Field Trip 9: Kings Highway Wetlands and Barneys Lake

Description

Kings Highway: The Kings Highway was built during the time when James Strang and his followers settled Beaver Island in the 1850s. The road runs along the spine of the island, serving as the central route from which many of the island’s other roads branch off toward the shoreline and interior settlements. By summer’s end it typically includes a border of wildflowers. Beyond the area around the harbor, it is the only paved road on the Island. Parts of the route cross low-lying wetlands and marshy ground. In those areas the original builders used a technique known as corduroy road construction, laying logs side by side across the mud to create a rough but passable surface. Travelers would have passed through stretches of cattail marshes and soggy lowlands where standing water and thick grasses made ordinary road building impossible.

Barney’s Lake: The lake sits in a shallow basin and is bordered by cattails, sedges, and other marsh plants that make it an important stop for wildlife and migrating birds. The surrounding marshlands hold water much of the year and create excellent habitat for waterfowl and other wetland species, making the area a favorite spot for birdwatchers and nature observers. Because of its mix of open water and marsh, Barney’s Lake attracts a wide variety of birds. Visitors commonly see mallards, blue-winged teal, wood ducks, and Canada geese using the lake. The cattail marshes are also home to red-winged blackbirds, whose distinctive calls are often heard from the reeds in spring and summer. In quieter moments you may spot great blue herons stalking the shallow water, or hear the call of sandhill cranes flying overhead. During migration, the wetlands may host shorebirds, swallows, and various species of warblers that stop to rest and feed along the marshy edges. The lake is named after Barney Gallagher, an early Beaver Island settler and farmer who lived in the area in the late 1800s.

This trip will depart and return from Paradise Bay Diving Co. dock across from the Beaver Island Lumber Company. Passage to Garden Island will be aboard the Resolute with Captain Mike  and crew. You’ll be back in time for a quick lunch before heading out for an afternoon adventure. Options include the Concession Stand at the BIC Center  and the Shamrock (both nearby) or The Wild Strawberry Café (about a 20-minute walk towards the Whiskey Point Lighthouse).

WoW 2026 T-shirts: After your registration(s) are processed you will receive a discount code good for one free Warblers on the Water T-shirt. You must complete your t-shirt order by May 5. T-shirts will be delivered at the Meet & Greet Kickoff Event Friday evening. One free shirt per participant. Additional T-shirts may be ordered at the BIC Center online store for $20. All orders after May 1 are subject to stock on hand.
Board transportation for this trip at the BIC Center.

Please note our cancellation policy: Cancellations made by 5:00 p.m. on April 17, 2026 will receive a 50% refund. No refunds will be made for cancellations after that time.