On this trip we'll visit two Museum preserves tucked into the heart of the Grand River Valley’s wine country. We’ll start at Cash-Hertrick Preserve, where we’ll admire the fall colors along the Grand before venturing into narrow, steep-walled ravines. Carved out of the shale wall by tiny tributaries, the ravines support hemlock and waterthrush, ferns and mosses, and the occasional steelhead trout.  

Next, we’ll hop up to Burkholder Preserve—a 26-acre delight. We’ll pass large patches of pawpaw as we head into the preserve’s exceptional beech–sugar maple forest. The deciduous trees give way to near-virgin old-growth white pines and immense hemlocks, which perch at the cliff’s edge and frame stunning views of the valley below.  

After the hikes, we invite you to join us at a local winery.