Kuebler Langford Nature Area is a 31-acre natural area just north of M-14 where it is tucked into the sharp curve of Huron River Drive. View the Ann Arbor Parks and Nature Areas map for location context. Hilltop Nature Area, once known as Camp Hilltop, borders the park on the north, forming one large nature area with Kuebler Langford. Hilltop was preserved as a separate nature area to honor the history of the old Camp Hilltop. There are unpaved trails winding through the park which are accessible from the entrances. These trails bisect the park from east to west and connect to trails in Bird Hills Nature Area across Beechwood Drive.
Part of the park is an old field area, with very little top soil. Interestingly, some plants here are native dry prairie species such as round headed bush clover and stiff goldenrod. A deep ravine bisects the park from west to east, and a moist woods, like that found in Bird Hills Park, covers the steep slopes and the area north of the ravine. Further east along the ravine a dryer forest dominates with large black and white oaks and an understory of witch-hazel and hazelnut shrubs.
Park Notices
Unless otherwise posted per City Council resolution, when a park is closed, no person shall remain in or enter it other than to quietly sit or walk.
Refer to Chapter 39 of the City of Ann Arbor Code of Ordinances for park regulations and rules.
Park Hours
6 a.m. - Midnight
Unpaved Trails
Parking
Bike Rack
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There is some parking available on Beechwood Drive and some shoulder parking on the east side of the park along the western shoulder of Huron River Drive.
The park can be reached on foot and bicycle by walking and riding along the neighborhood streets to the south of the park, using the Beechwood Drive entrance. There are some bike racks at this entrance.
The Beechwood Drive entrance is also an entrance to Bird Hills Nature Area. The park has trail connections to Hilltop Nature Area to the north.
The nearest bus stop is on Sunset Road, about a five minute walk from the Beechwood Drive entrance. Visit TheRide for closest stops and route details or check out the parks ride guide.
Ann Arbor's city parks sit on the ancestral and traditional homelands of several indigenous Native peoples. Read a land acknowledgement from the city and learn more about the early history of the land here.
Controversy and pressure from the public led to the creation of Kuebler Langford Nature Area. In the late sixties and early seventies there was contention over a plan to develop the site. The City of Ann Arbor Planning Commission wanted to rezone the site to become high-rise housing and there was a developer ready to build, while the Ann Arbor Park Commission wanted the city to buy the site to use it as parkland. A vote by the Planning Commission to rezone the area failed in 1969 because a unanimous vote was required to pass it. Concerned citizens urged the city not to let the land be developed, citing concerns over erosion and the natural features and describing Huron River Drive as a "park road" that was not prepared for the traffic that would come with the development. In 1975 City Council relented to public sentiment and voted unanimously to purchase the site. 4.6 acres were sold to the city by G. Robert Langford and Elizabeth H. Langford for $15,000 and 22.8 acres were sold to the city by Henry and Helen Kuebler for $150,000. The nature area was named after the families who sold the land to the city. See a map showing the original parcels.
G. Robert Langford, one of the namesakes of the park, started a company in Ann Arbor called Economy Baler, which was once the largest business of its kind in the world. Read more about Langford's company here.
The land was used as a staging area for construction on M-14 in the late 1970s, causing some problems with erosion. Efforts to manage erosion in the area are still underway to this day.
Several smaller land acquisitions have led to the park taping the shape that it is today. The city acquired 6 lots from the Ganzhorn Hills subdivision in 1993, which forms the portion of the park that runs along Beechwood Drive on the park's western edge. A small portion of land off of the southern side of Hampstead Lane, from that same subdivision, was acquired by the city and added to the park in 2011.
To learn more about the history, restoration efforts, and natural features of Kuebler Langford, check out these NAP Newsletters that have featured the park:
2000 Park Focus: Kuebler Langford Nature Area by Jennifer Maigret
2019 Park Focus: Kuebler Langford Nature Area by Amy Lipson
Park Stewards are experienced volunteers who have adopted a nature area to protect and restore while fostering an environmental ethic among others. Stewards are committed to ongoing and long-term care of their park. They work with NAP to develop an annual workplan that outlines restoration goals and techniques for their natural area.
Tiffany Ng
Tiffany is drawn to Kuebler-Langford's expansive prairie, dramatic woodland topography, and birds from floor to canopy. Ann Arbor occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg (including Odawa, Ojibwe, and Bodewadami) and Wyandot peoples. She is grateful for a long history of indigenous stewardship and humbled to contribute what she can.
Volunteer in the parks
Looking to make an impact in a park or nature area? Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation provides volunteer opportunities for almost every interest, ability, and commitment level.
Park Finder
Discover parks and find amenities through the City of Ann Arbor Park Finder. This map allows you to search park names or search by amenity type or keyword.
A2Fix It - Service request tool
A2 Fix It is an online system you can use to report any maintenance issues or other problems during your park visit. When reporting an issue in a park please include detailed location information in the "details and description" section near the end of the request process. Pictures that provide location context are very helpful.
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