Sponsors

This information is entirely my responsibility and has no connection with any official entity

Shark Enterprises
Joan H. Young
861 W. US 10
Scottville, MI 49454
jhy@t-one.net
© all rights reserved
this page updated 5/8/07

at Hamlin Lake Marsh

General Information

Arboretum Trail

This Arboretum was planted in the Manistee National Forest in the 1930's to compare how various species of trees from throughout the world would grow in the local climate. Some of them have survived and thrived. Others are hard to find. The interpretive signs are old and weathered, but they were written by someone with a cute sense of humor. This is a wonderful treasure that is practically unknown.

Hiking

Arboretum Trail

The description begins at the parking lot. Turn left onto the loop to follow the numbers in order. The fifteen interpretive signs are white with green lettering, and were written by someone with a creative bent, making them very interesting. There are wooden signs marking the planting lots.

In order the species interpreted are: 1 Scotch Pine, 2 Pinon Pine, 3 Balkan Pine, 4 White Pine, 5 Red Pine, 6 Pitch Pine, 7 White Spruce, 8 Norway Spruce, 9 Blue Spruce, 10 Black Cherry, 11 Jack Pine, 12 Hemlock, 13 Darvian Larch, 14 Austrian Pine, 15 overview. There are other species planted there as well which may be found by their plot signs (Red Cedar, Table Mountain Pine, Douglas Fir, White Cedar, and many deciduous trees.

There are three benches located at intersections. The trail from points 12-13 follows along Pine Creek. The interpretive signs were posted quite a few years ago, so the trees they describe have grown, changed, and occasionally died.
Access- Park at the Trailhead at the corner of Pine Lake and Bosschem Roads. The trail begins and ends there.
Restrictions- Dogs must be leashed, no motor vehicles.
Distance and time- About 1 mile total. Plan on time to read the signs. You can walk the outer loop in about 20 minutes if you don't read the signs
Trail Markers- none
Treadway- wide forest trail, hardened with gravel compressed into the soil, level and stable
Grades- flat
Marking- white interpretive signs, and also planting lot markers throughout
Ecosystem- flat, planted tree plot beside a small creek. Trees from around the world were planted here in the 1940's as a growth experiment
Other points of interest- You could go exploring for examples of some trees which don't seem to have survived near their interpretive signs
Most recent date this info personally checked on foot- November 2006
Back to map
Comment

Skiing

Skiing- The trail is level and wide- would be a good place for novice skiiers to practice.

Handicap Accessibility

Handicap Accessibility- This trail is wide, flat and hardened, and could be used by someone in a sports wheelchair. There were a couple of large trees down when I was there, but if the Forest Service would clear these it would be a wonderful place to visit.

Details

Additional Facilities- none
Seasonality- parking probably not plowed in winter
Maintained by- Huron-Manistee National Forest They offer a free paper map which shows an additional branch of the trail which no longer exists. Contact:
Manistee District Ranger Station
412 Red Apple Road
Manistee, MI 49660
231-723-2211

Locator

Driving Directions

Turn south off of M-55 on Bosschem Road, just west of Wellston. Go south one mile, turn east on Pine Lake Road and the parking lot is immediately on your right. Parking for many vehicles.

Navigation

Manistee County Sites

You are person #

to find this page since 5/2/07