With several days of rain in the forecast we got out on the trails this morning. We drove to Sturgis, Michigan to check out the Plumb Lake County Park. It’s a nice park with trails in the woods and in the prairie. We spent most of our time in the woods since it was a warm and sunny day.
Our Adventure
Upon entering the park you have the option to drive to the right or left with both providing access to trails. We opted to go to the left and park near the restroom and picnic gazebo. As soon as we parked I noticed a sign indicating a $5 entry fee for non-residents. After paying and placing the registration on our dashboard we found the trail to the right of the picnic gazebo and playground. After a short distance on the mowed grass trail we entered the woods.
The wooded trail started with a small descent to a boardwalk over a marshy wetland. At the end you have the option of a trail to the right or left. We took the trail to the right and every time we had a choice to make we took the trail to the right. We often do that and find it keeps us from getting lost and sometimes takes us back to the entrance.
The trail took us further and further into the woods. Our view was mainly trees and brush. We did not find any bodies of water, although it appears that the other section of the park has trails near Plumb Lake. Our trail wound around and eventually we walked back across a boardwalk. This one led to a bridge and then back in the woods. Eventually the trail led back to the field where we could see the picnic gazebo in the distance. We followed the grass trail and since we had only walked about a mile we re-entered the woods to take the trail to the left after the first boardwalk.
That trail was similar to the first trail except it had more uphill and downhill sections. Again we took the trail to the right whenever there was a choice to make and eventually crossed the boardwalk and made our way back to the field, the grass trail, and the car. The total distance we walked was just over 2 miles. Normally we like to hike further, but it was a warm and humid day so we decided that was long enough to be in the woods.
Sunny’s Perspective
This was a fun hike in the woods with some uphills and downhills. There was even a spot where I had to jump over a tree limb that was over the trail. I loved that! I smelled a lot of good things, but didn’t see any critters. I’m still looking for a beaver after I recently saw three on one of our hikes. The boardwalks were pretty fun to walk across. I was happy that the boards were close together so my paws didn’t fall in the cracks. It was hot when we got to the grass trail so I was glad we didn’t walk around that area too much. This was a pretty fun place, but it was kind of a long drive to get here.
Our Rating
Sunny and I give Plumb Lake County Park 3 out of 4 paws up. We liked that the park has great parking, a restroom and picnic tables at the start, and somewhat challenging trails in the woods. The scenery is nice, but nothing special. It is also a little buggy so we were happy that we used bug spray. This trail would not be good for someone with mobility issues. The trail is fairly narrow, windy, and is a typical dirt trail in the woods with roots and rocky sections.
How Do I Get There?
The address for the park is 29000 – 29500 E. Lafayette Road, Sturgis, Michigan. The route from Northern Indiana to Plumb Lake County Park has you travel on 69N and take exit #348 toward LaGrange. Take US-20W for about 12 miles and then turn right onto IN-3N. Follow that for 6 miles and turn left onto IN-120W. After a mile turn right onto N 475 E and follow that for 2.5 miles before turning left onto County Road 800N. Follow that for almost a mile until it turns into Carls Road. Continue for almost 3 miles then turn left onto US 12W. After a mile turn right onto Plumb School Road and then turn left onto E. Lafayette Road. Look for the Plumb Lake County Park sign and turn right. Follow the road to the fork in the road. We took the road to the left, but there are also trails to the right, which we did not investigate. Park and pay the $5 entry fee at the sign.
For more information about Plumb Lake County Park check out this website.