Turtle Pond Nature Trail in New Buffalo

What are you doing this fine Labor Day? New buffalo has built boardwalks through their two acre marshy wildlife preserve and made an interesting Turtle Pond Nature Trail. We zipped through it on mountain bikes and enjoyed the scenery and natural settings. It sidles along the railroad tracks and bridges a little pond.  It's dedicated to the property owner, Elizabeth McNeil, and is pretty serene with plenty of shade and wildflowers.

Seven Lakes in Holly

Serene yet shocking, that was our first impression of Seven Lakes State Park in Fenton. That's a rattlesnake on the sign! What? Yes, the Massasauga is our state's only venomous snake. We don't see too many of them and they are in danger of extinction. The DNR wants us to learn to co-exist with these wetland-loving slithering creatures. Be careful not to provoke! Really, they say it is rare to sight them. They've been tracking several of their whereabouts by inserting GPS devices in them. With 1400 acres and seven beautiful lakes, the park also has numerous trails for hiking and biking. It's not overcrowded!