Ruthven Nature Area is a 21 acre park located northwest of the intersection of Huron Parkway and Geddes Road. Unfortunately, no parking is available adjacent to this park, however parking is available across Geddes Road at the Gallup Park boat launch. A trail enters the park from Geddes Road.
This site is an excellent example of glacial terrain. As glaciers receded from our area thousands of years ago, hills and depressions were left behind by the melting ice. Ruthven Nature Area contains a hill, or glacial kame, and a depression, or kettle, that were left behind when a glacier melted. This topography supports a diversity of ecosystems, including dry fields with sparse trees atop the kame, and wetlands in the kettle area. The climb to the top of the kame is well worth the view of the Huron River and surrounding areas. If you look closely, you might find fox tracks or dens on the kame. In the kettle area, frogs are abundant and can be heard calling on spring and summer evenings. This nature area is undergoing restoration efforts by the staff and volunteers of the Natural Area Preservation Division, including prescribed ecological burns and removal of non-native invasive plants.
Click here to view a printable map of Ruthven Nature Area (pdf)
Click here to link to Natural Area Preservation (NAP) website