Guided Hike
Discover the Forests of Washington Island
This event has ended
It took place on September 12, 2026. Below is what we shared.
Explore one of Washington Island’s largest undeveloped forests on this 1.5-mile guided walk through the Richter Community Forest Nature Preserve. The preserve features diverse northern hardwoods, large tree tip-up mounds, and abundant spring wildflowers—clues that this land was never clear-cut or farmed, allowing native plants to thrive. Along the trail, bedrock ridges and beach stone reveal that the area was once under postglacial Lake Nipissing, an ancient high-water stage of Lake Michigan. Gifted to the community in 2001, the preserve remains a protected natural retreat and educational resource for islanders and visitors alike.
About This Preserve
Richter Community Forest Nature Preserve
One of the largest undeveloped tracts on Washington Island, this 159-acre forest was never clear-cut — and the landscape tells that story through massive tip-up mounds, abundant spring wildflowers, and bedrock ridges that were once a glacial lakeshore.
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