Exercise Guide: Montibeller Park

This is NOT an in-person event.

Our Exercise Guides are intended to assist and encourage exploration of parks and natural areas in the Huron Valley Group region. Please enjoy them on your own or, using appropriate social distancing and masks, with others.

A special thanks to Jim Weiner of Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy! His comment on our Nature in Michigan event (https://4142298.xyz/Sierra-Club-Huron-Valley/events/270022527/) alerted me to this park.

This Exercise Guide isn't quite as developed as most, because I wanted to get it out, and get you out, now!

If you want an easy walk with some nice ephemerals, visit Montibeller Park in Pittsfield Township. It is on Ellsworth, just east of Carpenter. From the parking lot, head north, then west over the footbridge across Paint Creek, then north again to the "Nature Trails" sign.

Taking the left fork at the Nature Trails sign, the first bit of the nature trails has some trash in the woods - you're behind the Carpenter Rd. Meijer. But the trash fades and ephemerals increase as you get farther into the woods.

Taking the right fork you see essentially no trash and, as of 4/27/2021, masses of Trillium in bloom.

Go now, as soon as you can. The Bloodroot blooms are fading. The Cut-Leaved Toothwort are going strong. The Trillium are just starting to open. I saw no buds on the Trout Lilies, Wild Geranium, or Early Meadow Rue, although I'd expect them all soon.