If You See Purple Paint On A Tree While In Michigan, Turn Around

If you are ever in the woods, which is a pretty common thing here in Michigan with all of our nature reserves, it’s pretty common to see trees that have spray paint.

Normally, if you see a tree that has orange spray paint on it, it means that most likely the tree is marked to eventually be removed or harvested. Blue spray paint usually indicates the boundaries of a property or utility lines.

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There’s even the rare occasion where you may see a tree with a white circle on it, which means the tree actually houses an endangered animal or bird. All these are little tags and signs that people use to indicate a message.

But it’s when you are in an area that has a tree with a purple marking on it that you will want to turn right back around.

What is it about the purple spray paint that leads people to believe that they are in danger of being somewhere they’re not supposed to?

Outdoor News recently wrote an article back in 2024, about the potential of purple paint coming back to thwart off trespassers, and it all started with someone in Kalamazoo:

Michigan lawmakers are considering legislation to allow purple paint to signify no trespassing on private property, though the Department of Natural Resources has opposed the idea in the past. Kalamazoo Democratic Rep. Julie Rogers partnered with Hancock Republican Rep. Greg Markkanen earlier this year to introduce House bills 5561 and 5562, which would add purple paint marks on trees or posts as an option to signify no trespassing.

So if you're ever in the woods and see a purple spot or line on a tree, it's probably best you find an alternative path.

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