Drayton Plains Nature Center
Drayton Plains Nature Center is a peaceful and nature-rich park featuring well-kept trails through woods, wetlands, and meadows, alongside historic fish hatchery ponds. It is perfect for quiet walks, bird watching, and connecting with nature. The park offers accessible entrances and parking, picnic tables, barbecue grills, public restrooms including gender-neutral options, and is dog-friendly as well as kid-friendly with suitable hikes and activities.
Reviews
Super quick loop- great for looking at birds, and to take the dogs out. Even with 8 cars in the parking lot, we only ran into 2 people on the trail. A little wet today, so I wore rain boots.
We live across the street and go there daily for walks and feeding the white ducks. We love the nature center and the employees have always been so friendly and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend a visit!
I visited this nature center often during my childhood, so I was excited to bring my children along. I was saddened to see such a downfall. It is a great location and has potential, but I think Waterford has failed the upkeep. You can still walk around the pond so it is a good place for some exercise or to let the kids blow off some steam.
A peaceful place that is has open trails next to Walleye hatching ponds as well as wooded and river trails
Drayton Plains Nature Center is one of my favorite local spots to unwind and reconnect with nature. The trails are peaceful and well-kept, winding through woods, wetlands, and open meadows. Every visit feels a little different—I’ve seen deer, turtles, and all kinds of birds, and the sound of the creek adds a calming touch. It’s never too crowded, so it’s perfect for a quiet walk or even a quick mental reset on a busy day. The old fish hatchery ponds are a cool part of the history here too. A true hidden gem in Waterford—highly recommend spending an afternoon here.