The Steve Sarns Nature Trail

About the trail

A trail most of Ann Arbor hasn’t heard of

The Steve Sarns Nature Trail was established in 2024 on the wooded land off Venture Drive. Dick and Norma Sarns dedicated it in honor of their son Steve, recognizing his contributions to the health and vitality of people of all ages and abilities. The sign at the trailhead ends with two words: Welcome and enjoy.

It is a loop, not an out-and-back, so you never retrace your steps. The path is wide, flat and clearly groomed, wayfinding arrows mark the turns, and placed boulders edge the path in spots. It winds through mature hardwoods, including bur oak, sugar maple and basswood, and opens onto a quiet pond. Deer are regulars back there.

Partway along the loop there is a picnic table set right on the path under the trees. On a decent day you can carry lunch out, eat outside, walk the rest of the loop and be back at your desk inside an hour.

Why we love it

Downtown coworking means sidewalks and traffic. Aspire means a quiet floor inside and a nature loop outside, with free parking at the door. Work for an hour, walk a loop, come back with a clear head.

A few practical notes

Wood chips drain better than dirt, but it is still a woodland path: expect soft going after heavy rain and through early spring. Ticks live in Washtenaw County woods from spring through fall, so repellent and a quick check afterward are worth the thirty seconds. Winter is quieter and one of the better times to walk it, with fewer people and long sightlines through the trees.