Places to Visit

We have found that learning about natural communities and being able to identify them is facilitated by visiting benchmark examples across the range of variability of the natural community types throughout their distribution. In this slideshow, we provide photos of some of the best remaining examples of select natural communities. Within the natural community classification, we include a section entitled “Places to Visit” where we provide examples of representative sites for each natural community type. We have tried to include sites that are easily accessible, either on public lands or on lands accessible to the public (e.g., land trust preserves). Users interested in visiting sites highlighted here are advised to contact listed land conservancies about access to their preserves, directions, and maps.
Alvar

Maxton Plains. Sault Sainte Marie State Forest Management Area and The Nature Conservancy (Maxton Plains Preserve). Drummond Island, Chippewa County
Dry Northern Forest

Tahquamenon Falls State Park and Newberry State Forest Management Unit, Luce and Chippewa Counties
Dry Sand Prairie

Indian Lake Southwest, Manistee National Forest, Newaygo County
Dry-Mesic Northern Forest

Two-Hearted Lakes, The Nature Conservancy (Two-Hearted River Forest Preserve), Luce County
Floodplain Forest

Maple River Floodplain, Maple River State Game Area, Clinton County
Floodplain Forest

Muskegon River Floodplain, Muskegon State Game Area, Newaygo County
Floodplain Forest

Big Daily Bayou, Allegan State Game Area, Allegan County
Granite Bedrock Glade

Wetmore Pond and Sugarloaf Outcrops, Gwinn State Forest Management Unit, Marquette County
Granite Cliff

Van Riper Cliffs, Van Riper State Park, Marquette County
Great Lakes Marsh

Munuscong River Mouth, Sault Sainte Marie State Forest Management Unit, Chippewa County
Interdunal Wetland

Nordhouse Dunes, Ludington State Park and Manistee National Forest, Mason County
Lakeplain Wet-Mesic Prairie

Algonac, Algonac State Park, St. Clair County
Limestone Bedrock Lakeshore

Drummond Island, Sault Sainte Marie State Forest Management Unit, Chippewa County
Limestone Bedrock Lakeshore

Drummond Island, Sault Sainte Marie State Forest Management Unit, Chippewa County
Limestone Lakeshore Cliff

Burnt Bluff (Garden Peninsula), Fayette Historic State Park, Delta County
Mesic Northern Forest

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Gogebic and Ontonagon Counties
Mesic Southern Forest

Crane Hills, Crane Pond State Game Area, Cass County
Muskeg

Tahquamenon Falls State Park and Newberry State Forest Management Unit, Chippewa and Luce Counties
Northern Bald

Bare Bluffs Bald, Michigan Nature Association (Grinnell Memorial Sanctuary at Bare Bluff), Keweenaw County
Northern Fen

Horseshoe Bay, Horseshoe Bay Wilderness Area, Hiawatha National Forest, Mackinac County
Oak-Pine Barrens

Allegan State Game Area, Allegan County
Open Dunes

Point Betsie, The Nature Conservancy (Zetterberg Preserve at Point Betsie), Benzie County
Patterned Fen

Black Creek, Newberry State Forest Management Unit, Chippewa County
Pine Barrens

Shupac Lake Barrens, Grayling State Forest Management Unit, Crawford County
Prairie Fen

Marsh Brook Fen, Watkins Lake State Park, Jackson County
Rich Conifer Swamp

Gogomain Swamp, Sault Sainte Marie State Forest Management Unit, Chippewa County
Sand and Gravel Beach

Nordhouse Dunes, Ludington State Park and Manistee National Forest, Mason County
Sandstone Bedrock Lakeshore

Point Abbaye, Baraga State Forest Management Unit, Baraga County
Sandstone Lakeshore Cliff

Pictured Rocks, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Alger County
Sinkhole

Rockport Karst, Rockport State Recreation Area, Presque Isle County
Volcanic Bedrock Lakeshore

Horseshoe Harbor, The Nature Conservancy (Mary Macdonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor), Keweenaw County
Volcanic Cliff

Escarpment Trail Cliffs, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Gogebic Ontonagon Counties
Wet-Mesic Flatwoods

Belle Isle Flatwoods, Detroit Recreation Department, Wayne County
Wooded Dune and Swale Complex

Big Knob Campground, Sault Sainte Marie State Forest Management Unit, Mackinac County
Places to Visit
Citation
Cohen, J.G., M.A. Kost, B.S. Slaughter, D.A. Albert, J.M. Lincoln, A.P. Kortenhoven, C.M. Wilton, H.D. Enander, and K.M. Korroch. 2020. Michigan Natural Community Classification [web application]. Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Michigan State University Extension, Lansing, Michigan. Available https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/communities/classification. (Accessed: February 10, 2025).