Michigan

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 hike downhill at first. The trail will split and you will have to choose to go the falls route or the direct route. I would sugges...

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...

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...

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...

For a day on the water, off the shores of Lake Michigan head to Leland. Park in the marina and load onto your paddle boards from the boat ramp. You'll quickly find your way out of the marina, in which you can head right, left or to open water. Either way you'll find accessible beaches and clear s...

At the end of the Old Mission peninsula sits Mission Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse is surrounded by 5 acres of wooded township and many acres of state land! Upon arriving you can explore the shores just below the lighthouse - there can intriguing iceberg islands forming at the edge of the wate...

Superior Falls sits right next to the Superior River, near the northern terminus of the Montreal River. The parking area for the falls is rather large, and there are porta-potties directly next to the parking area.  To see the lower region of the falls, you can hike down to the base of the river,...

Begin your hike at the Noquemenon South Trailhead and follow the markings for the Morgan Creek Falls loop. You will immediately have to cross Hwy 553 to get to the main trail. From there, you have two options to reach the falls. The first and more scenic is the marked Noquemenon trail (look for b...

Huginnin Cove is located on the west side of the island close to Windigo and is a great day hike.  Many people feel it's an even better overnight trip.  If you're going to be spending the night on the island, you must first go through the orientation with park staff and then get your permit.  The...

Windmill Island features an authentic and operational Dutch windmill called "De Zwaan" (The Swan) as well as gardens planted with over 100,000 tulips. The windmill was built in 1761 and moved to Holland in 1964. Notably, this windmill is not only the oldest authentic, working Dutch windmill in th...

Take the Kneutson Trail next to the lodge for 700 feet and you will come upon the America Dock. This century old dock provides a great view of the bay area and other smaller islands at sunset.

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 th...

Sugarloaf Mountain is one of the most popular hikes in the Marquette area. The easy hike quickly takes you up to clear views of Lake Superior and is perfect for a winter afternoon. Begin your hike at the trailhead off of Big Bay Road north of Marquette. There are two routes to the top - labeled e...

Of course, you can come any time of the year, this is always a lovely small park! It is guaranteed to be crowded and cost money (unless you have the Ottawa County park pass) in the summer, though, and I've had better luck with parking and personal space at Holland State Park. I've found that the ...

Park your car at the Sleeping Bear Point Trailhead in Glen Haven, Michigan, once parked find your way to the sign for point of reference with the map. You'll find that the Ghost Forest Trail is a 2.8 mile loop. You can start the loop at the trailhead which is near the bathroom, or at the sign whe...

Launch your kayak in the sheltered marina of Grindstone City County Park. Once you paddle past the break walls, paddle east along the shore. In less than a mile, you will come to huge rock faces. Some faces have beaches of rocks and sand. If it's wavy or windy, be careful not to get too close! A...