Warren Woods SP
Review
Where in the Midwest is it?
I discovered Warren Woods SP while staying at an Airbnb in Sawyer, where the owner was well versed in local hiking trails. This 311-acre little gem of a park is home to some of the last old growth trees in the region. While most visitors go to the well-known Warren Dunes SP situated on Lake Michigan, Warren Woods remains one of the area’s best kept secrets.
Warren Woods is not a demanding hike. It’s an easy route that follows the scenic Galien River. There is a nice bridge crossing the river and much of the trail has views of the river. But standing alone among old-growth American beech trees taller than 100 feet and over 5 feet in diameter is an experience like no other, and certainly not one you’d expect pulling off a quiet side road within a couple hours of Chicago.
The park also contains sugar maples and tulip poplar. In the summer, the canopy can block out almost all the sunlight creating a great shady hike. But it’s the beech trees, with their bald bark scarred with many decades-worth of carved initials, that really make an impression and make you question humans’ seemingly insatiable need to make their mark on the universe.
The trailhead at the parking lot is well-marked. The trail is not, but it is very easy to follow. The trail begins with a wide path that winds through the forest. As you approach the Galien River overlook, you get glimpses of some of the larger trees in the area. At the overlook, there are interpretive signs and benches, and of course a sweeping view of the river and the old growth forest. The trail continues down a set of stairs and across the bridge.
The trail is basically linear, with a loop in the middle that will take you over the high bluff overlooking the river on one side, and the river’s flood plain on the other. Although you may have to step over fallen trees or get your boots muddy, the path is discernible and easy to follow. At northern part of the trail, approach Warren Woods Road is the most impressive section of those solitary, scarred beech trees.
There are two picnic benches and a vault toilet at the parking lot. There are several benches along the trail where you can sit and enjoy a small picnic. There is no potable water source. The parking lot is closed in the winter, but you park on Warren Woods Road, which runs along the north boundary, and has a generous shoulder for parking.
Wear adequate footwear. Most of the trail surface is packed with leaf litter. In the flood plain, it can be quite muddy or even impassable with standing water from the Galien River.
Michigan DNR Warren Woods SP page.
