Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve
All dogs must be on a leash!
And please clean up after your pooches while using the trails. Learn More
Size
280 acres
Land Description
From the driveway's top, the trails follow old golf cart paths that meander throughout the property. Beautiful old trees, winding paths, and breathtaking views are the highlighted features of this property. Scenic views of Little Traverse Bay and the Inland Waterway are available from different locations along the trails. The land is an excellent location for night sky viewing. In 2022, a reflection labyrinth was constructed, with a barrier free path leading to it from the lower parking area.
Trail Description
More than 4.5 miles total with some very steep elevations.
History
Formerly known as the Little Traverse Bay Golf Club, this property was an active golf course through the 2019 season. In early 2020, it was purchased by an investor who then agreed to sell it to Little Traverse Conservancy to ensure its long-term protection. This move was made possible because most of the purchase price was provided by the Offield Family Foundation.
ADDRESS: 995 Hideaway Valley Drive, Harbor Springs
Directions
ADDRESS: 995 Hideaway Valley Drive, Harbor Springs From the M-119 (West Conway Road intersection across from the Best Western near the Harbor Springs Airport), head east on West Conway Road. Take the next left onto Clayton Road by the Harbor Springs General Store. Continue on Clayton roughly half a mile, past Hathaway Road. Take a right on Hideaway Valley Drive and travel a quarter-mile. The entrance is on your left.
Frequently Asked Questions
Like all of Little Traverse Conservancy’s trails, these will be multi-use and open for running, biking, snowshoeing, skiing, walking dogs on leash, etc.
The golf course and associated businesses had already been closed before the Conservancy became involved. The Little Traverse Conservancy purchased this property from a private land investor who had purchased the land from the owner of the Little Traverse Bay Golf Club earlier this year. The Conservancy did not shut down the golf course, and in keeping with our mission we chose to not operate the course through a lease agreement either.
The Conservancy staff, board of trustees, and donors recognized the very unique and special features of this land that make it a true gem to protect for everyone’s benefit. We decided to purchase this property to protect the public’s access to the views and to make them accessible to even more people. We recognized the incredible opportunity for nature recreation and enjoyment of extraordinary views. And this project allows us to restore fragmented habitats and broaden ecosystem protection for the benefit of human health and all living things.
The existing pole barns are being utilized by the Conservancy to hold tools and equipment needed to manage this property and the 215 other properties it owns. Staff will continue to work with committee members and trustees to develop the best management plan for this land and structures over the next year. In the meantime, the public is asked to please stay away from the buildings.
We established the working forest category in 2015 to distinguish lands that are more actively managed through forestry or other habitat manipulations from lands where we generally let nature take its course, our nature preserves. The Offield Family Viewlands will fall under our working forest reserve category, but that doesn’t mean you will see logging trucks out there, although someday that may be a management tool. You will more likely see us actively restoring some of the lands by planting trees and native grasses.
To date, more than 10,000 trees have been planted throughout the reserve. If you are interested in helping us with the land’s ecological recovery, please contact our volunteer coordinator Cacia Lesh to get on our list for upcoming opportunities! cacia@landtrust.org
