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Tobico Marsh Nature Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 451 Google reviews · Running trail in Bay City, Michigan · Hours vary
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- 4 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Not reported
Confirmed from Tobico Marsh Nature Area's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Nature preserve offering hiking trails with lookouts, and wildlife sightings.
What runners say about Tobico Marsh Nature Area
“Very clean, loved the nature walk definitely will go back and see more.”
“There's actually some property that hunters can hunt on, deer rarely get spooked just an overall gorgeous nature trail so much to see”
“It's beautiful and peaceful and sometimes you-may-lose-your-shoe muddy.”
I have been walking here for many years. It has foot trails, a bike path that connects to the rail trail, and viewing towers - and they're all great. The outhouses are well kept. It's great for bird watching. I often see turtles, garter snakes, eastern ribbon snakes, deer, and other wildlife in the marsh.
Best hiking trails in mid Michigan, with beautiful views and 2 elevated towers to enjoy it. Lots of wildlife in the warm seasons.
A great place for a hike! Trails are unpaved and can get muddy, so be prepared following rainy weather. The trees, foliage and wildlife are beautiful and the main hiking loop is around 2.5 miles and usually takes us just under an hour to complete at a brisk pace. We hike here all year round and our dogs love it!
Love the two towers one is about 3/4 of a mile the next one is about a mile and a half from first one you can really gaze at the marsh better from these two points. There's actually some property that hunters can hunt on, deer rarely get spooked just an overall gorgeous nature trail so much to see
Trail conditions & character
“Nice nature trail walk, decent view, good maps, no other people, lots of weird mushrooms, pair of fawns, no swamp birds, easy 4 mile +/- walk,”
“Great place to go for walks and explore nature, birds, muddy waters, lake beach.”
“It's beautiful and peaceful and sometimes you-may-lose-your-shoe muddy.”
Plan your run at Tobico Marsh Nature Area
The practical stuff
- AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Distance4 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- Websitemichigan.gov
- Phone(989) 667-0717
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Running trails near Bay City
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Tobico Marsh Big Loop Trail Head
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Hiking area with lookout towers and wide-ranging trails where you might see wildlife.
Tobico Marsh & Frank N. Andersen Nature Trail
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Nearly 5 miles of multi-use trails wind through this wooded waterfront area with wildlife-watching.
Bay City State Park
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This destination for a range of activities, including biking, fishing & hiking, also has campsites.
Mariners Preserve
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DeFoe Park
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Popular baseball-themed playground, skatepark and sports fields for little leaguers.