Location Details

Chief Kope Kon (meaning "slippery elm") and his tribe of Potawatomi Indians, were thought to have hunted, fished and raised corn on the shores of Lake George prior to European settlement. The Potawatomi used parts of the property as their camp, according to Adaline Kershaw.

The Kershaw family, who bought the woods and adjacent farmland in 1905, decided to set the woods aside as a natural area. When Adaline Kershaw came to own the land, she continued to preserve the woods, and in 1979 donated the woods to the Michigan Nature Association. Thanks to her foresight, this forested acreage will remain protected into the future so others can enjoy their serenity and history, as Mrs. Kershaw did as a child.

The Kershaw Woods were never logged or grazed, and the remaining understory is stunning: oaks and hickories reach upward, arrow-straight, more than 100 feet, with dogwoods, shrubs and wildflowers battling for any sunlight that slips through the canopy.  

Within the sanctuary, a great diversity awaits. There are dozens of tree species, including the Kentucky coffee tree, an unusual species in Michigan whose seeds were substituted for coffee by early settlers. Other species include tulip poplar, sassafras, basswood and cherry. There is a grove of paw paw trees, whose purple spring blossoms bear edible, banana-like fruit.

In the middle of the woods lies a swamp, stirring with frogs, and a favorite haunt of wood ducks. The marshes, thickets and open fields of the Kope Kon Nature Sanctuary contain the last undeveloped pieces of shoreline on Lake George. Though the sanctuary lies just across a narrow street from a strip of homes and cottages, it remains an excellent place for a day of nature study, photography or quiet contemplation. Its variety of habitats makes the sanctuary a likely place to see wildlife including a diversity of nesting birds. 

Planning Your Visit:
In the spring, visitors are likely to see deer, squirrels and roughly 50 species of birds.

How to Get There: 
The higher quality sections of the sanctuary are off of Caroline Road, around the shoreline and near the end of Kope Kon Road. 

For additional information, contact the MNA office at (866) 223-2231.