Thousands of years ago, glacial ice sheets advanced and retreated through Harbor Country. Today, we’re left with their incredible geologic gift: A diverse landscape with prairie, river marsh, old-growth forest, and towering dunes. All converging by Lake Michigan’s sandy shores.

There’s no better way to experience this remarkable mix than up close, on the trails. And fortunately, the area is covered in well maintained, widely accessible preserves. Here are seven standouts, all with groomed paths, parking, and year-round beauty.

FOREST

Warren Woods State Park

Journey through rare old-growth forest

Lofty beech and sugar maples form the blanket-like canopy of this 311-acre ‘primeval’ forest, virtually untouched by human development. (Preservation efforts began with local industrialist E.K. Warren at the turn of the 20th Century). A hushed trail winds from one end of the park to the other, roughly a mile to and fro from your car. Travel the leafy, sun-dappled path past a scenic bluff, through floodplain, and over the Galien River’s curving banks.

Warren Woods Rd east of Prairie Rd (roadside parking)
or Elm Valley Rd east of Schwark Rd (seasonal parking lot, closed during winter)
Three Oaks, Michigan
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Sugarwood Forest Preserve 

Where primeval forest meets prairie 

Adjacent to Warren Woods, Sugarwood is a more rugged jaunt into the old-growth forest. The approximately 1-mile hike begins at the edge of open prairie then plunges into the trees, with a forest loop that climbs up and down shaded ravines, then around a Galien River ridge. It feels adventurous, but it’s well charted territory. The property’s maintained by Chikaming Open Lands, a group of dedicated naturalists and volunteers who steward 14 preserves throughout the area.

6855 W Elm Valley Rd
Three Oaks, Michigan
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PRAIRIE

Chris Thompson Memorial Preserve

A prime spot for wildflowers, birds, and pollinators

Nearby, another Chikaming Open Lands preserve is home to a former agricultural field that’s been restored to native prairie. Chris Thompson Preserve’s .36-mile loop guides the way through shoulder-high grasses and wildflowers that are magnets for bees, migrating birds, and butterflies. Stop by the ‘idea garden’ to get inspiration for pollinator-friendly planting. Deeper into the preserve, find additional hikes in forest and river plain loops, too.

7560 Warren Woods Rd
Three Oaks, Michigan
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Chikaming Township Park & Preserve

A tallgrass prairie loop, plus much more

Just a couple minutes’ drive from Chris Thompson, Chikaming Township Park & Preserve’s prairie trail loops around 28 additional acres of reconstructed prairie. It’s a flat-land meander through an expanse of native flowers and Big Bluestem grasses that draw the eye upward, to a sky that looks bigger here somehow. The park’s an all-in-one experience, with an additional forest trail, Galien River ravine trail, ADA-accessible trails, mountain bike trails, and a small inland lake with a picnic pavilion. An ideal spot for a trail lunch.       

8120 Warren Woods Rd
Three Oaks, Michigan
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MARSHLAND

Galien River County Park

Incomparable views of wetlands and wildlife

The Galien River’s 18-mile journey through Harbor Country ends in this accessible and awe-inspiring marshland park, just off Red Arrow Highway. A wide gravel path leads to a 600-foot boardwalk over the wetland, dotted by lily pads and green bursts of vegetation. Get super close sightings of turtles, egrets, fish, and more wildlife in their element. Even if you’re not up for hiking, the park’s 60-foot-high overlook has a detour-worthy panoramic view of the forest, river, marsh, and Lake Michigan. But if you want to hit a trail, there’s a .8-mile ravine loop over the floodplain.

17424 Red Arrow Hwy
New Buffalo, Michigan
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DUNES

Warren Dunes State Park

Breathtaking hikes through forested dunes

Hikes into the park’s giant dunes—up to 260 feet high—get the heart pumping. They also end with rewarding vistas over sandy valleys, past the beach, and across Lake Michigan to the western horizon. (If you’re searching for a spot to watch the sunset that’s off the beaten path, look here.) The park’s trail maps have hikes of varying distance and difficulty, from .33 to 1.5 miles. If you’re up for a challenge, the 1.5-mile Mt. Randall Loop’s payoffs include one of Harbor Country’s most secluded public beaches.  

12032 Red Arrow Hwy
Sawyer, Michigan
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New Buffalo Beach

Sandy paths near the water’s edge

New Buffalo Beach’s elevated dunewalk is the starting point for a handful of easygoing, shoes-optional paths through low, grassy dunes. Short and sweet, they’re great starter ‘hikes’ for kids, or anyone looking for a scenic route to the beach. All ways lead to Lake Michigan, plus miles of uninterrupted coastline, open to all for shoreline walks.

224 W Buffalo St
New Buffalo, Michigan
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Local Tip: Chikaming Open Lands periodically leads guided hikes and nature strolls that are open to the public. Check their website for upcoming meet-ups—and a trove of information about the area’s geography, plants, and wildlife.