Sunset Brooks Nature Area

Overview

Sunset Brooks Nature Area is 7.82 acres of rolling woods and wetlands. The nature area is located between Sunset Road and M-14 in northwest Ann Arbor. View the Ann Arbor Parks & Nature Areas Map for location context. The park provides a green buffer between the neighborhood and the highway. It also provides a green shortcut to Bird Hills Nature Area. The park topography is gentle with oaks and hickories dotting the woods as well as a grove of flowering dogwoods. Rare and interesting plant species found in the park include redbud, black oak, wild black currant, summer grape and golden alexander.

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

Amenities

Unpaved Trails

Access and Parking

The main entrance to the park is between houses on Sunset Road with street parking available. There is also an entrance on Beechwood Drive, near a small parking area that serves Bird Hills Nature Area and Kuebler Langford Nature Area.

The park can be accessed on foot by walking through the neighborhood sidewalks, and by bicycle by riding through the neighborhood streets. There are no bike racks at the park but there are some at the Kuebler Langford/Bird Hills parking area on Beechwood Drive.

Public Transportation

The nearest bus stop is along Miller Avenue, which is about a mile away and a 15 minute walk from the park. Visit TheRide for closest stops and route details or check out the parks ride guide.

Park Maps

Open the Park Tracker - See your location while in the park Open the Park Finder - Discover more Ann Arbor parks

History

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.

In 2002, the site was bought and sold in quick succession by several developers, and was ultimately slated to be developed into 33 condominiums. Park neighbors didn’t want to see the neighborhood woods demolished, and attended many Planning Commission and City Council meetings to voice their concerns. Eventually, they decided to take matters into their own hands, advocating that the City of Ann Arbor purchase the site for parkland. The Greater Sunset Brooks Neighborhood Association was formed and the group committed to raise the funds for 25% of the purchase price of the site. In a partnership with the Ann Arbor Community Foundation, the group developed a fund for community donations. Within a year’s time, 96 neighbors contributed to the project, raising more than $93,000. After this demonstration of support from the community, and with this financial assistance, the City purchased Sunset Brooks Natural Area in 2003 from Johnson Holding Company. Decades later, people continue to be inspired to care for this small neighborhood park.

For more details about this nature area and its features, read Natural Area Preservation newsletter 2014 Park Focus: Sunset Brooks Nature Area by Molly Notarianni

Park Stewards

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.

Brooks Curtis
Brooks began his Stewardship at Sunset Brooks in 2013. He spends most of his volunteer time at Bird Hills now but remains and active advocate and steward for Sunset Brooks. Recently, Brooks has taken an active role in creating a community among our park stewards.

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.

Learn more about volunteer opportunities

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.

View the Park Finder

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.

Submit a request