Park Address: 385 E Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor MI 48104
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
Willow Nature Area is a small undeveloped nature area off of Eisenhower Parkway just north of Briarwood Mall in the south of the city. View the Ann Arbor Parks & Nature Areas Map for location context. A branch of Mallett's Creek flows through the area.
Willow Nature Area is one of a number of city park properties with no trails or amenities. These natural areas represent a unique recreation and conservation feature of the city’s park system. In these relatively few spaces across the city, off-trail exploration is encouraged – a rare opportunity to meander through a wild space in our urban context. Visitors are also invited to reflect on the conservation value and biodiversity of these spaces, where the Parks & Recreation’s Natural Area Preservation staff and volunteers work to steward, restore and inventory the natural communities throughout the city’s parks.
Access and Parking
There is no parking at Willow Nature Area. There is parking across Eisenhower Parkway at Briarwood Mall.
Part of the park touches Eisenhower, which has protected paths along both sides of the road. There are no bike racks at the park.
Public Transportation: There is a bus stop across Eisenhower at the corner of Briarwood Circle and Plaza Road. 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
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 among 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.
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.
Willow Nature Area was acquired by the city in 2007, but it was not named or designated as parkland until 2020. A developer bought and developed a property on Eisenhower Parkway and dedicated a small parcel of the land back to the city to be used as parkland. In 2020 a resolution corrected the omission of this area, designating it as parkland and naming it Willow Nature Area.
Updated March 2023. Email
[email protected] for incorrect/outdated information.
