MLive says: “A sanctuary for various plants and animals, Seven Ponds Nature Center boasts nearly 500 acres of natural beauty. You'll find ponds, deep glacial lakes, marshes, prairies and other forms of terrain, all providing a home for various species. This is a great place to photograph animals in their nature habitats, as well as a variety of very photogenic wildflowers. Visitors pay an entrance fee and are asked to stay on the trails, in order to preserve the environment. Find out more at the Seven Ponds website.”
December 23, 2019
After taking almost two entire months off from visiting counties (November brought me 2.5 weeks of laryngitis and two weekends of traveling - December was recovering from all of that financially for a few weeks) I finally made it out for a visit the week of Christmas. I had traveled home to Metro Detroit to spend the holiday with my family there, and took advantage of a particularly warm and sunny day - sunny and 55F isn’t common in Michigan in the winter whatsoever, so I felt compelled to make the most of it. The morning of December 23, I loaded up my camera bag and headed north to Lapeer County.
Seven Ponds Nature Center is a really lovely spot set back on a dirt road, behind some residential homes. I missed it at first because I thought I was going to drive down someone’s driveway., but then realized the drive curved down behind the home and to the Nature Center building. I was the only car in the parking lot, because they’re closed on Mondays. I didn’t realize this before driving an hour north to Lapeer County, though, so I ventured out onto the trails and made an online donation to cover my usage after I left.
The trails at Seven Ponds make gorgeous long loops all over the property, visiting all seven ponds that are present! My hike started on a trail behind the Nature Center building and toward the “iconic” triangular bridge that crosses one of the many waterways that cut through the property. I found myself really enjoying the palette that this area was displaying: deep rich blues paired with light beige, yellow, and orange - then small bursts of red from berries and stems. Looking closely, I found greens nearest to the soil perking up in the sunlight. Winter hikes usually bring me cool blue and purple palettes of snow to photograph, but with a warm December came a rather unique set of colors to capture and lots of hidden traces of persisting plant life.
As I made my way into the woods, away from the first ponds I visited, I found stands of cattails intersecting stands of trees, in this frequently flooded area - the cattails were fluffy with seeds, and I took pleasure in gently tapping them to release their fluff everywhere.
Seven Ponds is known for some great bird-watching, and even on a late December day I was seeing and hearing dozens of birds. I found an overlook on the wooded path and made my way to the top to appreciate yet another dazzling view of a partially frozen pond.
The loop eventually brought me back to the Nature Center building, and I found another path to start down. This one took me out of the woods and into a gorgeously huge meadow full of more ponds! On this leg of my hike, I found an open milkweed pod that I celebrated with lots of photos. I also found a small boardwalk that I enjoyed some snacks on while I basked in the sun.
I spent quite a few hours in this area appreciating how magical a sunny winter day can be. I discovered frozen ice formations, plant skeletons left from summer, rippling water crossing sheets of ice with a small breeze, bird calls from dozens of species, and color combinations that are hard to find this time of year in Michigan. I made my way back toward the Nature Center building to check out some landscaped areas there - had it been summer, the gardens would have been teeming with native plants!
I wrapped up my adventures here at a bulletin board where the trail maps and information about the Nature Center was posted. I really liked the trail maps because it denoted regular paths from boardwalks, making the trail map easier for someone with mobility issues to utilize.
Overall, Seven Ponds Nature Center was a pretty magical place to spend a sunny winter day. I was super impressed with the trails, the signage, and the size of the property. I would love to return here in the spring or summer to enjoy the diverse bird life, especially in the water fowl refuge!