Longest canopy walk in the U.S. opens this October in Midland

Scenes from a sneak peek tour of the new amenities at Whiting Forest, including a canopy walk, pedestrian bridges, a playground, a forest classroom and a cafe, on Wednesday, May 16, 2018. The forest is now scheduled to open in early October 2018. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net) less Scenes from a sneak peek tour of the new amenities at Whiting Forest, including a canopy walk, pedestrian bridges, a playground, a forest classroom and a cafe, on Wednesday, May 16, 2018. The forest is now ... more Photo: (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net) Buy photo Photo: (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net) Image 1 of / 74 Caption Close Longest canopy walk in the U.S. opens this October in Midland 1 / 74 Back to Gallery

The chance to get a bird's-eye view of Whiting Forest from a 40-foot high vantage point will open to the public in October.

Construction at Whiting Forest within Dow Gardens began in June 2016 to enhance the existing trails by adding a quarter-mile long canopy walk, two pedestrian bridges, cafe, forest classroom, and nature playground among other renovations.

Metcalfe Architecture and Design and Jonathan Alderson Landscape of Philadelphia began designing the project in 2014. The $20.4 million project is funded by the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, which also owns the land.

The project's opening date has been moved up from spring 2019 to early October 2018, with details of grand opening events being released later this summer.

The main feature of the project, the canopy walk, is nearly complete. Stretching just over a quarter of a mile long throughout Whiting Forest, the canopy walk splits off in three directions, each offering a different overlook experience and scenery. The canopy walk is the longest in the country. The ADA accessible canopy walk is 40 feet above the ground at its highest point, traversing to maintain accessibility and beginning with a ramp at ground level.

"We really wanted to make this experience accessible, especially if you're in a wheelchair and have never climbed a tree before, said Kyle Bagnall, Whiting Forest program manager. "You're going to be 40 feet up in the treetops when you get to go on canopy walk."

A snow removal technique was tested out last winter on the canopy walk, Bagnall said, and the plan is for the attraction to remain open year round as weather permits. Admission will be the same as existing Dow Gardens admittance pricing, and hours of operation.

The first big program at Whiting Forest with its new attractions is already in the works. A birding festival is planned for Sept. 19-21, 2019.

"I've always loved birding. I started bird watching since I was 10 years old, and to be up in the trees with the birds like that is amazing," Bagnall said.

When you first step onto the canopy walk, you are immediately faced with three different choices of how to proceed: overlooking the pines, pond or orchard. The area has been nicknamed "the knot" by staff because one path loops over the ground entrance ramp, creating a two-story effect.

On the way to the overlooks, there are "pod" structures that resemble circular orbs that branch off from the canopy pathway. The orbs function as tree houses, with the "walls" serving as wooden beams that sway with the tree in the wind that you can still view the forest through.

The entire canopy walk is filled with quirky architecture and little pockets of orange and red accents. Dead ash trees were removed in the Snake Creek area, but construction crews bent over backwards to literally build the project around healthy trees.

"We didn't want to kill the main exhibit," Bagnall said. "Construction was done in a way to not affect trees, and trees are protruding into the canopy walk itself to build the structure around them."

The pond overlook area stands at about 30 feet and allows the viewer to see the ponds dug by Herbert H. Dow more than a century ago. Across the pond is the fire ring and covered bridge. Future programming could include a naturalist visiting about once a month from Chippewa Nature Center, Bagnall said.

The spruce arm of the canopy walk overlook has a variety of cargo nets so the viewer can feel suspended among the spruce trees as they take in the scenery.

The highest of the three main overlooks will be stationed over a future 2-acre orchard once a variety of 71 different trees are planted in the spring. At 40 feet tall, the orchard overlook is the largest deck area of the three viewing points. Viewers can choose to step out onto a small glass platform to take in the scenery seemingly uninhibited.

"Everything will be centered around the mother apple tree, you don't see it anymore," Bagnall said. "It was Herbert Dow's favorite apple, and grew well in the local soil. The antique varieties of apples you don't see at the store anymore."

The mother apple tree, planted by Herbert Dow, has been on the property for at least 100 years, Bagnall said, and produced an abundance of apples last season.

The main entrance to the canopy walk is next to a 1,400 square foot nature playground. A water fountain will stream down to a stepping stone feature and cargo net that kids can climb on. The play area has two slides and a toddler area. The fenced-in playground can be viewed easily from the Whiting Forest's old visitor center, which is being turned into a cafe.

Adults can watch children play from the comfort of a new cafe designed with the help of Northwood University students. Whiting Forest staff plan to hire interns and a full-time cafe manager from the university's hospitality program.

The only thing that will not be finished when the canopy walk opens in October will be one of the two pedestrian bridges that will connect Whiting Forest to the rose garden at Dow Gardens, and the apple orchard, Bagnall said.

The other pedestrian bridge will connect the project to the library parking lot, providing extra parking for visitors. An additional overflow parking lot is being constructed by the forest entrance.

In addition to the removal of dead ash trees in Snake Creek, the bank is also being restored to help with erosion issues and removal of invasive species.

The home Macauley and Helen Dow Whiting lived in, designed by Alden B. Dow, is being transformed into a visitor center. The Whitings raised six children and lived on the property from 1949-1978. The visitor center will be equipped with a large screen TV to display short documentaries about the rich history of the Whiting Forest as well as local wildlife living on site.

"I really like learning all the history about the property and apple orchards, Dow and Whiting families and how it all ties into the history of our community," Bagnall said. "We all reap so many benefits from that long Dow tradition here, so it's nice to be able to share some of that back."