An outdoor learning laboratory, nature preserve, and botanical garden in Suttons Bay, Michigan.
Leo Creek Preserve was donated to Inland Seas Education Association in 2024. This location serves as our outdoor learning laboratory for education programming. Leo Creek Preserve is open to the public and is accessible year-round.
About Leo Creek
Leo Creek Preserve is a nine-acre outdoor learning laboratory, nature preserve, and botanical garden located south of Suttons Bay along the Leelanau Trail. It features over 1,000 feet of waterfront along Leo Creek, a groundwater stream that feeds into Grand Traverse Bay. The stream itself serves as an important habitat for fish, aquatic insects, and amphibians, while the surrounding forest is an ideal habitat for deer, mink, otters, and turkeys. This piece of property has long been beloved by people of all ages as a place to escape everyday life and reconnect with the natural wonders of Northern Michigan.
What to Do at Leo Creek
Many find serenity on the trails at Leo Creek, whether for exercise, bird watching, or artistic activities. With the approximately mile-and-a-half trail system, there is plenty to be seen, from the creekside boardwalk, vernal pools, and Michigan hardwoods.
Please remember to Leave No Trace in Leo Creek. Many others, including community members and school groups, use the preserve to connect with the greater Suttons Bay Watershed. Many community volunteers have worked hard in the garden. Please appreciate their work by abiding by the community rules posted within the garden.
Want to be a Citizen Scientist in Leo Creek Preserve?
Join ISEA’s iNaturalist citizen scientist project! This ongoing community-based project is a way to help ISEA staff monitor and catalogue the species found in Leo Creek. Ready to join in? Visit our Walk the Wetland page to learn more!
Directions to Leo Creek
Leo Creek Preserve is approximately 0.5 miles from the main Inland Seas Education Association campus in downtown Suttons Bay. Leo Creek can only be accessed from the Leelanau Trail. To learn more about the Leelanau Trail, visit the TART Trails website.
Want to Volunteer with ISEA in Leo Creek?
If you’re interested in volunteering at Leo Creek, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Lia Cook, at lcook@schoolship.org or (231) 271-3077, extension 106.