Amplify Your Hiking Experience With A Visit to the Nature Megaphone at the Banwell Nature Preserve

We always try and add a hike or a fun stop into our journey to the Upper Peninsula, and when we headed north in June we finally got to check out one of the Little Traverse Conservancy properties that had been on my list. Ever since learning about the nature megaphone at the Boyd B. Banwell Nature Preserve I knew it was something we needed to check out, and it did not disappoint. The nature megaphone can be reached after a hike of about a mile from either the Banwell Preserve or the neighboring Agnes S. Andreae Nature Preserve. After looking at a map, we chose to head to the megaphone from the Andreae Preserve as it looked like there would be some great scenery along the Pigeon River.

The trail starts from a parking area off of Riverwoods Trail (full directions at the bottom of this post) and heads into the woods before making a turn and heading downhill.

In less than a quarter mile you come up on a small cabin overlooking the river, which we later learned can be rented by non-profit or community groups. What a magical spot this must be for a late night campfire next to the river or trying your hand at trout fishing!

A wooden footbridge leads across the Pigeon River and offers some great views of the tall, sandy banks. Many downed trees downstream reminded us that this are had been hit hard by an ice storm earlier this year.

After crossing the footbridge there is a significant uphill climb to make, but large wooden steps have been put into place to make that journey easier. At the top of the hill you can head left and explore a small seasonal spur trail or continue on to the right to head to the nature megaphone.

The trail is well-maintained and has maps posted frequently. We followed marker posts 1-2-3-5-6-7-8 on our trip out, and at marker post 8 chose to follow the ridge trail to marker #12 at the nature megaphone. The views of the river from up here were incredible!

After a mile of hiking we had reached the nature megaphone. This wooden structure was added to the preserve in 2019 and you are encouraged to sit inside it and listen to the amplified sounds of the forest. Close your eyes and you can hear the river as it cuts through the forest, birds like belted kingfishers, northern flickers, black-capped chickadees, and more as they sing their songs from the tree branches, and even the sound of the trees if there is a breeze moving them. This is a quieter preserve tucked in the woods which make it a perfect location for such a cool interactive installation.

We traveled back along mostly the same route, with the exception being that on our return trip we followed the triangular spur between marker posts 7 and 6. This gave us a more intense view of some of the ice storm damage but also put us right next to the river. We even saw a few swallowtail butterflies fluttering around the sandy riverbank, and some tracks that showed this was a popular spot for small mammals.

The Andreae/Banwell Preserves are a great destination for anyone looking for a great northern Lower Peninsula hike. The nature megaphone was one of our favorite things we’ve seen while visiting nature preserves across the state, and we will definitely be making a return trip to check out the approach from the other side.

To get to the Andreae Preserve parking area, take M-68 east from Indian River for 4.5 miles. Head north on Old Onaway Rd. for 1.7 miles, then take a right on Riverwoods Trail. When this road reached a T intersection with Big Sky Trail you should see the parking area directly ahead of you. There are two parking areas for the Banwell Preserve. You can head east on M-68 for 6 miles from Indian River, then turn left on Quarry Rd. and follow it for a half mile. You will then turn left on Dunn Rd. and follow it until you reach the gated preserve entrance. The other parking area can be found directly off of M-68, 5.3 miles east of Indian River.