Beyond the Arb; 139 city parks provide acres and acres of fun

As the schizophrenic Ann Arbor weather suddenly turns warmer, students and Ann Arbor residents alike evacuate homes, apartments and school buildings and take to lounging in the parks of Ann Arbor. Nichols Arboretum draws many of these tranquillity seekers. But the beloved Arb is only one of the more than 100 parks in the city that deserve similar exploration.

The Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Department maintains 140 parks within the city limits. Ranging from Allmendinger Park to Wurster Park, from .07 acres to almost 150 acres, these parks contain recreational facilities galore. Many of these, such as Gallup Park, offer visitors walks and trails, play areas for children, and nature areas.

NATHAN RUFFER/Daily Many enjoy natural beauty at Gallup Park, one of the city's most popular parks.

Gallup Park is located at 3000 Fuller Rd. on Geddes Pond in the Huron River and encompasses nearly 70 acres. The park has been in its current state since the 1970s when it was created along with the new Dixboro Dam structure and islands that now exist nearby.

"Gallup is the most popular for passive recreational endeavors," said Tom Raines, Ann Arbor's manager of park planning and development.

Gallup Park does not have sports fields as some of the other parks in Ann Arbor do, but the park provides a canoe livery and paddle boat rentals for those who seek more relaxing recreation. Bicycles, picnic shelters and observation decks for fishing and the contemplation of nature also are available.

The highlight of Gallup Park is its trail system, which covers more than three miles of land. The trail system consists of an eight-foot-wide asphalt trail that runs parallel to the Huron River. The trail extends to the east to Parker Mill Park and west to Furstenberg Park, both of which have sizable natural areas.

Gallup Park lends itself not only to hiking and fishing pursuits, but also to several annual events. The park hosts the Huron River Day at the beginning of July, an event designed to acknowledge the importance of the river and the role it plays in the community. The day's focus is illustrated in numerous displays, contests and events that stress the importance of the river. The Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival also rocks Gallup Park for two days in September.

Further north on the Huron River is Furstenberg Park Nature Area, which occupies approximately 48 acres. The park's brochure boasts Furstenberg's unique characteristic of having "the most diverse flora of any park in Ann Arbor." Furstenberg, like Gallup, includes no sports areas. Instead, the park is occupied completely by wildflowers and forests, a definite treat for the nature lover.

The trail is decorated with 14 sites at which different forms of vegetation have grown. One of the most notable points along the trail is the Tall Grass Prairie. The site is covered with grass and a few trees, as well as a lush display of wildflowers. Other important points on the trail are the Old River Bank, the former bank of the Huron River that was left when the river changed its course, and the Wetlands, a marshlike area that, because of its ability to purify runoff water, serves as a crucial element of the ecosystem.

For hard-core hikers, Bird Hills Park Nature Area offers more than 160 acres of land to explore - without the luxury of the water fountains and picnic tables Furstenberg offers. Raines said that with its large acreage, Bird Hills is the largest nature reserve in Ann Arbor. It is located near Huron River Drive and M-14. The park is located at the northern edge of the Fort Wayne moraine, a geological formation that was a product of the advance of the Wisconsin glacier about 14,000 years ago.

The strange beginnings of the park define the type of plants found there. As a result of the glacier's movement, material from the glacier was deposited in ridges, known as moraines, along the park. These circumstances have caused the park to be mainly inhabited by nonnative plant species that compose the park's woods, ridges and wetlands.

One of the special attractions of Bird Hills is the Cherry Rock, which sits on the ridge that was once the Fort Wayne moraine and is named for the pink quartz in the rock.

The larger parks in Ann Arbor are indeed seductive. But with 140 parks, it is easy to find what one desires in some of the smaller parks, too.

Maryfield and Wildwood Park is a four-and-a-half-acre neighborhood park with a play area and small woodland.

"I like it because there are no softball games or anything here," said Wendy Devee, an Ann Arbor resident. "The kids can play without the bigger kids around. It's a nice little neighborhood park."

Edward Diehl, an Ann Arbor resident, is less particular about the parks he decides to visit.

"I pretty much like all the parks," Diehl said. "I like all the woods."

Mara Neering, a Community High School student, said she finds that parks are good places to take the children she babysits, though she does enjoy some time for herself at local nature areas such as Eberwhite Woods, a strictly forested area located on West Liberty Street.

"It has a walk through the woods, and it's right near my house. I go by myself about once a month," Neering said.

The parks in Ann Arbor offer a myriad of recreational opportunities, from nature areas to swimming pools to ice rinks to canoeing. So next time you head out to visit the Arb, consider Furstenberg or Gallup or any other of the 140 parks in the city.

Perhaps Diehl said it best. "Ann Arbor has so many parks. You're never far from one."

04-02-98