

Skunk Cabbage

Trout Lily

Sand Creek at Happy Boots

We also visited Hepatica Hill. Mark Cassino told me about this place several years ago.  It is a south facing hill along the Kalamazoo River.  In the spring this hill is brown and muddy except for the burst of purple Hepatica! 

My favorite flower! 

We also saw a dragonfly, and a few butterflies.  

Hepatica Hill

Kalamazoo River

Last week, April 8th, I also got to walk with my other fun sister, Sugar. We started at Nunica Junction Trail Head, part of the North Bank Trail.  We headed east to the trestle bridge over Crockery Creek.  It is a two mile walk, round trip.  It was a wet, 35 degree day. Yet it was nice to be outside for a walk especially with my sister.

We have had a lot of rain, so we went to see how high the water was in Crockery Creek. 

Crockery Creek near Nunica

Today is April 14th, Betsy (my fun daughter) and I went to Riverside Park today to see if we could get to the wildflower trail.  Every route was flooded but you could make it with a boat. We did see a few pretty flowers!

I hope you enjoy these adventures, I certainly did!

Aman Park March 30 2026

 Hepatica!

Marie kindly drove us to Aman Park March 30, 2026.  Aman Park is in Ottawa County Michigan.  We knew it was a bit early to see many flowers, but we saw my favorite wildflower - Hepatica.  Each plant is unique and can be white, pink, or purple.  I especially like the deep purple ones.  Here are a few more Hepatica.

We did see just a few Spring Beauty blooming.

And one blooming Purple Cress.

Sand Creek

Along Sand Creek at Aman Park, we found a sandy shore so we explored for a few minutes.  There were two friendly Mourning Cloak butterflies here. One landed right by my boot! 

My boots in Sand Creek.

We wandered at a slow pace along the creek trail for 2 miles and almost 3 hours.  It was a beautiful day. The temperature hit 70 degrees with a slight cooling breeze.  We did keep an eye out for Harbinger of Spring but we didn’t see it at Aman. So, Marie took us to Hager Park, also in Ottawa County.

At Hager Park near a picnic area, there are hundreds of Harbinger of Spring plants and this year there seemed to be even more than usual!  We spent a little more time at Hager Park walking and looking. 

Harbinger of Spring 

Then it was time to head home. About 25 miles back to my house, then Marie has another 33 miles to her home.  Thanks Marie for the driving!  

I also had a fun walk that evening with Mike and Betsy at Connor Bayou Park.  We didn’t see flowers blooming, but we did see turtles sunning themselves!

Connor Bayou in Ottawa County Michigan

What a great day!  

2026 Spring in Michigan

 Four days before Spring 2026

Four days later March 20, Spring at Connor Bayou Park.

 American Bald Eagle at Connor Bayou Park.

When Spring began here in Michigan, I was on my bike pedaling down the road to see Skunk Cabbage.  It was 48 degrees with clouds and some sunshine.

This is where the Skunk Cabbage grow.

About an hour later I was in our garden where tiny chickweed was blooming. I looked up at the sky, and this is what I saw. Maybe a Sun Dog or sun halo.

The first full day of Spring we walked at Stearns Creek Park.  The temperature was 62 degrees, and it was sunny.  A beautiful Spring day!  I checked the Trailing Arbutus and saw some tiny buds.  I looked at Spicebush but not much happening there either.  Still, it was great to be outside on such a lovely day.

Then I saw a Mourning Cloak flutter past!  First butterfly of the year for me.  It was too lively for a picture, so we walked on.  Just then a pretty leaf caught my eye, it was just a beech tree leaf with the sun shining through it, or was it?  I stepped towards it and it flew away!  It was an Eastern Comma Butterfly!  So beautiful.  It landed on an American Beech tree leaf.  Of course, I don’t carry my camera anymore, but I had my phone so got a picture.

I

Stearns Creek Park in Ottawa County Michigan 

This winter Mike has been keeping busy making sour dough bread and maple syrup.  We put 15 taps in our maple trees on February 16th.  The next morning, we had 5 gallons of sap. We have had many more gallons of sap since then. 

Happy Spring!