On the winter solstice, the Northern Hemisphere experiences its shortest day and longest night, marking the official start of “Astronomical Winter,” so make every minute count by hiking with the Harbor Country Hikers (HCH) at Leonard Wildlife Preserve. The hike will be led by Pat Fisher, HCH President, in one of COL’s more accessible preserves.

Chikaming Open Lands Edward and Elizabeth Leonard Wildlife Preserve protects 108 acres along Lakeside Road in Chikaming Township. The property consists of mature woodland, wetlands, and agricultural land. Some of that land is still in production today. The northern third of the Preserve has not been farmed since at least the 1930s (if ever), which has allowed a mature forest to develop with trees that could be over 100 years old!

HCH has an All-Terrain Rollator which may be reserved for use on our hikes. Reservations are made on a first-come first-served basis by filling out the brief form at Request Rollator.

Wear long pants (preferably tucked-in), hat, sturdy shoes or boots, preferred pest controls, and bring plenty of water. Light precipitation and hot or cold weather don’t ordinarily lead us to call off hikes, but health-threatening temperature extremes and lightning can be causes for cancellation. In case of inclement weather, the day of the hike, check our website, harborcountryhikers.org, or our Facebook page for notice of cancellation or rescheduling.

• Theme: Astronomical Winter

• Venue: Leonard Wildlife Preserve

• When: Saturday, Dec 20, 2025 @ 1p Eastern

• Estimated Presentation Time: 10 minutes

• Hike Leader: Pat Fisher, President HCH

• Estimated Time: 2 hours

• Hiking Distance: 1.75 miles

• Physical Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

• Location: 15800 Lakeside Rd, Union Pier, MI 49129

• Parking GPS: 41.832532, -86.668521 (DD)

Directions: From Red Arrow Highway, head east on Warren Woods Road to the stop sign at Lakeside Road. Turn right onto Lakeside Road, watch for the preserve entrance on your right, after about 0.4 miles (just before the I-94 overpass). We will gather near the trailhead.