Top 5 places to see fall colors in Washtenaw County

Being in the heart of Southeast Michigan's northern hardwood forest in autumn means countless opportunities to see the area's trees put on a sensational show. As peak fall colors approach, we’ve checked in with some local nature lovers and rounded up the top places to see autumn foliage here in Washtenaw County.

1. County Farm Park

Nestled in Ann Arbor's east side, Nelson Meade County Farm Park is a local treasure for a quick fall foliage fix. The park at 2230 Platt Rd. boasts 127 acres with multiple trails and provides a perfect escape from the city's everyday hustle and bustle. 

Expect to see a dazzling display of nature's superstars, including oak, white maple, ash, ironwood, hickory, and cherry trees. According to Julie Woodward, a meditation teacher and mental health provider based in Ann Arbor, it's a great place for both seasoned and first-time fall foliage explorers
Doug CoombeCounty Farm Park.
Woodward, in collaboration with a Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation naturalist, has been leading forest bathing and mindfulness hikes in Ann Arbor for seven years. Their hikes follow the Japanese forest bathing model, focusing on sensory meditation and seasonal awareness. She shares that a lot of people don't usually pay attention while they walk and can instead find themselves "scurrying to get from Place A to Place B". County Farm Park is one of her favorite spots to slow down, de-stress, and soak in the colors of the changing season. 

Woodward enjoys the park's meandering trails, saying they seem to lead into “a progression of private outdoor rooms." It's easy to find a secluded nook to enjoy the season's splendor. 

"County Farm Park is special because it can shift people out of whatever busy-doing mode that they're in," she says. "The colors are relaxing, and with the community garden located there you get to see more than the trees changing." 

2. Kosch Headwaters Preserve

You can't go wrong this fall at Kosch Headwaters Preserve, located at 8170 Ford Rd. in Superior Township, adjacent to the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy's Springhill Nature Preserve. 

Kosch's natural ground trail spans 1.74 miles and there are 160 acres of preserve to enjoy. The preserve's name is a nod to its location in the headwaters of the Rouge River. A ridge running through Kosch Headwaters separates the Huron River watershed from the Rouge River watershed. Being at this geographically higher point means crisp air and picture-perfect views of a riot of color. 
Doug CoombeKosch Headwaters Preserve.
Visitors can admire beautiful hills of flaming red sumac rolling through the fields and then follow the trail over to the southern part of the park. It's home to a historic wood lot with a beech maple forest. Alongside the beautiful beech trees are longstanding sugar maples competing for best in show.

"The color of the sugar maple is just spectacularly beautiful. It's just this indescribable kind of coral orange flame in the autumn sunlight," says Shawn Severance, a parks naturalist with Washtenaw County since 2006. "It's not red and it's not orange, but somewhere right between. You won't see another tree that has that color, so it's a very unique fall experience."

3. Parker Mill County Park

The hues of autumn always come alive at Parker Mill County Park, 3650 Geddes Rd. in Ann Arbor Township. There are four trails to choose from. One, a paved, shared-use trail, connects Gallup Park and the Border-to-Border Trail. Another, the Hoyt G. Post Trail, leads to fall foliage of every color. Its long boardwalk parallels Fleming Creek all the way to the edge of the Huron River. A little deck overlooking the river is a prime perch for tree-gazing. 

"It's a floodplain forest, so there's black maple and all kinds of other trees that are especially big and beautiful," Severance says. "It's easier to put life into perspective by spending some time with a big old tree, and Parker Mill has really great ones that show off their colors."
Doug CoombeParker Mill County Park.
To give an idea of the magnitude of some of the park's largest leafy residents, she shares that the biggest tree there might take eight to 10 first-graders stretching out their arms to completely hug its circumference. 

Severance adds that anytime in autumn is ideal for leaf-peeping in the park, but sunrise adventures are best as "an orchestra of birds" open each fall day with their songs. She says the musical backdrop adds yet another layer of sensory depth to the colors adorning the trees. 

4. Janice Anschuetz Highland Preserve 

Open only since mid-September, this preserve is perhaps one of the county's current best-kept secrets when it comes to experiencing the natural fireworks of the fall season. 

Located at 325 E. Clark Rd. in Superior Township, the preserve is positioned on a bus line and it boasts an accessible path leading to a beautiful raised boardwalk. As you approach the boardwalk, you'll see unique hackberry trees and black walnut trees bearing their green, golf-ball-like fruit. According to Severance, these "stately" trees grow together in floodplain forests and are fabulous to behold during the fall season.
Doug CoombeJanice Anschuetz Highland Preserve.
The preserve is also home to bitter hickory trees. Bitter or not, squirrels enjoy them and at this time of year they're up in the treetops, scurrying around and harvesting nuts. It can get so busy at the preserve that the nuts falling down often cause a sonic drone on the boardwalk. (And it's not unusual for a nut or two to rain directly on delighted visitors!)

"What makes the preserve special is definitely the elevated boardwalk. It gets you right up there to see all the foliage," Severance says. "You're up in the air maybe 15 to 20 feet at points."

5. Park Lyndon North 

For those seeking out fall's cornucopia of colors, Park Lyndon North, located at 18570 N. Territorial Rd. in Chelsea, is not to be missed. Its prairie fen is home to a spectacular set of tamarack trees unlike no others. Their comely conical spire shapes stretch skywards, and when they are at peak fall color, the fen looks as if it's ablaze with numerous golden candles. Follow the park's yellow trail and you'll find yourself on a small island surrounded by their wild, fiery beauty. 
Doug CoombePark Lyndon North in late winter.
Severance heartily recommends Park Lyndon North as a perfect destination for a leaf-viewng day trip, advising adventurers to bring a backpack and footwear that can get wet. A big bonus, she shares, is that the park is part of the awe-inspiring Waterloo-Pinckney Trail. Severance says she's walked for a long time in the park and lost her thoughts "in the wonder of it all."

"If there's only one place I could visit, this might be it," Severance says. "The incredible color display at this time of year is something I'd recommend that everyone hurry and see for themselves."

Jaishree Drepaul is a writer and editor based in Ann Arbor. She can be reached at jaishreeedit@gmail.com.

All photos by Doug Coombe.