Discover the Natural Beauty of Proud Lake State Recreation Area
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As much as I love nature and the outdoors, I am, by my own nature, indoorsy. I never established a habit of going on walks every day, hiking every weekend, or getting out on the water ever. Yet, every day I drive by parks near my home – two state recreation areas, multiple metroparks, and countless municipal parks, all with trails and lakes and rivers and all sorts of offerings I’ve never visited. After six years of living next to but not experiencing the natural world, I decided to push myself out the door.
Proud Lake State Recreation Area
Proud Lake State Recreation Area, established in 1944, covers 3,000 acres of woods in southwest Oakland County. It borders Proud Lake, naturally, and the Huron River winds through it. It’s not the most well-known Michigan park, but it offers a little bit of everything:
- Camping
- Fishing
- Swimming
- Equestrian and mountain bike trails
- Paddle sports, including nearby canoe rental
And most pertinent to me: hiking
A Lifeline During a Personal Crisis
It turns out the decision to explore came at a crucial time. My family suddenly faced a crisis that required me to tend to the needs of everyone around me. For a time, I could not think of myself beyond the bare minimum (food, water, as much sleep as possible, making sure the FMLA forms went through) – the time was so critical.
When the initial intensity started to lessen, I knew I had to take care of myself, too. Along with leaning on others and asking for help, an occasional walk in the woods pulled me through my own crisis.
I’ve driven down Duck Lake Road countless times in six years, glimpsing at the signs for Proud Lake Recreation Area as I passed. One spring day, I finally turned into the entrance. When I stepped out of my car, the scent of pine surrounded me like a gentle hug.
The One-Mile Marsh Trail
I started with an easy hike. The Marsh Trail at Proud Lake is a mostly flat, one-mile loop. Thanks to the sign at the entrance, I now know the marsh, which the trail encircles, is a glacial lake that has been filled with sediment and dead vegetation, becoming shallower over time, until it was the perfect home for cattails and ducks. If left undisturbed, the marsh will one day fill completely, and a forest will grow in its place.
A second sign at the entrance bears a dedication to Hartley Thornton (1915-1996), “Michigan’s first full-time naturalist.” He was appointed to the Proud Lake and Highland Recreation Areas and apparently loved the marsh. Researching Thornton was a pleasant diversion after my walk.
Michigan’s First Full-Time Naturalist: Hartley Thornton
As the plaque suggested, Thornton was highly regarded for his work with animals and natural areas. Prior to his conservation work for the Michigan DNR, he taught at Boys Republic, a reform school in Farmington, where he “used the outdoors as a classroom.” Through this work, he acquired animals that became family pets, including an alligator, a wolf, and “every Michigan animal except moose and elk.” Perhaps most notoriously, he once had a pet lion named Nuby. He claimed he could subdue the feline by bopping it on the nose.
Thornton was at Proud Lake in 1962 and gave over 300 presentations to 26,000 people every year. He was lauded from the start and received many accolades throughout his tenure. In 1969, for example, the Michigan legislature recognized him through a resolution which, quoted in Farmington’s Observer newspaper, stated Hartley was “an incomparable naturalist and nature expositor, whose work is far more than a vocation – it is his way of life.”
“Conservation is a hard word to define. It involves water, plants, minerals, wildlife, and soil. It is the total of all this. You cannot take one part away without destroying another.”
Hartley Thornton
In return for his years of service to the state and dedication to conservation, it seems at the very least, he should have a trail named in his honor.
No one like Thornton was around when I took the trail, but several interpretive signs dotted the route describing the marsh and its wildlife. As I strolled, I learned about the water, plants, minerals, and wildlife that work to support the ecosystem.
A Vivid Sensory Experience on the Trail
I took my time walking the trail in the shade of the surrounding forest. Cool breezes came off the water, swaying the cattails and tall grasses. Everything above the water mirrored on the water’s surface, rippling and waving with each breath of wind.
The smells changed subtly as I made my way. I regret I don’t have adequate words to describe them or know what they were (If only Hartley were there to tell me! Note to self – check out current day interpretive programming). Sometimes the smell was sweet, or floral, but I saw few flowers that day. Sometimes it smelled damp, and other times, dry. Now and then, the pine came back into focus.
Thanks to the interpretive signs, I identified a painted turtle on the trail, out for her own hike. A northern water snake. A muskrat swimming in the water. And lots of chipmunks. The water attracts specific kinds of birds, too, and I saw ducks, swans, and an egret.
The sounds of the marsh were both ordinary and unique. Wind-rustled leaves swept across the canopy, squirrels and chipmunks skittered up trees and in the brush, and lots of birds called out to warn their friends about the emo girl walking through the trail. I’m used to hearing many kinds of birds around my house, but the waterfowl created an unfamiliar cacophony of chirps, quacks, whistles, and trills.
Proud Lake Proud
I left that first walk proud of myself (at Proud Lake!) for taking the first step out into nature and somewhere new. And I was in and out and back home in about an hour.
During subsequent visits, I took longer trails into the woods. I came across the Huron River, where the water was clear and shallow, and groups of kayaks gently floated by. The trail led to a bridge over the Huron and a popular spot for picnics and swimming. A dip in the river was a perfect hike break on a hot and humid day.
I set off to explore the parks in my area, but so far, I’ve only been to one. I am getting out of my house and into nature, though, and I’m dealing with my stressors in a soothing, helpful way. The soundtrack of bird calls and wind-rustled leaves provides space for the thoughts to flow through my head so I can process my personal life. Or I can shut out the thoughts and focus on the environment.
Hartley Thornton’s definition of conservation has stayed with me — the preservation of the delicate balance that keeps nature whole.
Humans are part of nature, despite our modern lives, and we need that equilibrium, too. It took a crisis to get me out into nature, but when I did, I was able to conserve my own well-being and restore balance to my life.
Tips for Visiting Proud Lake State Recreation Area
- Visitors to Proud Lake State Recreation Area will need a Michigan recreational passport.
- Bring bug spray in the warmer months!
- Winter activities include snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.
Want to Explore More Parks in the Area?
Try Kensington Metropark, Highland State Recreation Area, Robert H. Long Naturepark, or Victory Park. Find even more inspiration with the most underrated state parks.