Barton Nature Area

Credit: Jen Bizzotto

Distance

1.0-2.5 miles on trails and paths, depending on which (and how far) you wander on (or down); 2.5 miles to reach the area.

General Attributes

With its flat bark (or dirt) trails, Barton, though more well-traversed than Bird Hills or Bluffs, is still remote, natural, and pleasant. The main trails are well-kept, and the bark makes a good running surface. The smaller, thinner dirt paths - which tend to invite plant growth inwards during the summer months, though not so much that they impede running - are just as worth (if not more) exploring. At one point, Barton splits to go up a short hill and solidify a path next to the Huron River. If you take this route, you'll eventually find yourself back onto Huron River Drive, where just a railroad-crossing away is Bird Road, a street that runs directly into Bird Hills Nature Area. You don't have to take this split, however: if you continued going (not up the hill), you would run into Huron River Drive before it reached Bird Road, or else you could continue crisscrossing through the nature area by looping around the various trails and paths.

Weather and Facilities

In the winter, Barton tends to gather snow; not a lot of people, aside, maybe, from dog-walkers, meander down its paths. It's not hilly, but the lack of footsteps melting a path through the snow makes it difficult to traverse.

In addition to that, Barton is a series of trails, not a park. You're not likely to find a bathroom or water source nearby, barring, well, bushes and a slimy river.