Washtenaw: Nature, Science, and History

Washtenaw County invites you to plan a trip that brings together natural areas, science, and local history. Walking trails, wetlands, and lakes are part of the mix, along with museums covering topics from astronomy to traditional crafts. As you plan a hotel stay, first choose the focus of your days: nature, a particular museum, or an event. The offerings vary in subject and scale—the details below can help you choose experiences that suit your trip.

Nature and Landscapes

Nichols Arboretum, also known as “The Arb,” is a 123-acre landscape on the University of Michigan campus. It features walking trails, gardens, and natural areas, as well as access to the riverfront. Seasonal blooms are another highlight; its historic peony collection is also one of the largest in North America. The Arb therefore offers both a variety of landscape features and a distinctive botanical collection to explore.

The landscapes of the nature preserves vary. Waterloo Recreation Area includes eleven inland lakes. Dominican Meadows Preserve features forests, wetlands, and grasslands along nearly two miles of Fleming Creek. Squiers Preserve includes a dry-mesic southern forest, a buttonbush swamp, a hardwood swamp, a sedge meadow, and a marsh. If you choose outings by landscape type, these descriptions cover lakes, riverfront areas, forests, and wetlands.

At Whitmore Lake Preserve, trails pass through meadows, mixed hardwood forests, and wooded wetlands, with views of a large marsh and small lakes. Baker Woods Preserve features a mix of forests and meadows. DeVine Preserve offers good birdwatching among its mature oak trees.

Trails and Different Distances

The Border-to-Border Trail (B2B) extends across Washtenaw County, connecting parks, residential areas, and scenic riverside paths. It is 42 miles long, ten feet wide, paved, and ADA accessible. Check trail conditions before your trip.

For a shorter distance, Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve has a five-mile hiking trail.

Science and Natural History

Exhibits at the U-M Museum of Natural History range from molecules to dinosaurs. The museum also offers a planetarium, science demonstrations, and conversations with University of Michigan scientists. The Planetarium & Dome Theater focuses on celestial bodies, constellations, and other astronomical phenomena. If you plan to attend a show, check the current schedule before your trip.

The Gerald E. Eddy Discovery Center explores geology and a variety of natural habitats. Along with the natural history exhibits and astronomy program, it offers different ways to engage with scientific topics—from the Earth and its habitats to the night sky.

History, Crafts, and Traditions

The Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum is connected with a historic corner in Depot Town, where East Cross and North River meet. The building began its automotive history in 1917 as a Dodge dealership. The museum was created by combining Miller Motors with a former parcel-sorting facility at 112 East Cross. Here, the history of the building and the creation of the museum come together.

Manchester Blacksmith Shop uses a working forge for demonstrations, classes, and hands-on metalworking experiences. It is also one of the last surviving blacksmith shops on a Main Street in Michigan. Visitors interested in traditional crafts can learn about metalworking and its ties to local history.

Ypsilanti Historical Museum is housed in an original 19th-century home in Ypsilanti; admission is free. Rentschler Farm Museum consists of a timber-framed house and eleven outbuildings, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2013. Staebler Farm illustrates a type of farm that served Washtenaw County in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Michigan Folk School offers hands-on experiences in traditional folk arts, crafts, music, and skills. The Folk Festival is held annually at Staebler Farm County Park in Ann Arbor. Check dates and programming for the year of your trip. Staebler Farm plans to offer nature trails for walking and opportunities for wildlife viewing; the park is still in development.

What to Plan Before Your Trip

For a stay with a set cultural itinerary, event dates and planetarium shows are useful planning points. For nature outings, the landscape descriptions and trail lengths offer different ways to guide your choices. Seasonal blooms, an annual festival, and a park in development each have their own timing considerations; keep these in mind when planning your hotel stay.

Explore more destinations: Pittsfield, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Milan.

Explore more destinations: Delta County, Antrim County, Shiawassee County, Schoolcraft County.

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