Michigan Trail Tuesday is our attempt to showcase a different trail or trail segment each week. The Mitten State is home to thousands of miles of trails, including the new Iron Belle Trail that runs from Detroit in the southeast to Ironwood in the western Upper Peninsula and more miles of the North Country Trail than any other state.

We’ve been able to explore quite a few nature preserves so far this year, and when we come across one we didn’t know about that looks intriguing we often stop to check it out. That’s what happened with the Woollam Family Nature Preserve near Cross Village, a beautiful Little Traverse Conservancy preserve with a great trail and a pristine beach on Lake Michigan that we found while passing through the Tunnel of Trees. Today we’ll take a look at our visit to one of our new favorites, which also offered distant views of three offshore Michigan lighthouses!

A sign at the trailhead welcome visitors with a few facts about this preserve, which was first protected in 2014. It shows a map of the half-mile trail that passes through wooded dunes before heading downhill into a rocky swale and then emerging at the beach. More than 2,400 feet of shoreline is protected here, with a small additional parcel added in 2019 (it can be reached by following the shoreline north and staying below the high water mark). The sign also notes some rare plants and flowers to be on the lookout for, including Lake Huron tansy, hairy bedstraw, harebell, mountain deathcamus, Pumpelly’s bromegrass, and sand cherry.

The trail is hard-packed sand and dirt and almost immediately begins a downhill descent. It then makes a slight uphill climb where there is a bridge over a sensitive dune area. The trail then bends to the south before another slight uphill, where there were some very new-looking steps in place.

A short distance after this the trail emerges from the woods and you are greeted with your first view of the open dunes. There is a fence here to keep visitors from wandering across the dunes, so make sure to stay on the main trail.

The trail continues downhill, offering a glance at Lake Michigan for the first time. From here it flattens out and you pass through the rocky swale, the low spot between the dunes.

This was a fascinating part of the trail, as the rock-strewn landscape and small trees were a stark contrast to the dunes we had descended through as well as the ones we could see by the shoreline. Use caution here to stay on the main trail, as there are sensitive plant and animal habitats that need to be protected.

We reached the beach and were blown away immediately by the stunning views. There was no one else around, and the preserve-protected shoreline seemed to go on and on in both directions. What an amazing spot this would be for an afternoon of solitude and sun!

We spotted a few gulls and a collection of mergansers to the north, with a few more out in the water.

My eyes were immediately drawn to the distant view of a white tower that seemed to poke out of the water on the horizon line. This is the Skilagalee Island (or Ile Aux Galets) Light, an 1880s lighthouse that stands 48 feet tall on a small gravelly island. The beacon here warned of the shallow shoal surrounding the island, which had claimed many ships before the lighthouse was constructed. Distant views of Grays Reef Light and Waugoshance Shoal Light are also possible from here, though you will need a good zoom lens or pair of binoculars.

After staying for about an hour and shooting lots of photos, it was time to head back. The trail returns the same way it came in, which means a little more uphill on the way back to the parking lot. We saw a toad in some leaves in the wooded part of the trail and passed another group that was coming in as we departed. What an amazing preserve and one we think everyone should know about!

The Woollam Family Nature Preserve is located at 5581 N. Lakeshore Dr. (M-119), about two miles south of Cross Village and 18 miles north of Harbor Springs. The parking lot has room for 8-10 cars.