Story Book Trail
A Delight for All Ages
In the spring of 2021, a group of Hessel School House volunteers and staff built an 18-station storybook trail. It is primarily geared to 5- to 9-year-olds but has large appeal for all ages. The storybook trail winds through the wooded area immediately west of the historic schoolhouse, where its former students once played imaginative games and built tree forts during the late 1930s through the 1950s. Today, children of all ages are greeted by a large moose and bench at the beginning of the trail.
Pages of the featured story are posted on stations along the path. Between each station, children are delighted to discover fairies houses, a ladybug crossing, tiny turtles, and more as they walk along wood chip lined path. The trail also includes a small outdoor classroom for nature programs.
A variety of titles featuring Great Lakes lore are posted throughout the summer and shoulder seasons. Watch our website and Facebook page to see which book is being featured. The books displayed on the trail are available for purchase in our gift store and help fund programs of Hessel School House/Avery Arts & Nature Learning Center.
Be sure to sign our guestbook located in the mailbox at the trail entrance. Our staff and volunteers that maintain the trail love your feedback.
Time: Self-guided tour takes approximately 15-30 minutes. Difficulty: Uneven terrain; wood-chipped trail.
The storybook trail does not feature a book during the winter months. However, feel free to take the path through the woods by snowshoe or boots and stop to listen to the birds, look for animal tracks, and enjoy the trail in the winter time.
Thanks to an Impact Mini-Grant from the United Way of the Eastern Upper Peninsula, Hessel School House – Avery Arts & Nature Learning Center will purchase new books for the Les Cheneaux Story Book Trail located at the Hessel School House.
