Trail Information & Maps

Enjoy easy to moderate walking as you explore the Nature Center  along our network of trails. Our trails are open to the public year-round from dawn to dark. 

For the safety and enjoyment of all of our visitors and wildlife, CNC does not allow bikes, ORVs, dogs, smoking, fires, alcohol, picking or collecting.

  • Arbury Trail: 0.4 mile paved loop.  See four ecosystems and how they have been managed on one of our shortest trails.  Enjoy an overlook of the Pine River.

  • River Trail: 2.7 mile loop.  Walk our longest trail along the rivers, through the Beech-Maple Woods, Oxbow Woods and wetland, and over old river beds.

  • Homestead Trail: 0.6 mile trail.  Walk through the Homestead Farm, then hike along upland fields and woodlands to reach the Oxbow.

  • Wetlands Trail: Drive 2 minutes to this 1.7 mile loop.  Explore all our wetland types, including our biggest marshes.  Trail includes docks and a boardwalk.

  • River Point Trails: Drive 3 minutes to 2 miles of trail loops.  Walk through a hemlock and birch woodland and see the River Point Pond and Chippewa River.

  • Ridge Trail: Drive 3 minutes to this 1.5 mile loop.  Follow a sand beach ridge of an ancient lake and see where fields are turning into young woodlands.

Chippewa Trail: Walk, bike or in-line skate to downtown Midland on this 3.5 mile, non-motorized paved pathway.  Interpretive stops along the route tell the exciting story of this unique landscape.  This is the only trail where bikes are allowed.  

 For the safety and enjoyment of all of our visitors and wildlife, CNC does not allow bikes, ORVs, dogs, smoking, fires, alcohol, picking or collecting. Pets are not allowed on Chippewa Nature Center property.

Chippewa Trail Facts

  • The trail is ADA accessible.
  • Interpretive signage along the trail describes the significant historical, cultural and natural features.
  • There are benches and resting areas along the trail.
  • Dogs are not allowed the trail on CNC land, but are allowed on the land owned by the city.
  • The trail is located on property owned by The City of Midland (from the Tridge through the softball complex), land donated by Dow Chemical Company (from the edge of the softball complex to Patterson Rd), and land owned by Chippewa Nature Center (from Patterson Rd. to the Visitor's Center).

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Chippewa Trail map