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.

Argo and Bandemer Parks

Huron River, from www.michigan.org

Distance
1.0-3.0 miles; 2.0 miles to arrive.

General Attributes
These paths are some of the most popular running trails in Ann Arbor, so on nice days you're likely to be running with company. It's easiest to see how they're linked together by viewing the map; Bandemer may be reached from North Main Street after turning on Lake Shore Drive just before Main Street turns into M-14; Argo is easily reached by turning onto Swift from Broadway Street. A combination of paved trail (part of the Border-to-Border*), bridges, boardwalk, bark, and dirt paths, these trails make for an easy loop around the river.

Argo Dam, from www.annarbor.com

Terrestrial Details
The paved segments of these trails are flat. Only when you get to the dirt path (on the Argo side of the river) do the hills emerge, and even then, they consist of less than a mile, and they're short and not too steep. Watch out for roots and one muddy area, where a stream crosses the path just before stairs go up to the boardwalk. The boardwalk itself makes up less than half a mile of the loop; it's a nice half-mile, though, offering a view of the river and passing a stunted waterfall. Similarly nice to look at is the bark trail in Bandemer, which cuts around a disc-golf course and is surrounded by woods. It ends up in the same place that its paved counterpart does, and though it does add on some additional distance, it's a softer, quieter, more natural alternative. Note: keep an eye out for interesting graffiti in this loop!

Seasonal Side Notes
The paved, flat sections of these parks make for decent winter running - if you have shoes that work with the snow. It's unlikely that enough runners will use the paths to melt the cover down to the ground. Avoid the dirt portion of the path, though.

In the case of heavy rain, watch out for the bark: stray pieces will float to the tops of puddles, making them look shallow when they really can be anywhere from an inch to twelve inches deep. (In other news, if you don't mind soaking your shoes, this can be a hugely hilarious surprise.) The dirt path on the opposite (Argo) side of the river can also become difficult in the rain; it forms the sticky, squeltchy kind of mud that pulls at your shoes and flecks you liberally with thick brown speckles. (Really, if you don't mind getting dirty, this is probably the funnest [sic] route to do in the rain.)

In the hot months, Argo and Bandemer are intermittently shaded. More coverage exists on the dirt and bark paths, but watch out for the muggy, cloying air that builds humidity as temperatures rise.

Argo Park, entering from Broadway; Jen Bizzotto

Amenities
During the summer months, Argo and Bandemer can both be depended upon to having working drinking fountains and bathrooms - the ones in Argo by the boat launch are even plumbed! Running water will cease to be supplied during winter months, however, and bathrooms are likely to be locked, mostly because the rowers in Bandemer no longer come out to practice and the boat-renters are for some reason disinterested in traversing the iced-over river.

Connecting These Trails
Argo and Bandemer are interlocking trails all around the Huron River by M-14, but they aren't only close to each other. Easy ways to extend these runs are to use them to get to (or from) Barton, Bird Hills, Bluffs, and the footpaths off Whitmore Lake Road and behind Bandemer*. (To get to Bird Hills, Bluffs, and Barton, cross the railroad tracks by the bridge that extends over the river. You'll end up on Huron River Drive; left will take you to the Kuebler-Langford Area and Main Street*, while right will take you to Barton and, eventually, Bird Road. Review maps for further details.)

In addition to those trails, the Border-to-Border* makes up part of the Argo-Bandemer loop.

*See "Other Areas of Note."