LENAWEE COUNTY, MI – A 374-foot bridge that lifts visitors into the treetops is just part of the outdoor activities available at a 755-acre botanical garden in the Irish Hills of southern Michigan.
Hidden Lake Gardens, managed by Michigan State University and located near Tipton in Lenawee County, combines the Sky Walk Bridge, a world-class greenhouse and arboretum with rolling hills and picturesque views.
Founded by businessman Adrian Harry Fee in 1926, the original 226-acre property was donated to the university in 1945.
The Sky Walk, which broke ground in 2019 and opened in June 2023, is a 726-foot-long wooden walkway that takes visitors across a suspension bridge with two spans hanging 65 feet above the ground. forest.
Located in a densely forested area near the garden’s namesake lake, the structure places visitors within arm’s reach of trees within the forest canopy.
The Sky Walk also includes a central viewing platform and covered activity area, which has hosted school groups and yoga sessions. Since it opened, the structure has been stained a darker walnut color to better integrate with the surrounding forest.
The attraction has drawn visitors from around the state to the gardens, and annual memberships have nearly doubled since it opened, Hidden Lake Gardens marketing coordinator Jessica Goodrich said. On a busy day, up to 1,000 guests can cross the bridge.
“Last year we had a beautiful fall day with beautiful fall colors,” Goodrich said. “It was like everyone and their brother decided to play hooky and go out.”
The new Sue and John Gruel Accessible Nature Trail allows visitors to make the quarter-mile trip from the lakeside parking lot to Sky Walk in greater comfort, with two “hiker cabins” offering shelter from inclement weather to along the way.
The route back to the visitor center from the lake winds through the hills past 12 miles of hiking trails and a newly added picnic area before reaching the Harper Collection, a variety of rare and dwarf conifers that has grown until reaching more than 500 plants since then. It was donated to the gardens in 1980.
The gardens’ greenhouse features tropical and arid domes, as well as a temperate house, which hosts an annual spring bulb exhibition. In the tropical dome, head gardener Jon Genereaux is working on growing everything from climbing orchids and a plantain to podocarpus and Norfolk pine, closely related to the Harper Collection’s outdoor trees.
The arid dome features a variety of cacti and shrubs, including prickly pear cactus and a huge candelabra cactus. The temperate house is home to a variety of spring flowers such as daffodils, hyacinths and tulips, as well as other decorative flowers.
An attached Bonsai Courtyard displays a collection of carefully cultivated miniature trees that will be the stars of Hidden Lake Gardens’ annual Art of Bonsai exhibition on Saturday, July 13.
The visitor center features a gift shop and a library that catalogs the history of the gardens. An attached picnic area and nearby gazebo offer plenty of space for group celebrations.
One-way garden paths return toward the front of the property past the Arboretum, an extensive collection of trees along a paved path with multiple places for guests to park, rest or walk their pets.
The Gardens will host its annual Run for the Hills 1 mile and 5K on Saturday, September 14, and a fall foliage festival on October 19. In December, the gardens will host a ticketed evening event with the bridge illuminated with hundreds of lights.
Hidden Lake Gardens, 6214 Monroe Road, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The Skywalk, Conservatory and Bonsai Courtyard are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 per adult, $8 for seniors and veterans, and $5 for students from kindergarten through college.
The gardens also offer annual memberships for students, individuals and families that allow unlimited free entry. Hidden Lake Gardens also partners with local libraries as part of Michigan Activity Pass discounts and offers a reciprocal membership that allows entry to other botanical gardens in the U.S. and Canada.
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