Michigan

When you want to pack the backpack for a short day hike in the Pictured Rocks, look no further than hiking to Mosquito Falls!  Start at the Chapel Basin parking lot at the far northwest corner (if you see signs for Chapel Rock, you picked the wrong trail!), and you will be gifted with a great hi...

The waterfall is only a short stroll from the parking lot but is well worth the stop. It drops over 50ft and is 200ft wide. A stunning, powerful flow. The obvious 'Rootbeer' color comes from tannic acid produced by decaying hemlocks, cedars, and spruces along the river's banks. There are various ...

The designated parking here is Fitzgerald Park. This park has a $3 entrance fee per car ($5 for non-residents). If you want to avoid this fee, park in downtown Grand Ledge and find the Riverwalk on the south side of the Grand River, just west of downtown. A good parking spot is right next to F...

Very short hiking trail (walk) along the river to view the falls from various parking lots. There is a boardwalk with viewing platforms from the lower parking area or a gravel path from the roadside parking area that lead to stairs down to the board walk. Along the boardwalk there are multiple pl...

If coming from Michigan, take the ferry to Isle Royale from Copper Harbor. After a three-hour journey you will arrive at the park via the dock in Rock Harbor around lunchtime. After registering at the park office you can set off on a great 7-mile hike to Lane Cove, which is well marked. This hike...

Drive to the Wetmore Landing Parking Lot, right off County Road 550 North of Marquette. Park then walk out to the beach- there's 2 routes you can take.  The North Country Trail runs East to West along the coast here, you can hop on that and go right from the parking lot (East) and follow the tra...

Located right off of County Highway 58 across from Sand Point Road, Tannery Falls doesn't see the larger advertising that many other falls see in the area, but is a hidden gem within the town. At the start of the hike, you'll need to find a parking spot off of the highway, you might run into tick...

This guide assumes that hikers have already made their journey by either float plane or charter ship to the Windigo Port on the West end of the island of Isle Royale National Park.As mentioned above, this section hike of the Greenstone Ridge Trail partitions off one of the NUMEROUS options one ca...

Having lived in Michigan and the greater Detroit area for only one year, I'm still constantly looking for the next place to take my mind off the day-to-day work grind. Michigan, the Great Lake State, is certainly not a bad place to be to do so. Roughly one hour outside of Detroit rests Bird Hills...

This is a challenging 7 mile loop that rewards hikers with some of the best sights in Lower Michigan. The trailhead begins at the Silver Lake State Park Pedestrian Dune Access. Your difficult hike starts with a steep flight of steps from the parking lot. After the steps, keep climbing until you r...

This adventure starts as any kayaking trip does: the great car-kayak shuffle.  I’ll leave that planning to your group size, but I recommend a 2 car minimum, one left at the take out spot (Fallasburg Park or downtown Lowell behind the KDL Library) and the other parked at Whites Bridge Road.  If yo...

Gabbro Falls is on the Black River and is as impressive waterfall.  This wild waterfall does not have any fences or barriers, so view with caution from above. Getting there, take Black Jack Road north. This road will take a sharp left turn and will go by the ski hill. Before you get to the ski hi...

Lumberman’s Monument is truly a hidden gem. Most people don’t realize there are towering sand dunes in the Oscoda area. While the majority of visitors stay at the overlook, there is a breathtaking trail for the more adventurous. The main parking for this trail is at the Lumberman’s Monument parki...

Outside of Agate, MI, this spot is a couple of miles west of the town on MI-28. With parking on the side of the road, follow the main path under the bridge to reach the wooden walkway to the overlook. If you'd like to see the falls from above, before the walkway, there is a path up the hill that ...

Start at the Hamlin Beach House and make your way down the dirt path until you hit marker #12. Take a right and the trail will become a boardwalk for roughly 3/4 of a mile until you hit marker #10. Continue on from there for another 3/4 of a mile until you hit the trail shelter where you can rela...

The Sleeping Bear Point Trail is a 2.8 mile loop through the sand dunes with amazing views of Lake Michigan and South Manitou Island. There is a 0.5 mile spur hike from the trailhead to the Lake Michigan beach. It is less strenuous than the hike from the Dune Climb to Lake Michigan.