Free Guided Nature Hike at Haven Hill - Saturday, October 7

Come and enjoy a free guided nature hike in the Haven Hill Natural Area on Saturday, October 7th. Friends of Highland Recreation Area volunteers will take you on a journey through a portion of the park to see the waters, wildlife, and forests of this special natural preserve. The hike will be slow-paced to enjoy nature and the fall colors, with plenty of opportunities for taking photos.

The trail traverses through woods and hills and alongside Haven Hill Lake. Interesting information will be shared such as some history of the park, the importance of controlled burns, and why leaves turn color in the fall. Look for turtles, frogs and possibly a water snake or two as the group crosses the Haven Hill Lake dam!

ABOVE: A beautiful trail view at Haven Hill in Highland State Recreation Area, White Lake, Michigan.

The October 7 hike is scheduled from 2:00 - 5:00 pm that Saturday, and will start from the Goose Meadow parking lot. Children and dogs welcome. Be sure to bring plenty of water (even if it's not warm outside) and wear shoes with good tread - they will keep you and your feet happy.

Cost: The Hike is free and a Recreation Passport is required for the State park entry. No RSVP required, just show up and have fun! These enjoyable hikes are planned to be held quarterly, so watch for future opportunities to enjoy a guided hike at Haven Hill.

Highland State Recreation Area, 5200 E. Highland Rd, White Lake, Michigan. 

Highland State Recreation Area is located east of Hartland and west of Pontiac on Highland Road (M-59) between Duck Lake and Bogie Lake Roads and is open from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm every day of the year, including holidays.

http://www.michigan.org/property/highland-recreation-area

http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=455&type=SPRK

http://www.fohravolunteers.org/abouthsra/

Friends of Highland Recreation Area
PO Box 800, Highland, Michigan, 48357
info@fohravolunteers.org

www.fohravolunteers.org

"Within one of the most picturesque, fascinating, and historically significant state parks in southeast lower Michigan, our goal is to combine the former Haven Hill estate history with Highland Recreation Area’s existing amenities, wilderness, and recreation."

Copyright © FOHRAVolunteers.org

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Haven Hill's Beautiful Fall Colors Have Arrived!

The colors along the shores of Haven Hill Lake are beginning to pop. Head out to the park for a view of nature's palette...

Fall Colors Peaking on Haven Hill

Head on over to Highland Recreation Area this season and see the wonderful Fall colors throughout the park...

Above: Haven Hill Road as you head into Highland State Recreation Area. Taken October 15, 2010.

Above: Haven Hill as seen from the eastern shore of Haven Hill Lake. October 15, 2010. Photo by Jay Fitzgerald, Friends of Highland Recreation Area.

The colors atop Haven Hill, Oakland county Michigans' highest natural hill, are equally as spectacular this time of year. Get on out and take a refreshing hike this fall.

Highland Recreation Area Color Peaking

Last weekend's fall color inside Highland Recreation Area was gorgeous! Maybe this weekend will be even better.

A pair of swans circled the lake...

Check out www.fohra.org for more info about preserving the wonderful resources inside Highland State Recreation Area.

Images © copyright Jay Fitzgerald, White Lake, MI.

Fall Color Started at Haven Hill Lake

The colors are beginning to change on the shores of Haven Hill Lake in the Highland Recreation Area. Get your cameras (or just yourself) and go capture one of the area's best fall color photos!

Despite a cool day yesterday, the colors still popped. This is the western edge of the Lake which has a nice combination of forest types.

The Highland Recreation Area is located off of M-59 in White Lake/Highland, Michigan and is the home of the Friends of Highland Recreation Area.

www.fohra.org

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland

The Highland Recreation Area is a wonderful place to get outdoors in the winter! Beauty abounds in the form of amazing sites and sounds. The clean snow and skies left after the last few days of snow afforded me a great hike today.

The entrance road into the park this morning only had the tracks of one or two vehicles ahead of me before I made the westerly turn. It looked like maybe 3 - 4 inches of snow had accumulated the past night.

Looking west from the dam out over Haven Hill Lake (above) a snowy flat landscape caught my shadow in the morning sun...

The limbs of this large old oak tree stretched from right to left and formed an interesting pattern (above). The snow today was light and flaky. It glistened in the sun.

I think we're often guilty of looking "out" and "over" and "ahead" too much. Today I tried to look down more and found this neat scene of a tree stump covered with snow. If you look closely it has the appearance of a mountain scene I thought.

For my hike today I wore 2 pairs of socks in my boots, long underwear, jeans, and a warm shirt all covered by my set of winter coveralls.  Ear muffs and a beanie hat are my favorite to cover my head. This out fit allows me to "layer up" or "layer down" and adjust my body temperature as I hike. I was warm and comfy all morning. Dress appropriately and take a winter hike in the fresh air at Highland Recreation Area this winter. You'll get hooked as I am.

Haven Hill Lake Peaking

Here's my favorite fall photograph area... the southwest shore of Haven Hill Lake inside the Highland Recreation Area. You can see that I used a trimmed version of this photo as the FOHRA Blog's changeable border at the top of the page too!

And below, a dew-covered spider web from Goose Meadow in celebration of Halloween! Boo!

Fall Colors Painting Haven Hill Lake!

Haven Hill Lake has some wonderful fall colors blooming right now. Go to the dam and look to the north and you'll see a nice patch of color.

The ability to see the vibrance of these colored trees has a lot to do with the time of day and the stillness of the wind. Early morning and late afternoon are best. Soon the whole area will be lighting up.

Just like most people, I always look for combinations of colors like reds and oranges and yellows, so I was surprised at the photo above - it's kinda special with the striking palette of yellow and gold!

Enjoy the fall colors inside of Highland Recreation Area!