Winter is the perfect time to observe the activity of our forest friends by searching for animal scat and tracks, feeding signs, among other things. By far, the easiest way to track animals is through snow which is much harder to predict these days in Southwest Michigan. So, our plan this year is to schedule a “FLASH HIKE” three days out when we do have snow and plenty of tracks on the ground. In the meantime, Pat Fisher, President of HCH, will lead the Harbor Country Hikers and friends on a reasonably easy trail and discuss Animal Signs to look for with or without snow.

The Memorial Preserve is a mix of abandoned agricultural field, floodplain forest, and frontage on the Galien River. Chikaming Open Lands plans to maintain the high-quality forest along the river, allow the forest to extend out into the field through a process called succession, and improve the mesic prairie, a historically common but now rare ecosystem.

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: Animal Signs

• Venue: Chris Thompson Memorial Preserve

• When: Saturday, Jan 17th, 2026 @ 1 PM Eastern

• Estimated Presentation Time: 10 minutes

• Hike Leader: Pat Fisher, HCH President

• Estimated Time: 1.75 hours

• Hiking Distance: 1.1 miles

• Physical Difficulty: Moderate, rolling hills

• Location: Warren Woods Road, Three Oaks, 49128

• Parking GPS: 41.840201, -86.637334 (DD)

  Directions: From Red Arrow Hwy, head east on Warren Woods Rd for 2 miles. Watch for the Chris Thompson Memorial Preserve sign and parking lot on the right. We will gather in the parking lot area. FYI, Chikaming Township's "Good Neighbor Policy" specifically states that there should be no parking of tires in the traveled portion of the roadway.