Horton Creek Nature Preserves
Size
325 acres
Frontage
2.7 miles of Horton Creek frontage.
Land Description
Nearly three miles of trails wind through mature hardwood forests, and young pin cherry stands, primarily at the Schulz Working Forest Reserve and the Taylor Horton Creek Preserve. Hemlock and yellow birch grow along the edge of the creek. Recent logging activities (2017) have occurred at Schulz. A small trail on the Rufus Teesdale Preserve takes you to the river (Teesdale is located southeast of the area shown on the map, and a parking area is found off of Boyne City-Charlevoix Road.)
History
Ernest Hemingway loved to fish for trout on Horton Creek. He refers to it in several stories and memoirs, and it appears to be the model for the creek mentioned in the Nick Adams stories “Summer People” and “The Last Good Country.”
Directions
Taylor Horton Creek Nature Preserve Trailhead:
ADDRESS: 7549 Pincherry Road, Boyne City, MI 49712
Schulz Working Forest Reserve Trailhead:
ADDRESS: 7030 Pincherry Road, Boyne City, MI 49712
From Charlevoix, take US 31 northeast 2 miles and turn right on Boyne City-Charlevoix Road. Go 8.6 miles, and turn left on Pincherry Rd. Go north 1.6 miles, and the rustic parking area for the Schulz trailhead is on the right. Go another 0.5 miles north and the rustic parking area for the Taylor Horton Creek trailhead is also on the right.
From Boyne City, take Boyne City-Charlevoix Road 7 miles west and turn right on Pincherry Rd. Follow the rest of the directions above.
A Legacy of Service and Stewardship
Meet the Taylor Family
Charles Minor Taylor II and Joan Richards Taylor lived remarkable lives shaped by service, adventure, and deep appreciation for nature. Charles, a Princeton graduate and decorated World War II Air Force officer, was a pioneering aviator and businessman in Little Rock, Arkansas. His aviation career included escorting national figures like Charles Lindbergh and serving under General Jimmy Doolittle during the D-Day invasion. His aviator’s certificate was signed by Orville Wright.
Joan, a top model and actress in wartime England, appeared in Vogue and films alongside British stars, and supported the RAF through training films and hospital work. She and Charles met in London during the war and married in 1946.
The Taylors spent over 50 summers in Charlevoix and were active members of the Christ Episcopal Church and the Belvedere Club, where Charles served as president. They had two children, a daughter, Julia Joan Taylor, and a son. Their son, PFC Charles Minor Taylor III, was killed in action on November 21, 1967, in the Republic of Vietnam at the age of 19. The Charles M. Taylor III Nature Preserve stands in his honor and memory.
Deeply committed to land, animals, and education, Charles and Joan passed on a legacy of conservation and curiosity to their children. The land protected today in their name honors their enduring love for northern Michigan and their spirit of stewardship.
Check out the plants and animals found at this preserve using the iNaturalist guide below. Help us document more with iNaturalist.org and eBird.org.