Erie Marsh Preserve Notes

I originally posted these hike reports on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:

Erie Marsh

01/19/01

Monroe County: Erie Marsh Preserve/Erie State Game Area.

The Woodtick Peninsula in the game area is a 4 mile hike each way. It involves wading in the shallows and ends at an island at North Cape. And campable from Oct. 1 to April 1. And if the state ever got its act together, the peninsula could connect to about 8 or 10 miles of dike in the Nature Conservancy's Erie Marsh and about 2 or 3 miles of dike in Luna Pier. You could hike for 20+ miles with a little effort. Also, two or three more bald eagles nests. Honorable mention: Lighthouse/freighter hike at Pointe Mouillee SGA (10 or 12miles).

01/28/01

Monroe: Erie Marsh/SGA:

Take I-75 to the Erie Rd. exit just a few miles North of the Ohio border. Go East until this road dead ends in a parking lot in sight of a power plant. Hike East until you hit Lake Erie. Begin hiking south to the end of the peninsula. [Note: I was out there this weekend, and winter ice forms a natural bridge into the preserve, allowing for a 10+ mile one-way hike.]

02/04/02

Well, it was a nice day on Sunday, and since I had no power back home, I decided to hike the Erie Marsh south of Monroe. I ended up doing about 10 miles or so, although you could increase the mileage a bit.

The place is owned by the Nature Conservancy and managed by the Erie Shooting Club. So, I'm often greeted by members of the shooting club when I stop in. They are a little protective of the place, but can give good tips on dike conditions. The place is one big diked marsh. So, the wildlife is incredibly diverse. I was constantly being buzzed by hawks and you can see bald eagle nests in some spots. The view of Lake Erie is mostly obscured by the Woodtick Peninsula - the only backpackable Great Lakes shoreline in MetroDetroit - but you can see the lake about halfway through the long loop. You also get good views of inland bays, open pools and creeks. Indian Island is also in the bay - it's the site of an old native American settlement and has been the focus of occasional archaeological research. The Toledo Harbor Light can also be seen.
You really have to pick your spots when hiking here. 20% of the trail I hiked was a big mud pit. It dries out in summer. But that's when the bugs are fierce. This is probably the buggiest place I've ever been in the summer. Once you hit March, you also start hitting endangered species closures.

You can find good maps in the Trail Atlas of Michigan and on the DNR website (Erie State Game Area).

Drawbacks include freeway noise and occasional power plant views. But, it's a nice long hike with lots and lots of wildlife in a place where you will almost certainly see no other hikers.