The Crow’s Nest
John Rossi, Aaron Cook, and Mac Akin built a new entrance to the Crow’s Nest trailhead.
Situated on the northernmost dune in the Tallmadge Woods, the Crow’s Nest is the highest point on the largest dune on the Ox-Bow property. A wooded trail runs along the perimeter of Ox-Bow’s campus, leading up to a lookout point that affords a beautiful view of Lake Michigan and beyond. It takes approximately 45 minutes round-trip to hike the full trail. The trail is maintained and groomed by our campus maintenance crew throughout the year and is open to members of the Saugatuck-Douglas community to hike.
Along the trail to the Crow’s Nest is a small path that winds down a wooded bank to a clearing. It is in this space, known as the Temple, that the founders and early members of Ox-Bow are memorialized, and several have had their ashes spread or buried here.
Those memorialized include John Norton and his wife, Nancy; Frederick Fursman; Edgar Rupprecht and Isobel Rupprecht; and Thomas Eddy Tallmadge. The Temple is a secluded place to meditate on all who have come through Ox-Bow, and it often plays host to meaningful gatherings throughout the summer.
