Data compiled by
Ron Sootsman

Commentary:  Kimball Pines County Park is located off Michigan Avenue behind the Calhoun County Medical Care Facility in Emmett Township. 

Kimball Pines County Park is 100 acres of mostly plantation pines -- one of the oldest stands of urban pines in Michigan.  The park also contains deciduous woodlands, ponds and a creek that is a tributary of the Kalamazoo River.  Kimball Pines park is comprised of red, scotch, jack and white pines as well as black cherry trees and numerous other species of trees. 

Kimball Pines recently became the site of the annual Silver Leaf Renaissance Faire.

Commentary:  The marvelous Marshall Riverwalk has many spectacular views along the beautiful Kalamazoo River. 

Cooperative efforts on the part of NCTA and the City of Marshall are under way to incorporate the Riverwalk into the North Country National Scenic Trail as it passes through Marshall.

Construction for the Riverwalk began in 1996 through the City of Marshall’s Capital Improvement Program and a series of DNR grants.  The Riverwalk was a four-phase project that was completed in June of 2002.

The first phase of the Riverwalk began at Stuart’s Landing, a popular park at the east end of the trail which offers restrooms, parking, a picnic pavilion, picnic tables and grills, benches, a fishing dock and a boat ramp.

The 1.6 mile Riverwalk comprises both elevated boardwalk and paved pathways.  There are five pedestrian bridges, boat and canoe launches, as well as scenic overlook areas.  Wooded pathways follow both Rice Creek and the Kalamazoo River, providing a great opportunity to view wildlife in its natural habitat.

Along with the long and winding boardwalk, this Riverwalk also features thousands of feet of scenic sidewalk paths intertwined with the Riverwalk.  A canoe launch, restrooms and ample parking can also be found at the Public Service Building just off South Marshall Avenue, midway through the boardwalk.

Near the Public Service Building is an authentic Pagoda constructed in China for the Riverwalk through donations.  Along the Riverwalk you can view a number of places significant in Marshall's industrial and social history, including a relic from Marshall's first stone flouring mill, the Marshall Power House, Perrinville, and "Bums Alley."   For details, pick up an interesting brochure at the Recreation & Parks office in the Public Service Building (or click here for a facsimile).
 

Within the boundaries of the preserve are two spring fed kettle lakes, Brigham Lake and Hall Lake, as well as the east edge of Dexter Lake, along with wet peaty lowlands and dry, sandy uplands.  The uplands include two prominent eskers (glacial ridges), one traveling nearly the length of the property from southwest to northeast.

Elevations in the preserve range from 852 to 920 feet above sea level, with the lowest point being Hall Lake and the highest point near the northeast edge of the property.  Well-developed hardwood forests of the uplands include black, red and white oaks, and pignut and shagbark hickories with flowering dogwood as a common understory tree.  The Web site provides a wealth of information on the numerous species and varieties of trees and plants to be found in Ott Preserve, as well as the variety of birds and critters who make their home here.   

A small map is available on the Web site which can give you an idea of the routing of the main trail through the preserve along with the Stuarek Trail Loop and the J. H. Kellogg Trail.  The preserve is open every day of the year from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Because the area is a nature preserve, all natural features, including flora and fauna, are protected.  Activities such as hunting, fishing, flower-picking and firewood cutting are prohibited as are motorized vehicles, with the exception of wheelchairs or other conveyances for disabled persons.