TIPTON — Hidden Lake Gardens, located at 6214 Monroe Rd. (M-50) in Tipton, has long been known for its 12 miles of hiking trails, the six-mile drive that wends its way through the facility, its vast array of trees and flowers, and the conservatory in which visitors can go from the tropics to the desert in just one short walk.

But for the past year, its popular Sky Walk has been bringing visitors into the Gardens at a whole new clip.

The Sky Walk had its genesis some years ago in a phone call from Tecumseh attorney Chuck Gross, a longtime Hidden Lake Gardens supporter, “who wanted to discuss ways of getting people out of their cars and into the woods,” Hidden Lake Gardens’ Marketing and Publicity Coordinator Jessica Goodrich said. “We’re finding that it really worked.”

Construction on the $1.25 million project, funded through the Reach for the Sky initiative, began in March 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic and related supply-chain issues threw several monkeywrenches into the whole process, but after a ribbon-cutting in October 2022, the Sky Walk officially opened on June 20, 2023. The final goal was to open in spring 2023, Goodrich said, and they made it — on the last day of spring.

Attendance at the Gardens immediately began to rise, as did memberships. From the Sky Walk’s opening through June 30, 2024, there were 82,834 visitors. Using calendar year 2017, which until now was the calendar year with the highest attendance (52,004) as a benchmark, that’s an increase of
57 percent.

For the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2024, attendance was 78,609 — a
51 percent increase over 2017. Memberships for fiscal 2024 stood at 2,335, compared to 1,681 for fiscal year 2023. The increase in memberships from five years ago stands at 41 percent.

“It’s the biggest thing that’s happened to us in decades,” Goodrich said of the new attraction. “It’s breathed a whole new life into the Gardens.”

Modeled on the Canopy Walk at the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio, the Sky Walk was originally called the Canopy Walk like its Ohio counterpart, “but everyone started calling the Sky Walk and it stuck,” Goodrich said. 

The walkway takes HLG visitors over a glacial kettle hole, with the height from the ground as high as 65 feet. It allows people to get a bird’s-eye view of the trees around them and the forest floor below. 

“It’s a whole different perspective,” Goodrich said. “There’s just something special about being there.”

The suspension bridge itself is 374 feet long over two 186-foot spans. From the entrance boardwalk to the exit ramp, the total length is 726 feet. The flooring, made of fiberglass grating, is 36 inches wide, making it accessible for wheelchairs or other assistive devices as well as strollers and wagons.

Hidden Lake Gardens is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve/Day, and New Year’s Eve/Day, with the last admission at 4:30 p.m.

The Sky Walk itself is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays from April to October and from November through March as weather permits. The conservatory and the gift shop are also open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.

There is no separate charge for the Sky Walk; admission to the Gardens includes all attractions.

Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens, $8 for military personnel and veterans with ID, $5 for students, and free for children ages 4 and under. Members are admitted free.

In addition to the Sky Walk, another newer feature at Hidden Lake Gardens is the means to actually get to that attraction: the Sue and John Gruel Nature Trail.

The trail, which runs for one-third mile from the Trailhead parking lot, is wide and paved with fine gravel so as to be accessible for wheelchairs, other assistive devices, and people pushing strollers or pulling wagons. There are two covered “hiker’s huts” along the way to provide shelter.

“It’s been a great addition to the Sky Walk,” Goodrich said. “It really expands the experience.”

But there are many other reasons to explore Hidden Lake Gardens. Besides the variety of plants throughout the grounds and inside the conservatory, the facility is home, for example, to a Bonsai Courtyard and the Harper Collection of Dwarf and Rare Conifers.

A number of special events are planned over the next several weeks, beginning with the Run for the Hills! one-mile and 5K run/walk on Saturday, Sept. 14. Early bird registration ended Aug. 31, but participants can still sign up.

“It’s a really fun time,” Goodrich said. “We call it the most scenic and hilliest run in Southeast Michigan.”

Also coming up soon is the Fall Foliage Festival on Saturday, Oct. 19, featuring hayrides, a jack o’lantern trail to the Sky Walk, children’s activities, and more.

More information about Hidden Lake Gardens is available at hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu, on Facebook, or by calling 517-431-2060.