When Chuck and Janice Hubscher donated 18 acres to the CWC in December 2023, our intent was always to develop a parking area that would allow access to the preserve and the Chippewa River. Finally, after nearly three years that vision has become reality.
Hubscher Preserve is located along the south side of M-20 just east of Littlefield Road in Deerfield Township, Isabella County. The river enters the preserve at its northwest corner and flows generally SSE though the property. The bridge crossing at M-20 offered an attractive site to paddlers looking to enter/exit the river, but no parking was available except along the margins of the highway. We saw this as an opportunity to develop a new public access site with safe, off-road parking and we began pitching this idea to potential grantors in early 2025. After submitting applications to numerous private foundations, we finally had the funding secured in the spring of this year and we were able to get the project on the books.
The parking lot project itself included adding a culvert and driveway at the northwest corner of the preserve and constructing a 50′ x 80′ pad surfaced with crushed concrete. This phase of the project was completed by the Isabella Corporation by September 1st.
Before opening the property up the the public, CWC staff needed to complete two more steps to the project. Phase two involved adding split rail fencing around the parking lot and installing the preserve sign.
Finally, staff needed to construct a trail from the parking lot to the river. This trail runs in a loop and offers a (shortish) portage of about 200 yards to launch canoes/kayaks into the river.
Initial construction on the trail was complete as of September 18th, and the parking lot was open for visitors as of September 21st. The trail still needs some additional work to clear stumps and level some of the rougher patches and we expect to continue this work in the next several weeks. Other work on the preserve, including removal of invasive plants such as autumn olive, will also begin this fall.
Thank you to the generous grantors who believed in the need for and supported this project:
- Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation
- Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network
- Mt. Pleasant Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Rotary Club of Mt. Pleasant
- Mt Pleasant Area Community Foundation
- Specifically the Jerry M and Marilyn A. Morey Community Fund, the William and Janet Maar Strickler Community Impact Fund, the Weisenburger Family Fund, the Jane McNamara and Louise Williams Fund, and the Richard and Adonna Kennedy Memorial Fund
For more information about Hubscher Preserve visit https://cwc-mi.org/hubscher-preserve/
