Snowshoeing in a Winter Wonderland

Winter has been lacking in these parts this year. So when a large snowstorm finally rolls through, you can find skiers and snowshoers alike out on the trails. Woldumar Nature Center is one of my favorite mid-Michigan destinations to do just that.

Woldumar Nature Center is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the public and really celebrating the beauty of nature. The center consists of 5 miles of trail on 180 acres of mixed ecosystems, including Maple and Birch forest, White Pine forest, tall grass prairie, and 1.25 miles of riverfront.

It is one of my favorite locations in the area to get back into nature.

Brisco and I arrived at lunchtime. There were already plenty of signs that others had been enjoying the fresh snow ahead of us. Despite having multiple cars in the parking lot, we only ran across one person and enjoyed that “trails to ourselves” feeling.

Woldumar has different routes visitors can explore. Each one offers different terrain and has its own “something special”. For this trip, we explored the Lagoon and the Woodland trail. This route was picked solely off of Brisco following his nose.

There are no groomed trails here for skiing. However, skiers are welcomed to slide through this wonderful place. I came primarily across other snowshoers on our adventure.

When the snow does finally arrive, Woldumar Nature Center is one of my first stops. Winter wonderland views like these are hard to come by near the city and they certainly don’t stick around for long.

Woldumar Nature Center is one of my go-to hiking trails, no matter the season. But there’s something extra special about it in the winter. Maybe it’s the silence filled only with the softly falling snow. Or maybe it’s that the parking lot can have a few cars in it and you still won’t encounter another person on your trip.

Whatever it is, Woldumar is certainly a special place for snowshoeing in a winter wonderland.

For more information about Woldumar Nature Center visit Woldumar Nature Center or download a PDF version of their trail maps.