Connor Bayou Park, Ottawa County Michigan
First are 12 pictures, one from each month of 2022 starting in January. These were all taken from the bayou overlook.
Connor Bayou June 29, 2022
Connor Bayou July 12, 2022
Generally, Mike and I walk at this park every other day. We also try to walk the opposite direction each time and yes sometimes we get it wrong, but that’s okay. In 2022 we walked at Connor 134 times, average walk 1.6 miles.
Here is the bayou overlook.
This year the Columbine went wild along the trail at Connor Bayou Park. It was the most Columbine in one area that I have ever seen. Also, I first saw it blooming here on May15, and the last blossom I saw was mid-October! Here are some pictures of the Columbine.
I see many Hepatica, Wild Geranium, Poke Milkweed, Bladdernut, Butterfly Weed, and Chicken of the Woods, and Redbud.
Round Lobed Hepatica
The 142-acre property includes nearly a mile of Grand River frontage and many natural communities including wetlands, mature mixed hardwood and pine forest. The site offers outstanding views of the Grand River and expansive wetlands to the north.
There is a trail heading east from the park along the Grand River, it was flooded for about 3 years. We have recently been able to walk that trail although it is pretty rough going. Here are pictures looking back to the overlook from that trail along the river. Can you see the overlook?
Connor Bayou Park has a log cabin you can rent for gatherings. We rented it for our daughter’s wedding so now it is a bit more special to me.
There are two more overlooks and a kayak launch dock here at the park.
Along with lots of wonderful trees here at the park, there is a bike path that comes through the woods to the parking area.
We walk year-round even when it is raining, or snowing, or blowing!
That is Connor Bayou Park. Thanks for stopping by!
Wow! This blog is your best yet.
ReplyDeleteThe vista from the overlook every month of the year is amazing.
I love the wildflowers. The humble hepatica is my favorite.
That Columbine is beautiful. Thanks for showing me the spot last year.
The golden willow across the river. The trail through the green glowing woods.
The parks department needs to do this with every one of their parks.
It makes me want to go see! Thanks for taking me along with your pictures!
Marie
Thanks, Marie my biggest blog fan! I could have included the Lopseed, not Jumpseed that we saw last year here at Connor. Remember Lopseed with “arms” straight out. We also see Running Strawberrybush, New Jersey Tea, Hare Figwort, and I’m sure I’m forgetting some plants.
ReplyDeleteYou and I were on that rough river trail December 2 last year! I saw Hepatica leaves yesterday at Connor all matted down in the mud. Just give them two months and they will be beautiful!
🙂
Wow ,Love this post! Looks like a special place and you get to walk it often. When we get back to that side of the state we will have to hike it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave. We go to Connor one day then we go to Stearns Creek Park the other day. I hope to do a post on Stearns Creek park which we walked 129 times last year. And of course we go to many other parks too. These two are closest to home and have nice loop trails. 🙂
ReplyDeleteYou're so lucky to have such places! And you're lucky to have hepatica to admire too. I keep hoping I'll see some here but I never do.
ReplyDeleteIt was great to see the columbines. I was just thinking about them this morning, but it'll be a while yet.
Thanks for a look at all the seasons too. I heard you might be getting a lot of snow there but I hope that's just a rumor. We might see snow and sleet, which I could do without!
Yes we are lucky to have the parks, and the hepatica. I guess I didn’t realize that you don’t see hepatica. The columbines started blooming May 15 last year and there were so many of them!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was fun to choose a picture of the bayou from each month. I almost always take a picture from the same overlook every time we go to Connor.
Monday I had my first tick bite of the year! Not expected in February!
We did have snow, wind, and freezing rain on February 22, yesterday. Not only were the public schools closed but the colleges closed too. That’s very unusual. Today we had more wind. Mike and I still got out both days, and it was fine walking not slippery.
Hopefully it misses New Hampshire!