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Onder Park

295 Brookside Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105

734.794.6230

Overview

Onder Nature Area is a 4.2-acre natural area located on Ann Arbor's north side, between Pontiac Trail and US-23. View the Ann Arbor Parks & Nature Areas Map for location context. Onder is a short walk from Cloverdale Park, Huron Highlands Park, and Argo Park & Nature Area. One of this park's most important ecological features is its location. Positioned between the upland forests of Leslie Park and Black Pond Woods and the riparian complex of Argo Park & Nature Area, Bandemer Park, Barton Nature Area, Bird Hills Nature Area and Kuebler Langford Nature Area, Onder serves as a “green corridor," providing important habitat connectivity. The park consists of mesic forest, formerly dominated by ash. A few large oak trees and many black cherry and box elder fill in the overstory. There are two small streams and many pockets of wooded wetlands.

As a green corridor, Onder is a place where birds, mammals, reptiles, insects and seeds can move through the urban landscape without facing assault. The stream at the north end has a nice diversity of mesic and wet-mesic woodland wildflowers including trillium, early meadow-rue and marsh marigolds, woven together by a ground cover of Virginia creeper.

Park Notices

Unless otherwise posted per City Council resolution, when a park is closed, no person shall remain in or enter it other than to quietly sit or walk.

Refer to Chapter 39 of the City of Ann Arbor Code of Ordinances for park regulations and rules.

Park Hours

6 a.m. – Midnight

Amenities

Unpaved Trails

Access and Parking

The park has entry locations on both Brookside Drive and Hilldale Drive and there is street parking on both roads.

The park can be accessed on foot and bicycle by using the surrounding neighborhood streets. The surrounding streets do not have sidewalks, but nearby Pontiac Trail has sidewalks and bike lanes. The neighborhood includes hiking/biking trails that link the neighborhood with a local trail system that were created by volunteers, including a small boardwalk which was installed by the Eagle Scouts.

The park is a short walk from Cloverdale Park, Huron Highlands Park, and Argo Park & Nature Area.

Public Transportation

The nearest bus stop is on Pontiac Trail at Brookside, about a 7-minute walk from the park. Visit TheRide for closest stops and route details or check out the parks ride guide.

History

Ann Arbor's city parks sit on the ancestral and traditional homelands of several indigenous Native peoples. Read a land acknowledgement from the city and learn more about the early history of the land here.

The park was purchased in 2007 from Jan Onder, a local businesswoman and member of the Ann Arbor Public Art Commission. It had been appraised in 2005 for $480,000. Onder was a widow of Ned Shure, who ran a student bookstore in Ypsilanti and owned a popular children’s store called Generations on Main Street for many years. She and Shure owned the property together from 1992 until his death in 2001, after which it was transferred into her name. At that time, it was part of Ann Arbor Township. Before the purchase was finalized, a long discussion was held as to who was responsible for cleaning all the trash from the park. Eventually a deal was made. Today, the park, now part of the City of Ann Arbor, is surrounded by housing and was part of the Hillwood Subdivision No.4 which was developed in 1955.

View a Natural Area Preservation (NAP) newsletter highlighting Onder Nature Area: 2007 Park Focus: The Onder Property by Billy Kirst.

Volunteer in the parks

Looking to make an impact in a park or nature area? Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation provides volunteer opportunities for almost every interest, ability, and commitment level.

Learn more about volunteer opportunities

Park Finder

Discover parks and find amenities through the City of Ann Arbor Park Finder. This map allows you to search park names or search by amenity type or keyword.

View the Park Finder

A2Fix It - Service request tool

A2 Fix It is an online system you can use to report any maintenance issues or other problems during your park visit. When reporting an issue in a park please include detailed location information in the "details and description" section near the end of the request process. Pictures that provide location context are very helpful.

Submit a request