Park Address: 750 Sunset Rd, Ann Arbor MI 48103
Hours and Rules
Open 6 a.m.-midnight with quiet hours beginning at 10 p.m. 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. Smoking is prohibited and dogs must be on leash.
Overview
Sunset Brooks Nature Area is 7.82 acres of rolling woods and wetlands. The nature area is located between Sunset Road and M-14. The park provides a green buffer between the neighborhood and the highway. It also provides a green shortcut to Bird Hills Nature Area. The park topography is gentle with oaks and hickories dotting the woods as well as a grove of flowering dogwoods. Rare and interesting plant species found in the park include redbud, black oak, wild black currant, summer grape and golden alexander.
Access and Parking
The main entrance to the park is between houses on Sunset Road with street parking available. There is also an entrance on Beechwood Drive, near a small parking area that serves Bird Hills Nature Area and Kuebler Langford Nature Area.
The park can be accessed on foot by walking through the neighborhood sidewalks, and by bicycle by riding through the neighborhood streets. There are no bike racks at the park but there are some at the Kuebler Langford/Bird Hills parking area on Beechwood Drive.
Public Transit: The nearest bus stop is along Miller Avenue, which is about a mile away and a 15 minute walk from the park. Visit The Ride for closest stops and route details or check out the parks ride guide.
Using a phone? - Click for a GPS Tracker and Wayfinding Map
Amenities
Volunteer
There are ongoing and limitless opportunities for volunteering and getting engaged with the Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Services Unit. Natural Area Preservation has volunteer opportunities that support their mission to protect and restore Ann Arbor's natural areas and to foster an environmental ethic within the community. If you are feeling the call to volunteer or give some time, reach out or explore the website above to see what’s upcoming or how to get involved.
Park Stewards
Park Stewards are experienced volunteers who have adopted a nature area to protect and restore while fostering an environmental ethic among others. Stewards are committed to ongoing and long-term care of their park. They work with NAP to develop an annual workplan that outlines restoration goals and techniques for their natural area.
Brooks Curtis
Brooks began his Stewardship at Sunset Brooks in 2013. He spends most of his volunteer time at Bird Hills now but remains and active advocate and steward for Sunset Brooks. Recently, Brooks has taken an active role in creating a community among our park stewards.
Report a Problem - A2 Fix It
To report any maintenance issues or other problem during your park visit, please report through A2Fix It. When reporting an issue in a park please include location details. There is a details and description section near the end of the request process to help you provide this. In addition, users can utilize the pin (website) or X (mobile app) feature to provide specific location information inside the park. Finally, please consider including a wide angle photo or include background landmarks, which helps staff find and fix the problem.
Gifts and Donations
Information on donating to the parks and the Guide to Giving can be found here. For special projects ideas in natural areas, Natural Area Preservation staff will guide you and provide project guidelines unique to natural areas.
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.
In 2002, the site was
bought and sold in quick
succession by several
developers, and was
ultimately slated to be
developed into 33
condominiums. Park neighbors
didn’t want to see the
neighborhood woods
demolished, and attended many Planning Commission and City
Council meetings to voice their concerns. Eventually, they decided
to take matters into their own hands, advocating that the City of Ann
Arbor purchase the site for parkland. The Greater Sunset
Brooks Neighborhood Association was formed and the group committed to raise the
funds for 25% of the purchase price of the site. In a partnership with
the Ann Arbor Community Foundation, the group developed a fund
for community donations. Within a year’s time, 96 neighbors
contributed to the project, raising more than $93,000. After this
demonstration of support from the community, and with this
financial assistance, the City purchased Sunset Brooks
Natural Area in 2003 from Johnson Holding Company. Decades later, people continue to be inspired to care for this
small neighborhood park.
For more details about this nature area and its features, read Natural Area Preservation newsletter 2014 Park Focus: Sunset Brooks Nature Area by Molly Notarianni
Updated October 2022. Email [email protected] for incorrect/outdated information.
