Boardwalks
The Al Bell Trail is named after Allen Bell who was one of the founding Board members of MERES. Al worked tirelessly helping clean up and maintain the Preserve. The boardwalk edges a wetland area and has several fishing piers. It's a great place to observe water fowl, turtles, frogs, and wetland grasses and plants.
The Wilder River Walk is named after Fred Wilder who was one of the founding Board members of MERES. Fred supported the Preserve as a hard working volunteer and a generous donor. The boardwalk stretches the mouth of the Muskegon River and has fishing piers and benches to enjoy with beautiful views that extend to downtown Muskegon. The River Walk connects to the Muskegon Lakeshore bike trail.
Observation Towers
The Peter & Sophia Wege Observation Tower is a part of the River Walk with spectacular views of both the Muskegon River and Muskegon Lake! It is highly favored by birdwatchers, photographers, and nature enthusiasts.  The tower is named after Peter and Sophia (sometimes spelled Sophie) Wege. Peter M. Wege was a prominent Grand Rapids philanthropist and a generous donor to the Preserve. The handicapped ramp makes the elevated views and scenic overlook accessible to all visitors.
 The Fred Wilder Observation Tower with views of the Muskegon River.
Community Gathering Spaces
The Ron Brown Education Pavilion provides a covered space for educational events at the Preserve. These include school field trips, seminars, birding and other group gatherings, and our Saturdays with a Scientist monthly activities. The Pavilion is name for Ron Brown, one of the founding members of MERES, long-time Board President, hands-on volunteer and generous donor.Â
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The Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve serves as a trail head for three popular bike trails. From our parking lot you can access the Muskegon Lakeshore Trail, the Fred Meijer Berry Junction Trail and the Bear Lake Road Trail.
Our bike staging area includes two picnic tables, two bike racks, a porta potty and a trash can.