Protected, owned and managed by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.
Adjacent to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the Birch Point Nature Preserve encompasses mesic, dry-mesic northern forest, northern shrub swamp and emergent marsh habitats, along with 47 acres of a globally rare wooded dune and swale complex. It is part of a larger 2,600-acre dune and swale complex near Lake Michigan’s Platte Bay. This unique natural community, found only along shorelines of the Great Lakes, was formed by glaciation thousands of years ago. Featuring a combination of wetland swales and forested dune ridges, it provides crucial habitat for many sensitive species, including reptiles, amphibians and migratory birds.
In May 2025, roughly 146 acres of forested state land were added to the original 114-acre nature preserve. The addition connects a vital wildlife corridor between Sleeping Bear Dunes and the existing preserve to protected private land along Rush Lake, and permanently preserves the entire east side of Rush Lake.
This preserve includes a roughly 3/4-mile trail that winds through serene woodlands, carefully designed to safeguard its delicate ecosystems and wildlife.