THE NEXT GENERATION
OUR PATHWAY TO THE FUTURE

If their words inspire you to help us meet our mission,
​we encourage you to make a year end donation.

OUR MISSION

To manage the Grass River Natural Area, conserve and protect its watershed, and provide opportunities that increase knowledge, appreciation and community-wide stewardship of the natural environment. 

YOURS TO EXPLORE. YOURS TO PROTECT.

Grass River Natural Area is a 1,492 acre nature preserve surrounding the Grass River, located in the heart of Antrim County. Along with the beautiful views of Grass River, we also offer seven miles of well-maintained trails including 1.5 miles of boardwalk floating above northern fen and cedar wetlands. With all of these natural features, Grass River Natural Area offers visitors an outdoor, living laboratory to explore and learn. The Grass River Center is open year-round, offering a comfortable learning environment for public programming, school field trips, camps, and more.

​EXPLORE
​
Boardwalks, hiking, education center, kayaking, skiing, snow-shoeing, birding...  
​Maps Here
Downed trees on trail?
​Call 533-8576 or 533-8314
or report them here
HOURS 
​
Hiking Trails:
​open 365 days a year, dawn to dusk

Grass River Education Center:
6500 Alden Highway, Bellaire, MI
Spring, Summer, Fall:
Open 7 days a week through October!
10:00am to 4:00pm
​Winter: Saturdays & Sundays
​10:00am to 4:00pm
​
REGISTER
FOR PROGRAMS HERE
or call
231-533-8314 (M-F)
231-533-8576 (Sat-Sun)
UPCOMING EVENTS
Register for a class by clicking HERE.

NEW BOOK COMING SOON!

Picture
GRNA is publishing "Great Lakes Wetland Walks" by Peg Comfort, a full-color guide to wetland wildflowers of the Great Lakes Region. Pre-order your copy ​HERE.

WHAT DOES THE RIVER OTTER TELL US?

River otters are an amphibious mammal that are known for their curious nature, intelligence, and playfulness. Did you know they can act as environmental indicators (also called indicator species)? Contaminants that occur in the environment can concentrate in the otter over time in a process known as biomagnification. For this reason, river otters do not tolerate polluted waters and are typically found utilizing only high quality rivers and wetlands. Therefore the presence or absence of river otters in an ecosystem can serve as an indicator of habitat quality. The video below recorded a river otter family using the protected streams at Grass River - a sign of the health of the natural area and of your efforts to protect it!