I find nothing boosts the spirits like a nice walk outdoors. These are some of my favorite hiking areas in the County. I hope they are not too crowded.
Sharon Hallow -- This is a property owned by the Nature Conservancy and located just north of Manchester in Sharon Township. The area features some complex interaction between glacial and riparian landforms. As such, it has very diverse plant life.
Pickerel Lake -- There are lots of Pickerel Lakes in Michigan. I'm talking about the one in Pinckney Recreation Area. There are several hiking trails that originate here and you can do anything from a 1 mile to a 10 mile hike. There is also a spooky old root cellar.
Mud Lake Bog -- This is a really challenging hike. It's hard to get to. You will get wet. You will get poison sumac. Bring a compass so you don't get lost in the bog. Mud Lake Bog is owned by the Botanical Gardens. It is located southeast of the intersection of Hamburg and Barker Roads in northeast Webster Township. There is a poorly marked path through a swamp that turns into a beautiful bog. There are tons of blueberries. There is tons of poison sumac. The path is often submerged in 1 foot to 3 feet of water. You will have to park on the side of the road within the right of way. Still, this hike will take your mind off of the current situation.
Stinchfield Woods -- This property in northern Dexter Township off Dexter-Pinckney road is owned by the School of Environment and Sustainability. It used to be a an experimental forest for the School of Forestry. I'd recommend starting at the eastern entrance, which means parking across the street about 100 yards north of the entrance. The site is very hilly as a result of glacial kame topography. One of the most xeric sites in the county, you can find dwarf chinkapin oak (Quercus prinoides) within the oak hickory forest present at the site.
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