Directions The Nature Preserve is located on the eastern tip of the Upper Peninsula. From Detour Village, go west on M-134 for one mile, then south on Point Road 0.6 mile to parking area. The 2-track road runs through the preserve to private land on the tip of the peninsula. Birding Opportunties The De Tour Peninsula Preserve is a point of land located in a major migration corridor centered on the St. Mary's River. Songbirds, raptors, waterfowl, and shorebirds tend to use these points of land during their migrations as critical stopover habitat. Many birds use the land as breeding and brood-rearing habitat in the spring and summer.
Resident birds observed included Black-throated Green Warbler, Hermit Thrush, White-throated Sparrow, Red-eyed Vireo, Common Tern, shorebirds, Common Merganser, Bald Eagle, and Merlin. In addition, the peninsula is prime breeding and/or migrating habitat for Coopers Hawk, Northern Goshawk, and Common Loon.
Other Exciting Features This preserve includes the rich diversity that typifies northern Lake Huron: sand and gravel beach, limestone cobble shore, boreal forest, rich conifer swamp, emerging marsh and coastal fen. The land lies within a major migration corridor centered on the St. Mary's River. The preserve also provides habitat for black bear, coyote, wolf, otter, bobcat, and other wide ranging species.
“Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher 'standard of living' is worth its cost in things natural, wild and free. For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television.” ― Aldo Leopold