Lapeer County: Nature, Trails and History

A trip to Lapeer County offers outdoor activities and historic sites that can be organized around different interests. The Polly Ann Trail, Seven Ponds Nature Center and several museums showcase the variety of topics to explore. When choosing a hotel, you can first consider whether trails, nature or history will shape your itinerary.

Trails and Nature Experiences

The Polly Ann Trail is 36 miles long and runs between Orion Township in Oakland County and Kings Mill Road north of Imlay City in Lapeer County. One natural-surface section of the trail offers an opportunity for mountain biking. The length and activity option answer different planning questions: the 36 miles describe the trail as a whole, while mountain biking refers to one section.

At Seven Ponds Nature Center, habitats and live animals take center stage. The Interpretive Building is situated on nearly 350 acres of woodlands, wetlands, ponds, fields and prairie. The Jonathan Woods and Richie Pond Preserve properties bring the Nature Center’s total area to nearly 500 acres. The two figures therefore describe different scopes: the grounds around the building and the center’s total area.

Visitors can learn firsthand about animals living in Seven Ponds’ wetlands, woodlands and prairies by observing more than ten live species of reptiles, amphibians and fish. The center’s nature theme thus encompasses both its varied landscapes and its animal groups.

Shore fishing is available at Pero Lake in Torzewski County Park, which also has nature trails. This offers visitors two distinct interests: a specific connection to the lake and trails through nature. Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area is located 8 miles south of Lapeer and surrounds Lake Minnawanna. This location description combines a clear direction with the name of the lake.

Lapeer Shooting Range is located within Lapeer State Game Area in Lapeer County. The Lapeer State Game Areas offer public hunting opportunities. The range’s location and the hunting opportunities are two separate points of reference for planning a trip.

History and Culture

Lapeer County History Museum offers residents of Lapeer County and visitors to the region a historical experience with educational programs. Hadley Mill Museum displays agricultural and domestic artifacts from the past of Hadley and Elba townships on three floors. The museum is housed in a mill built in 1874 and offers a demonstration of the engine that once operated the mill. Its collections from two townships are thus complemented by the history of the building and its former engine.

Other historic sites have their own distinctive features. Lapeer County Courthouse is the oldest courthouse in Michigan still serving its original function. General Squier Memorial Park is listed on the national and state historic registers. Dryden Depot was built in 1883 as a railroad station on the Pontiac, Oxford and Port Austin Railroad line. The range of historic themes thus extends from a courthouse still serving its original function to a listed park and a former railroad station.

Plan a Market Visit

Historic Farmers' Market of Lapeer offers locally grown fruits and vegetables, handmade goods, fresh honey and baked goods. A visit to the market adds regional produce and goods to the nature and history themes. The market is seasonal; check the dates before your trip.

Discover More Destinations

Lapeer, Imlay City, Almont, Mason County, Bay, Dickinson County, Roberts County, Monroe County

For the higher-level travel overview: Michigan.