West Michigan · Fall 2026 field card
Nineteen trees that grow around Grand Rapids, from the everywhere-maples to a few genuine trophies. Tap a card when you've got the leaf. Timing: it's early October, so red maples and sumac are turning first; most of the region hits peak color in the third and fourth weeks of October, and oaks hang on into November.
Progress is saved in this browser only.
Two kinds of places. Nature preserves and gardens ask you to leave everything where it is, so snap a photo of the leaf there. City and county parks are fine for picking up fallen leaves to press.
Kent County park with floodplain woods. Best one-stop shop for river trees and a good spot to collect.
Huge county park mixing ponds, fields and woods, so you get edge trees and wetland trees in one loop.
Mature beech-maple woods with easy trails. Photo-only, but it's the best place to see the classics side by side.
Many trees are labeled, so it's the cheat code for confirming an ID. Admission charged; photos only.
Free preserve with oak-hickory woods and a native garden. Leave what you find.
Ottawa County park with steep wooded ravines and a suspension bridge. Good fall walk with beech and maple overhead.
Quiet trails through oak-hickory upland and ravines. A strong bet for the oaks and hickory.
Old street trees in one of the country's largest urban historic districts. Fallen leaves on the sidewalk are fair game.
Fresh-fallen leaves press best and you never have to pull one off a tree. Grab two of each in case one cracks.
Lay leaves flat between paper towels inside a heavy book for 1-2 weeks. A sheet of wax paper keeps the pages clean.
Poison ivy turns a gorgeous red right now and loves the same woods. "Leaves of three" stay on the ground.
At nature preserves and gardens, a clear photo of the leaf next to your hand counts as found.