One of West Bloomfield’s Favorite Wooded Areas: West Bloomfield Trail & West Bloomfield Woods Nature Preserve

The West Bloomfield Trail system is a 54-acre linear park that runs 4.25 miles through West Bloomfield Township, Orchard Lake, and Keego Harbor. The unpaved trail is located on an old railroad, as it is part of Michigan’s Rails-to-Trails program. The trail is made up of dirt and crushed limestone, making it perfect for hiking, biking, cross-country, or equestrian uses.

The area around the trail is wooded, with several varieties of trees and woody bushes bordering the trail – from young trees to mature 75+ year old landmark trees. Up until 2007, a major attraction on the trail system and within West Bloomfield Woods Nature Preserve was a large heron rookery, where each year dozens of herons would nest and lay eggs. A huge ice storm in 2007 damaged the trees that had held the nests, driving the herons to another area. Additionally, predators such as raccoons invaded the heron’s nests, driving more herons to find another location. The area of the rookery now sits empty, with most of the trees in the area dead or dying.

Another attraction along the trail are the numerous wetland areas, many of which are located in West Bloomfield Township.  Frogs are the dominant species in these wetlands, with at least 5 different species of frogs present in the nature preserve.  Other amphibians abound, as do bird and reptile species (including snakes), so watch where you walk.  The trails are all well-marked and labeled with signs, providing information on wildlife and fauna in the area.