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.

The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy protects more than 50 preserves and natural areas in the northern Lower Peninsula. We’ve loved exploring the trails at Arcadia Dunes, Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve, Cosner & Bennett-Barnes Preserve, and others and we recently got to visit another GTRLC property on a weekend trip to the Traverse City area. The Turtle Cove Nature Preserve is a very recent addition to the conservancy’s portfolio but has quickly become one of their crown jewels after being very high on their wish list for future preservation. The preserve opened to the public at the end of last year and we had been looking forward to checking it out when we visited the area. Here’s a look at our visit and what you can expect to see while enjoying the trail at Turtle Cove Nature Preserve:

There is a small parking area and a Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy sign letting you know you have found the right place. On the large sign you can learn more about why this preserve is significant, the types of activities that are allowed here, the wildlife and flora and fauna you might see when visiting, and a look at other nearby Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy properties. The trail begins almost immediately and since it is a loop trail you can choose which way you wish to go.

We headed to the right on the Beverly & Spencer Silk trail, a 1.7 mile loop that helps highlight all of the reasons why this preserve was so sought after. The trail is easy to follow as it heads into the woods. We heard many birds and saw a lot of squirrels and chipmunks early on as we hiked. Purple blazes are marked on trees to help you follow the path.

The trail makes its way through the woods for a bit before you start to see Arbutus Lake through the trees. The spots of color you see in the water are lily pads, and while you are up above the shoreline here the trail will soon offer some better views.

After close to 3/4 mile of trail, you’ll see a bench and an information sign as you take in the views of Turtle Cove. The waters of Arbutus Lake here are covered with lilypads and the occasional log offers a great spot for turtles to catch some sunshine. The sign here teaches visitors about riparian shoreline and how the plants here help stabilize the shoreline from erosion.

As the trail continues on it still offers views of the lake through the trees for a bit. We saw a wood nymph butterfly land on a log near here. As you can see, these butterflies have some amazing natural camouflage!

The next information sign we came across was in an open area and we quickly learned why that area was lacking the tree cover the rest of the trail had. This part of the preserve had fallen victim to oak wilt, a fungal disease that can spread quickly and destroy trees. Trees have been cut down here to prevent the spread of oak wilt, and the GTRLC is actively monitoring the area and hoping it will come back stronger in future years.

There were also signs of some natural damage to trees, as woodpeckers seem to love this preserve. Many trees had holes from woodpecker activity, and during our visit we saw a few northern flickers and a red-headed woodpecker. Keep your eyes and ears open for several species of owl that live here.

As the trail makes its way back to the parking area it passes through a dry sand prairie. The trail through here is flanked by thick green ferns on both sides making for some beautiful photos. This was our second favorite part of the hike after the Arbutus Lake shoreline viewing area.

The trail makes a few more bends after this before returning to the parking lot. We saw lots of plants and flowers on our hike, but this wild bergamot near the end of the trail was especially beautifully as it boldly stood out from the green ferns behind it.

The parking area for the Turtle Cove Nature Preserve is located on Yellow Birch Lane in East Bay Township. To get there from Traverse City, head south on Garfield Rd. for about five miles then turn left on Black Bark Lane. Stay on Black Bark Lane as it passes through a neighborhood and then turn right on Yellow Birch Lane. Look for the parking area after a quarter mile.