thorne swift nature preserve

Regretted not taking my 80 yr old father because he could have managed this trail. No hiking just a leisurely walk. Loved the opening to the lake at the end of the beach trail. Very doable for young children or older people.

Easy trails through the woods leading to a overlook of the Lake Michigan dunes, then to stairs leading to the beach. Many wildflowers in the woods. Path is either a boardwalk or bark. Not handicapped accessible but mostly level. Stairs lead to the overlook and also to the beach. Many plants and trees are labeled and there are informative signs along the way. We were fortunate enough to happen upon doe and her fawn on our walk. We never saw anyone else on the trail. $5 charge to park. Small nature center. A lovely place to experience God's creation!

Lovely, well-maintained paths and bridges will take you down to the bay. Beautiful view of Charlevoix across the bay. Only $5 to park! So worth it!

Had a great little hike on well-maintained trails to the beach on Lake Michigan. A great trail for birders, and botanists-people with kids will appreciate it as well. There's a small but good interpretive center that will appeal to the children.The beach is beautiful! Rocky and wild on a windy day. Lovely way to spend a few hours.

Not big or flashy but anyone who enjoys nature will enjoy their time here. Cost was $5 per car, nice little "visitor center" packed with information (and a bathroom). My grandson LOVED the wooden walkway through the woods but it wasn't as good as coming out on the beach and throwing rocks in the water. Benches for me to sit while we looked at some interesting rocks before he tossed them into the water. Three big gatherings of geese floating in the water. This is a great place for personal peace & quiet, teaching the kids about nature, or just taking a walk.

This is a great place to take children or come as a couple or come as an individual. Nice walking trails --- saw newly born fawns, birds, frogs, etc. Gorgeous rocky beach area to gaze at Lake Michigan, throw stones, climb on large rocks or simply relax and read. Cute little visitors area also teaches a bit about the area -- especially great for kids. I always feel inspired and really connected to northern Michigan after visiting here. Great to do after a visit to Gurneys and Toms Moms.

A wonderful trail that leads out to Lake Michigan. Peaceful and many plants are labeled to learn about them. "Beach" is rocky so if going swimming... wear shoes.

We found this place by chance, as we drove west and north from Harbor Springs along M-119 to see the fall colors in the Tunnel of Trees. The little visitor center has all sorts of interesting displays and information. I loved the trails to Lake Michigan through the densely wooded forest; trails are wood chips in some places, and boardwalks where it's swampy. It's unpretentious, no glitz, just natural beauty and fun information. The manager was friendly and helpful. The fee was only $3 per family, not much for such a worthwhile cause. We will go again, and recommend it to friends. It was a nice contrast to all the the "Private Drive" and "Members Only" signs, the manicured golf courses, huge yachts, and summer homes.

We stopped by to check out the small nature museum, as well as the well kept trails in the park. $3 to enter. Plenty of parking. Very nice employee, who explained the trail system to us, as well as the museum, the beach access, the payment system..everything. The nature museum is pretty darn nice for its size. Great for kids! Simple, not complicated explanations. Well done exhibits. Bathrooms and drinking fountain inside museum. Trails are maintained really well. Benches here and there. We enjoyed watching the ducks and the resident bullfrog at the pond. The frog likes his own log, from what we heard from locals! Excellent boardwalks cut thru the woods where needed. About 14 steps down to the beach, or there is a viewing platform the other direction. Not a sandy beach, but rocky, as well as the water being very rocky. If you want to wade, bring water shoes. You can hike a bit and there is a sandy spit on a nearby headland. Very serene and quiet, except for the gulls and the waves braking on the shore.

We took the kids here to break up days at the beach. They ran along the well kept trails and splashed in the water on the rocky beach. Bring water shoes and swim suits! The view is so beautiful from the newly build overlook.

This is about a mile walk through a prepared path through the woods. Trees and plants are labeled. The staff is available to explain certain items in more detail. Very calm and quite. Beautiful vegetation. Where the ground is wet you walk on a board walk. The rest of the walk is on wood chips. The Lake Michigan view is currently under construction.

If you want to take a stroll through the woods and down to the beach on a boardwalk this is a nice spot. The beach isn't a bathing beach but someplace to see the view across to Petoskey etc. The small nature display at the entrance is kind of fun. Not more than an hour's visit - but my family always seems to like it. I think it's free to local residents (taxpayers) but might charge a small fee otherwise. Check out their website - they might also have kids groups and lectures periodically. About 10 minutes N of Harbor Spring on 119 - pretty drive.

In about 40 acres or so there is a wonderful hiking area with ponds, animals, various habitat and leading to Little Traverse Bay. No vehicles allowed past the parking area. Explore and visit the nature center and open pavillion. All in a wooded natural area.

This Preserve has very well groomed trails that are a combination of mulch and boardwalks. Interpretive signage helps educate visitors about sights along the trails. Very beautiful exit onto Lake Michigan shoreline.

A scenic easy hike through the woods on a boardwalk that ends up at a great beach with amazing sunsets. A must see while you are in town!