Your support makes that possible: please consider making a donation on our secure website at www.swmlc.org. Wau-Ke-Na, William Erby Smith Preserve -
North and South Tracts
Located about two miles from one another, Wau-Ke-Na is actually two preserves in one! Looking for a natural setting in which to stretch your legs? With three miles of trails through woods and fields, Wau-Ke-Na South has the answ
er! Or maybe you need a quiet walk through coastal habitats, ending in a small, natural Lake Michigan beach? If so, head to Wau-Ke-Na North Tract. North Tract Acreage: 130 | North Tract Parking: gravel, very limited space. Please do not park along the roadway. If you find the parking lot full, please come back another time. South Tract Acreage: 235 | South Tract Parking: gravel
Recreational Features, North Tract
canoeing/kayaking, fall color, hiking, scenic views, snowshoeing, swimming, wildlife watching. PLEASE NOTE: swim at your own risk; there is no lifeguard on duty
Recreational Features, South Tract
cross-country skiing, fall color, hiking, scenic views, snowshoeing, summer wildflowers, trail running, wildlife watching
Trails, North Tract
An easy-to-moderate trail takes visitors from the parking area through old-field habitat, into shady coastal woods, and emerges into the bright light of bluffs that overlook Lake Michigan. The trail continues just a bit further, ending at Wau-Ke-Na's small but beautifully natural beach. Trails, South Tract
Wau-Ke-Na South Tract's three miles of trails loop through woods and fields, past ponds and marshes, and traverse large grasslands that offer Big Sky views to visitors. Approximate street address, North Tract
1970 Lakeshore Dr., Fennville
Approximate street address, South Tract
1599 Lakeshore Dr., Fennville. Getting there, North Tract
The North Tract is located approximately 2 miles north of the South Tract (see directions below) on the same street (70th St./Lakeshore Dr.), just south of 120th Ave. You will have gone too far if you reach 120th Ave. (which t-stops at 70th St.). There is a small red and black “Wau-Ke-Na” sign near the entrance to the driveway; a large stone and post sign (similar to the one at the South Tract) is located a little north of the entrance. Parking at the North Tract is limited as the parking lot is rather small. Do not park on the roadside as you are likely to be ticketed. Getting there, South Tract
From US-196/Hwy. 31:
Take the Glenn exit (exit 30) onto Blue Star Memorial Hwy (aka County Road A2). Go southwest about half a mile to where 70th St. merges with Blue Star Hwy. Make a hard right turn (north) onto 70th St. (aka Lakeshore Dr.) and go about half a mile. The gravel entrance to the preserve will be on the west side of the road. From Kalamazoo:
Take M-43 west to South Haven. Turn north (right) onto Blue Star Highway and travel about 12 miles, continuing north through the village of Glenn. The road will fork just beyond Glenn; go straight onto 70th St. (aka Adams Rd./Lakeshore Dr.). Look for Wau-Ke-Na signs on the left (multiple signs and drives). William Erby Smith loved the land and his 2005 bequest of Wau-Ke-Na (“forest-by-the-water”) is the largest of Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy’s preserves. Upon his death in 2004 at age 90, the Chicago Tribune printed an obituary which contained the following passages," He was a great conservationist and he put together a tremendous wildlife sanctuary in southwest Michigan," Mark Smith said . . . Read more on our website.
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We’re YOUR local land conservancy! Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy is a non-profit conservation organization, founded locally in 1991 by a passionate group of concerned citizens who wanted to help protect southwest Michigan’s wild and scenic places for the benefit of wildlife and future generations of people. We work to conserve the scenic and ecologically important landscapes that give our region its natural character — now and for generations to come, envisioning a southwest Michigan that is environmentally healthy, economically vibrant, and naturally beautiful. Our public preserves are free and open to the public from dawn to dusk - and your donations make this possible. Please check our website for details, directions, and ways to give.
