North Central State Trail: Indian River to Long Point

Agnes S. Andreae Nature Preserve Loop is a loop trail that provides a good opportunity to view wildlife located near Afton, Michigan.

The trailhead for the snowshoe trail is located across the street from the Boyne Cross Country Ski center parking lot.  The trail starts out by winding through the woods sandwiched between the Boyne Mountain Resort maintenance facility and a road, so you’ll hear traffic and equipment noise for the first part of the loop.  Fortunately, once you get past the maintenance facility, the trail turns ...

The upper peninsula of Michigan is connected to the mainland by the Mackinac Bridge. This bridge is quite impressive from a distance and it makes a great object for photography at any time of the day. If you want to get up close to the bridge, try visiting one of the parks located on the north or south end of the bridge.  The park on the southern/mainland side is called Colonial Michilimackinac...

Mackinac Island is accessible only by ferry, and there are no cars allowed on the island. While you can rent bikes over there, we opted to bring ours along on the Star Line ferry. Super easy and we had no problems! Lake Shore Boulevard, or State Highway M-185, wraps around the entire island and is fairly level. If you go on one of the many interior trails or streets there is definitely some hi...

Straits State Park is located on the upper peninsula of Michigan and is minutes from the Mackinac Bridge. Named after the straits that pass through the two peninsulas, this state park offers gorgeous views of the bridge at night. From the campground, head just a few feet towards the beach on the shores of the straits and you will see the Mackinac Bridge in the distance. Grab your tripod and ge...

You will need to take a ferry to the island to access this hike, but the fare is cheap and is worth it for a day trip. This hike starts at the very popular (and thus usually crowded) Arch Rock and takes you halfway across the island to British Landing. Even with the initial crowds, you should be able to capture some great pictures at Arch Rock without people getting in the way. Once you begin ...