115 Kensington Metropark 
wildlife viewing
| directions and facility information
More than 1,200 acres of water are nestled
among the rolling, wooded hills of Kensington Metropark.
Part of this park is highly developed and highly used, but the nature
study area has been tailored for wildlife viewing. There are seven hiking
trails that radiate from the nature center throughout the wetlands, forests,
and fields on the site. The Chickadee Loop (1 mile) and Fox Trail (1/2
mile) are the most rustic of the trails. A golf course provides
cross-country skiing in winter.
 Wildlife
Viewing
Carp are not native to Michigan,
but they do provide
a close-up view of underwater wildlife that is not often
seen. Kids love to watch them! Photo: © Phil T. Seng
If you like viewing white-tailed deer, this
is the place to come. Deer are very likely to be observed during any
season or time of day. Look for them in open areas along park roads—Route
2 is especially good. For a more natural experience, stalk quietly along
the nature trails in the morning or evening. The sandhill
crane, pileated woodpecker, and Acadian
flycatcher are a few of the 253 bird species that have been identified
within Kensington. Wildwing Trail is the
longest of the trails (2.5 miles), and it includes a boardwalk that takes
you right by an island in Wildwing Lake
where great blue herons nest. It’s easiest to see these large wading
birds from the boardwalk in April and early May.
The pileated woodpecker is a
large, crow-sized woodpecker
with a vibrant red comb on the top
of its head. Woodpeckers have a
special spongy tissue around
their brains that acts as a
“shock absorber” so they can
make a living pounding their
heads on trees!
Photo: MI DNR
This trail also runs near an osprey “hacking
tower,” where 23 osprey chicks were released from 1998 to 2002. Go to the
“Osprey Watch of Southeast Michigan” website (www.owsem.org) for more information on
this important effort to help restore the population of “fish hawks.” If
you like to see fish, the carp at Kensington are usually very easy to see
from the lakeshore near the Nature
Center and the
boardwalk along Wildwing Trail. Kensington is
also home to over 300 kinds of wildflowers.
Many people come to Kensington to see white-tailed deer. A controlled
hunting program helps keep the deer from over-populating and damaging the
habitat, but they are still seen frequently in the park. Photo: MI DNR
For a little more “pampered” kind of
wildlife viewing, consider booking passage on the Island Queen II
excursion boat. This passenger boat makes leisurely trips around the lake
and can be chartered. Kayaks can also be rented if you prefer quieter
transportation.
Naturalists and volunteers maintain and monitor
a series of bluebird nesting boxes at Kensington.
See the “How You Can Help” icon below
if you are interested in helping out.
Photo: © Phil T. Seng
Family interpretive programs are offered on
the weekends year-round, and these include frog walks, nature hikes, and
“Astronomy at the Beach,” where you can learn more about celestial bodies
after a day of wildlife viewing.
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