Michigan

While it is only accessible by boat or plane, Isle Royale National Park is well worth the added travel arrangements. We took the Ranger III Ferry out of Houghton, MI, but there are a few other options depending on where you depart from (www.nps.gov). Upon arrival at Rock Harbor, the first day is ...

Located just outside Marquette, Sugarloaf Mountain offers stunning 360 views of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The trail is short with two route options: difficult and easy. The difficult trail is still extremely easy, with the distance to the top under a half mile. The last couple hundred feet are...

Start at the Alligator Hill trail head and make your way up the hill for roughly .1 of a mile until you hit a marker. Turn left at the sign and keep on the trail for another 1.3 miles. You will hit a scenic lookout called Islands Lookout which you can stop and get pictures at. From there you will...

This moderately hilly boardwalk hike takes you to scenic viewpoints above Lake Michigan. The Sleeping Bear Dunes do not fail to impress, particularly at sunset.

Hungarian Falls is a set of three waterfalls, the largest being around fifty feet in height, on the Dover Creek, just outside of Houghton, Michigan. In less than a mile, you can access these waterfalls, plus smaller unnamed drops and some very scenic overlooks. The lower and middle drops are belo...

Day 1:  Arrive at Seaton Creek Campground and pay for parking for the number of nights you plan on hiking the loop. For this particular trip, I hiked the loop in 2.5 days and 2 nights.  Hike 1.4 miles from Seaton Creak Campground to a suspension footbridge on the banks of the Manistee River. At...

This adventure starts at a trailhead on the North Trail just north of Marquette, Michigan leading you straight to a beach on Lake Superior. Keep going north on a slightly beaten path up the coastline to reach Hidden Beach. The coast is full of cliffs and massive rocks to stand on to take a step o...

The trip to Mirror Lake begins at the Summit Peak Scenic Area. To extend your hike, start at the Lily Pond trail-head farther south on Summit Peak Road (5.3 miles to cabin). The initial trail towards the lake is the Beaver Creek trail (1.2 miles). The trail climbs down the peak slope into some lo...

Enjoy scenic views of Lake of the Clouds and Big Carp River Valley. This hike on Michigan's upper peninsula is a great place for fall colors in late September or early October. Upon arriving at Porcupine Mountains State Park (from Highway 107) in Ontonagon, Michigan, follow signs to the Lake of ...

Munising Falls is a 50' falls located inside the city limits of Munising. The trail to the waterfall is directly outside the visitor center and makes for a quick and easy hike after stopping by to pick up a permit or check in with a ranger.  The paved trail is cool and shaded as it follows a cre...

We started our hiking in the afternoon at the Lake of the Clouds parking lot. Our original plan for the hike was to thru hike the Lake Superior Trail, however, due to muddy conditions and recent rain, we chose the Big Carp River Trail as a dryer route to get to our mid-camp point near the Big Car...

Beginning at the trailhead, the 2.8 mile round trip takes you on a gravel/sand trail up 570 feet. The trail slowly winds uphill until you hit an opening at the top that looks out at the Sleeping Bear Dunes and down on Lake Michigan. 

At a pretty even elevation, this four mile trail ranks as one of the top trails in the National Park system. Begin your hike on the Stoll Memorial Trail and continue until you hit the Scoville Trail. Follow the Scoville Trail for another roughly 600 meters and you will hit a spectacular lookout o...

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 ...

This hike combines the East and West River Trails for a scenic hike along the Presque Isle River, which runs through the Porcupine Mountains State Park. The river has strong currents and sections of rapids, as well as three main waterfalls, Nawadaha Falls, Manido Falls, and Manabezho Falls, which...

If you are looking to see numerous waterfalls without going too far off of the beaten path, the Dead River Falls are for you. Located just a few minutes outside of Marquette, the falls are situated along a half-mile stretch in which the Dead River drops over 90 feet. Several of the falls along th...