The snow lightened up just a tad allowing for a brief, limited view down the lake to the east...

It seems like nature preserves have been popping up everywhere across northern Michigan in recent years. In most cases they're small, rather unremarkable places so aside from a very few I generally steer clear of them. Every so often though one catches my eye, as did Rocky Point Nature Preserve this day. Located along the south shore of Crooked Lake east of Petoskey, this preserve is unique in that it is only accessible by water...technically. However, being that it is surrounded on three sides by private property owned by people who don't even care enough to stay up north during the winter I decided that this season might be a good time to try to reach it by land. The preserve is only about 25 acres in size but you wouldn't know it by traveling it the way I did, cross-country (no choice, there are no trails in this preserve!). I entered via a trail road on the south side then struck out towards the lake through the thick Balsam Fir and Cedar swamps that dominate the preserve. Once at the lake I turned west and followed the shore for about a half mile before turning inland and fighting my way back through some of the craziest, thickest mess of live and dead trees I'd ever seen! Quite a memorable place, even if the weather didn't cooperate...

Mileage Hiked: 2.0 miles

Trailhead Temp: 28'F

Min. Elevation: 595'

Max Elevation: 620'

3-3-2011

Rocky Point Nature Preserve

My route started out along this narrow trail road which barely showed up on my satellite map...running along the southern boundary of the preserve, this trail saved me from much of the bushwhacking I would have had to do to reach the lake shore...
The trail followed this unnaturally straight stream for about a quarter mile...
As I neared the lake I noticed I was getting a little too close for comfort to some of the nearby homes...thus, at this point I struck out into the woods...
Before long the trees thinned out as I neared the lake shore...
Welcome to the lonely shore of Rocky Point Nature Preserve...
If Rocky Point is indeed rocky, this was the only indication...a uniquely eroded chunk of limestone...
Looking east through the snow you can just make out the private homes I was trying to avoid on my way in...
I didn't really realize how hard it was snowing until I broke out along the lake...
Looking ahead to the actual point that is Rocky Point...
Hiking on a day like today is one thing, but sitting out in the middle of a frozen lake trying to catch fish...I don't get it...
Being that the only way one can technically reach this preserve is by boat the entrance sign sits out along the lake at Rocky Point...
I thought Rocky Point would be a little rockier...
The snowy panorama from Rocky Point...
A narrated tour of the greater Rocky Point area...
The shoreline here consists of these strange berms which separate Crooked Lake from the low swamplands beyond...
Looking inland at the mixed Balsam Fir/Cedar swamplands at Rocky Point...
My handy dandy new GPS app...wandering a trail-less area, it was proving to be quite useful...
The snow just wasn't letting up as I started my way west from Rocky Point along the lake...
I scared off a noisy flock of crows as I passed this casualty of the winter season...
Lonely lake shore...
Refusing to be out-competed...this birch is doing a really good job of reaching out for some light...
This odd pile of reeds is a nest of some sort...
According to my map there was a small creek up ahead...I decided rather than fight cross-country through the thick cedar swamp, I would use what I hoped to be a frozen stream as a nice clear path...