Exercise Guide: Pittsfield Preserve

This is NOT an in-person, group event.

This is one of our set of Exercise Guides, trying to help and encourage you to get out to enjoy nature.

Pittsfield Preserve has a mix of wet woods, prairie, wetlands, and active fields. While the Preserve is interesting, almost all trails have areas prone to flooding. Waterproof shoes are highly recommended, the taller the better.

The Pittsfield Township map, https://www.pittsfield-mi.gov/DocumentCenter/View/360 , is accurate. I do not find the guideposts at the intersections particularly helpful: they indicate which Lettered trails (A through E) follow which paths at each intersection. However, the map is obtuse regarding the actual route of any trail, making the guideposts unhelpful. I assume it is my ignorance that causes my confusion. I'll try to figure this out the next time I am there (or, if anyone understands how the map and posts work together, please explain in the comments).

Unfortunately, two particular flooded areas make the park difficult to enjoy: they cutoff the larger wooded trail from the rest of the Preserve. While the floods are passable, some people will find the stepping logs for crossing the flooded areas to be more adventure than they desire, particularly in winter as ice and snow build up on the logs. These areas are marked 'A' and 'B' on our map, the first photo below.
If you find the stepping logs and flood to be more than you want to cross, the Preserve is essentially split into two parts: the woodland part, 'C' on the Township map, accessed from the Thomas Road parking lot; and the prairie part, everything not 'C', accessed from the Marton Road parking lot. There are pictures below of the two flooded areas.

All told, if you do the entire outer loop it is a bit over 3 1/4 miles of very flat terrain.