Weekend Explorer

Warren Woods State Park

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by Ron Trigg

“This is not an ordinary woods,” says Bill Burger, Curator Emeritus of The Field Museum’s botany department, who was first drawn to Warren Woods some 30 years ago by “a botanist’s desire to see virgin forest.” Indeed, it is like nowhere else in Chicago Wilderness. It is, perhaps, as close as we can come in our area to the mythic “Forest Primeval.”

Warren Woods, a 311-acre Michigan state park located on the banks of the meandering Galien River, contains one of the finest remnants of original beech-maple forest in the entire Great Lakes region. To hike its trails is to share an experience with the Native Americans and early European settlers who explored these deep, dark woodlands in centuries past.

Walking amid the towering beeches (Fagus grandifolia), the visitor is embraced by an aura of serene grandeur. The smooth, slate-gray trunks of these dominant trees rise upward from the forest floor to form a 100-foot canopy, blocking out 95 percent of the summer sunlight. Sharing dominance in this forest is the sugar maple (Acer saccharum), which rules the understory and seeks to fill holes in the canopy created by beeches felled by storms or disease.

Scientists refer to places like Warren Woods as a climax forest. The site embodies the classical idea of an eastern woodland in succession, where one dominant species replaces the next: lichens and moss, grasses and forbs, woody shrubs, poplar and cherry, oak and hickory. (Ecologists studying fire-dependent Midwestern landscapes have found prairies and oak woodlands to be their own kind of climax — and equally “primeval.”) For nearly a century, botanists have been coming to Warren Woods to study the competition between beech and maple and to discern if some other natural stage might succeed the present one.

The solitude and darkness of the climax forest are probably best appreciated in summer when the canopy is complete. A spring visit, however, offers its own delights. A walking trail from the parking area leads the visitor through a floodplain forest. Here the trees differ from the uplands; you’ll find splendid old sycamores, red and silver maples, chinquapin oaks, and paw paw. Marsh marigolds brighten wetlands near the river in April, while golden ragwort, blue flag, jewelweed, lizard’s tail, and other wildflowers follow later.

Birders consider Warren Woods an outstanding site for viewing both nesting woodland species and spring migrants. You may find pileated woodpeckers in the upland forest, and barred owls are commonly heard. The bridge over the Galien River is a well-known birding hotspot. Scan the edges of the woods for cerulean warbler, Louisiana waterthrush, Carolina wren, and other transients.

Beyond the bridge, the trail continues up a slope to the beech-maple forest itself. With springtime sun streaming through the still-bare branches of the canopy, the floor of the forest abounds with ephemeral wildflowers — hepatica, bloodroot, trilliums, trout lily, violets, anemones, wild ginger, and much more.

A single trip to Warren Woods merely whets the appetite. You may want to return in October. The dominant beeches take on a yellow hue then, while the sugar maples offer up brilliant reds and oranges and yellows. Sour gum trees along the river add a deep scarlet to a truly magnificent mosaic of fall color.

Daytripping

Warren Woods is in the heart of Michigan’s wine country. Drive the Michigan Wine Trail on your own, or leave decisions to the experts by joining a group tour with Fruitful Vine Tours, (269) 978-8777.

Or try an easy, two-hour paddle down the scenic Galien River. Outpost Sports at 105 West Buffalo in New Buffalo, (269) 469-4210, can fix you up with a kayak and provide drop-off and pickup service.

Roaming

Many other options for hikers and naturalists can be found nearby. Warren Dunes State Park, (269) 426-4013, has six miles of hiking trails, three miles of beachfront, and is a favorite place for hang gliding. Kesling Nature Preserve, (269) 324-1600, has a rich display of spring wildflowers and great birding along the Galien River. Mud Lake Bog, near Buchanan, features a floating mat bog with a boardwalk, as well as nesting sandhill cranes.

The beaches on the Michigan shore feature clean white sand and lake views not dominated by industry and cityscapes. The municipal beach at New Buffalo is lively, family friendly, and has loads of amenities. For a more secluded experience, try Grand Mere State Park, (269) 426-4013, where beach access requires a short hike over the dunes.

The Dewey Cannon Trading Company, at 3 Dewey Cannon Avenue in Three Oaks, (269) 756-3361, is the place to go for bicycle rentals. Here, the Three Oaks Spokes club can provide maps and advice for self-guided bicycle tours along picturesque rural roads and the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Foraging

This area is blessedly free of most of the usual fast-food and chain options. Nearly any restaurant you choose is likely to be locally owned with its own unique menu. Head to the Whistle Stop Grocery at 15700 Red Arrow Highway in Union Pier, or Froehlich’s at 26 N. Elm Street in Three Oaks, to fill your picnic basket. For a white-tablecloth experience, try Timothy’s at 16220 Lakeshore Road in Union Pier, (269) 469-0900. Soé Café at 12868 Red Arrow Highway in Sawyer, (269) 426-4878, features an eclectic, contemporary menu in a sleek, casual setting.

Events

The Blossomtime Festival in St. Joseph, April 27–May 3, celebrates the flowering trees of spring with a grand floral parade and other events. Three Oaks’ Flag Day Festival, June 13-15, is an all-American, small-town celebration, with food, music, and a patriotic parade. The Vickers Theatre, at 6 N. Elm Street, is an art-film house in Three Oaks, showing movies Thursday through Monday evenings. Call (269) 756-3522 for movies, concerts, and other events. Also check the Harbor Country website for updated listings of local events.

Bedding Down

The best local camping is at Warren Dunes State Park, (800) 44-PARKS. Many charming old inns are available in Berrien County; they offer comfortable accommodations that are simple and homey. Two possibilities in Union Pier are Gordon Beach Inn, 16220 Lakeshore Road, (269) 469-0800, and Warren Woods Inn, 15506 Red Arrow Highway, (800) 358-4754. A B&B right on the beach is the Sandpiper Inn, 16136 Lakeview Avenue, (269) 469-1146.