Kirk Park and Rosy Mound Natural Area, Ottawa County Michigan. November 1 and 2, 2021

 Both of these parks are along the shores of Lake Michigan, which means there are lots of stairs over forested dunes to get to the big Lake.  First Kirk Park.  I went here November 1, I counted 466 steps over the wooded dune.  Some of the stairs were eroded away last year with high Lake Michigan water levels.

Kirk Park

This is the map from my walk I didn't really go out into the lake. 

The next day I met my daughter at Rosy Mound Natural Area.  We walked all the trails and stairs!  It was a wonderful walk. 

I hope you enjoyed these walks. Thanks for stopping by.

Fall Color at Ottawa County Parks November 2020

              Kirk Park

                  Olive Shores Park

It has been a great year for fall color.  These are just two parks I have visited often this year.  Today was 75 degrees here in Michigan, quite warm for November.  Only in the last few days have the leaves really started falling off the trees.  I hope you have had a chance to enjoy being outside.

Adventures in Michigan from December 2018

Some walks from December 2018 

 December 6  2018    Southern section of Hoffmaster State Park with Marie. The same day a walk around Black Lake Park.  We saw just a bit of the sun, and it was a nice day for a hike.

Lake Michigan

 .

     Little Black Lake

December 10 2018 Out for fun with my sister Marie, again.  This time we went to Grand River Park in Ottawa County, Michigan. 

Grand River

    Bambi Tree at the parking lot

We saw deer tracks going up this tree.  Must have been the rarely seen Tree Climbing Deer! 

 Some clouds, some sun.  Great day for a walk!

December 17 2018 Southern trails at Saugatuck Dunes State Park
This walk according to the map is 5.5 miles.  You start in tree covered sand dunes and end at Lake Michigan!  It is a beautiful walk, especially when the sun is shining. 



     Cloudy

    Sunny

Turkey Tails

 

  Beautiful Lake Michigan
  

 

 

 Part of the South Trail is a large loop, so going back we were on different trails than earlier.  Marie remembered a bunch of stumps that we came across last time we were here. (probably 2014)  And sure enough it wasn't long before we started to see stumps, lots of stumps dotting the dunes.
 
They are the stumps of Austrian Pine. "Around 2012 the DNR burned the pines to remove the Austrian Pines that were planted by a previous owner of the property to control erosion .  It is an invasive species.  The problem with Austrian pine is that it blocks the sunlight from the ground where native species are trying to grow, there presence tampers with the natural process of succession."


 

 

 It is a long uphill sandy climb on this section of the trail.  Whew!

 

Then back through the woods to the parking area.  It was a good hike!

December 19  My sister, Sugar, met me at Ottawa Sands, the new park in Ottawa County.  We also had a nice walk.  It is always good once you get out there.  Sometimes it is the getting out there, that is the hard part.

 

December 23  We were lucky enough to entertain our granddaughter, Vivienne, for the day.  We took her for a walk at Hofma Preserve.  Look more blue sky!

Christmas Day 2018   Our daughter, Betsy, and her husband Aaron joined us for a walk at Crockery Creek Natural Area. 

 

    Crockery Creek

So that wraps up 2018, well except for a trip to Big Bend National Park but who knows if I will get around to that post.  Hopefully more posts coming soon.  Thanks for stopping by!