This project near Grass Lake, Michigan was an extremely challenging site with significant elevation change and limited natural access to the lake. The goal was to create safe, usable movement through the property while keeping everything natural and true to the landscape. We built large outcropping-style retaining walls and designed a system of steps and paths that guide you down the hillside without it ever feeling forced or overbuilt.

 

One of the standout features of this project is the amount and scale of stone steps used throughout the property. In total, we installed 110 six-foot slab steps, which at the time of construction was more than anyone had installed on a single project. The longest continuous staircase runs 40 steps, with additional stair runs branching off and tying into large stepping stone paths. Those same slab steps were used both as formal stair treads and as stepping stones to keep the layout and flow consistent from top to bottom.

 

Everything about this project was designed to work with the natural terrain, not fight it. The combination of large stone outcropping walls, long stair runs, and natural slab stepping stones allowed us to create a functional, durable, and visually seamless landscape. This project is a strong example of high-end natural hardscape construction near Grass Lake, Michigan, where layout, planning, and execution all had to be right for the space to work long term.