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Preserve Name: Gaylord Community Schools, Five Lakes Nature Preserve
Location: Five Lakes Rd
Gaylord, MI 49735
You can find out more information about the preserve here.
Weather and Season:
This hike took place at the end of June 2024. The forecasted high for the day was 65 degrees and the low was 50. It was mostly cloudy and windy, with a small chance of rain.
Rating:
Weather- 8
Seasonal- 10The wind was pretty strong, but the weather was otherwise great. It wasn’t hot or cold, the perfect temperature for a great hike!
Permits and Regulations, Safety:
I did not see any signs with notices about permits or regulations. Although I didn’t notice any poisonous plants, there was a lot of forest around, so there could have been poison ivy and other plants that could case harm.
Cell phone service was limited in this area. The nearest hospital is about 10 minutes from the preserve.
Rating:
Permits and Regulations Rating- 6
I did not see any regulations posted, and cell phone service is sketchy, but the nearest hospital is within 10 minutes. There are also several houses nearby.
Facilities:
There are no restrooms at this location. However, there are gas stations and fast food places within 5 minutes. Depending on traffic, sometimes they can be hard to get into.
Rating:
Facilities Rating- 5
There are no restrooms or other facilities at this location. There are facilities at several businesses in the area. Depending on traffic, it is only a short drive to those locations.
Gear:
I wore everyday clothing on the hike, and took my camera and cell phone with me. For this particular hike, I stayed close to the car and left food and snacks in the vehicle, but for a longer hike I would recommend considering the following:
- Snacks
- Water
- Camera
- Good hiking shoes
- Exercise clothing, and possibly long pants depending on which trail you take and the time of year.
- A sweater or jacket if the weather is cooler.
- Hiking backpack
- Binoculars
Rating:
Gear Rating- 8
The trail I took was smooth overall, and only a short distance from the parking lot. There was at least one other trail to take too, and taking that trail may require more gear.
Highlights of the Trail:
| Favorite Part: | My favorite part of this hike was coming to the lake at the end of the trail. |
| Cool Sightings: | There were a lot of neat flowers along the trail! |
| Length of the Trail: | There were no signs posted to tell me the length of the trail. The website online indicated there are 1.1 miles of trails, and I took the shorter version. The entire walk took me approximately 20 minutes, and that was with stopping to take photographs. |
Rating:
Highlights Rating- 7
This was neat place to hike, but I really didn’t see much. It was very windy though, and this may have impacted what I saw on the hike. It’s definitely a place I want to check out again!
Critters:
| Critters to Admire | Critters to Be Wary of: |
| I saw a few birds, but they flew by too quickly to identify them. There was evidence of animals living in the area, including a bird box nest. | It was so windy, I didn’t notice any bugs, but it did seem like an area where mosquitoes might typically frequent. It also seemed like the perfect spot for other wild animals to come down for a drink, so being aware of bear, and other animals while hiking in the preserve is important. |
Rating:
Critters Rating- 5
I saw very few critters on this hike, but I do think the wind impacted this. There are also several houses close by, which may also impact the amount of wildlife that comes to the area. I hope to see more on my next trip!
Accessibility:
| Physical Features: | Trailhead and Map: |
| The path down to the lake is a narrows dirt path, with bushes and high grass on both sides. Getting a wheelchair down the path would be challenging, and there were no guide ropes for anyone with a visual impairment. | There were no maps available at the trailhead or on the trail. |
Rating:
Trail Difficulty Rating- 4
The trail is fairly smooth, but is narrow. It would be difficult to get down parts of the trail with a wheelchair, or with someone who might need further support.
Leave No Trace
There were no garbage cans at the site, but there are gas stations and fast food places with garbage cans close by. However, traffic can sometimes make it challenging to get back to them.
Rating:
Leave No Trace Rating- 4
There are no trash cans at the site, and traffic can make it hard to get back to a place with a trash can.
Final Rating:
Overall Rating: 7
Average Rating: 6.4
This preserve has a lot of potential. The location makes it a little difficult to find, depending on the direction you are coming from, and the trail is fairly narrow. There are also no sides or maps posted for more information that I found. It is a beautiful place to hike though, and I hope to go back and explore the part I didn’t cover!
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