Aman Park in Ottawa County Michigan

 April 30 2025 Marie and I walked at Aman Park to see the wildflowers.  It is a special place with many trails, a creek, and a variety of wildflowers. We had a lovely day, thanks again Marie for taking me.

Sand Creek

Trillium 

Aberration on a trillium and below on a Spring Beauty

Virginia Bluebell

Lousewort

Kayaking, biking, hiking, and wildflowers in Ottawa County Michigan

Kayaking on Stearns Bayou May 14 2021

We often walk at Stearns Creek Park, an Ottawa County park in Robinson Township.   In the picture below you can see one of the beaver houses along this area.  The land behind the beaver house is part of Stearns Creek Park.

We put the kayaks in at the Odawa/Battle boat launch, see start on the map.  We paddled until we were starting to get stuck on posts/trees, something just under the water.  It was time to head back anyway.  It was a beautiful calm evening.  I’m glad we went.

May 17,  I was lucky to be able to ride bikes with my sister, Sugar.  I started from North Cedar Drive at the M 231 trailhead.  I pedaled north over the bridge and Grand River, Spoonville Trail, then met her at the new trailhead off 120th Ave just south of Leonard Road.

Grand River from M 231 bridge.

      M 231 bike path on bridge also called Spoonville Trail.

     New bike trail going around Terra Verde Golf Course

We rode on this new section and it was beautiful.  We counted 5 bridges along here.

We continued over I 96 into Nunica.

I 96 at Nunica Exit

For now the paved bike trail ends near the Nunica post office, it will continue east.  And from Nunica the paved trail goes west into Spring Lake.   Sugar and I have biked that part too, it is called North Bank Trail.

That same evening as the bike ride, Mike and I walked at Crockery Creek Natural Area. We kayaked this Creek a few weeks ago.

Flowering Dogwood 

The Wild Geranium were going wild!

A beautiful Herb Robert.

Crockery Creek Natural Area - Ottawa County Michigan 

I made this post almost completely on my iPad and all the photos are from my phone.  Ugh technology makes my head spin!  But I did it.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Aman Park in Ottawa County, Michigan - May 7 2019

Aman Park is where hundreds of Large-Flowered Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) bloom in early to mid May.  I started my stroll at the southern parking area, then through the woods where the trail heads down into the deep ravine. 

 Along these steep hills grow Bellwort, Large-Flowered Trillium, and Miterwort.

 The Large-Flowered Bellwort were blooming, notice how they bloom with their heads hanging down, and very droopy.  It was a bit early in the season for Miterwort.

Once in the ravine you come to a bridge over Sand Creek.

There are two bridges at Aman over Sand Creek, this is the southern bridge.  After crossing the bridge, I turned right and followed the trail that runs beside the creek.

 Here is what I saw on my walk alongside the creek.

 Buttercup

 Mayapple with buds

Several different types of violets

 Wild Ginger

 

Bloodroot leaves, these are already done blooming.

 Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) grow in large colonies,  in the areas that flood in the spring.  Most of the Virginia Bluebells were just starting to bloom. 

 

 

 

It is about a mile walk from the southern bridge to the northern bridge if you take the creekside path.  The creek snakes back and forth several times.  The trail is quite rough in places, and sometimes leads you right into the creek.  I stopped often to look around and just enjoyed all of it. 

 Look at all that green, and all those plants!

 

There are so many Spring wildflowers at this one park.  Spring Beauty, Cut-Leaved Toothwort, Spring Cress, anemones, bedstraw, and rue. 
Brand new ferns were pushing up out of the ground.  Bumble Bees, and some other types of bees were buzzing and flitting from flower to flower.  And the birds were singing the sweetest songs.

Spring Beauty

 

  Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) 

 

 

False Rue Anemone (Enemion biternatum)

 Pawpaw bud (Asimina triloba) - lots of Pawpaw trees.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

 

 Wild Geranium

 

Dwarf Ginseng (Panax trifolius)



 Squirrel Corn
 

 

Dutchman's Breeches




Wild Blue Phlox

 

Sharp-Lobed Hepatica leaves, all done blooming.


 Here come the trillium, see that white on the rise ahead?  Large-Flowered Trillium!  They are grand, especially with hundreds of plants growing right next to each other.  It is a sight to see for yourself, if you can.

 

  

 

 

 

In one area at Aman Park, I look for a group of trillium with an anomaly, multiple green petals, there are about 4 plants that look like this...

 

 



That was a 2 1/2 hour walk, I walked three miles total, so I do go slow and enjoy.  It was partly sunny, and 60 degrees - a perfect day to be in the woods.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my walk.