Michigan

The trailhead begins at the Gilette Visitor Center inside PJ Hoffmaster Park. Behind the visitor center, you will see the gigantic sand dune which you will be climbing. Unfortunately, the park rangers do not want you climbing this dune's backside from the parking lot. Instead, get on the foreste...

The locals will tell you that if you go one place in Marquette, MI, it needs to be Black Rocks Cove. A favorite cliff jumping site in the summer, the cove is just as worth visiting in the winter in order to see the impacts of Lake Superior's winter storms on the landscape like the ice blasted tre...

Located just south of Charlevoix is Fisherman's Island State Park. The park offers miles of biking/hiking trails, and campsites directly on the beach of Lake Michigan.  Although located just outside of town, there is no service in this area, leaving you completely cut off from the outside world. ...

Hiking in the porcupine mountains could be a day trip or a week trip. From a short rim hike overlooking Lake of the Clouds to a three day back country camping excursion, there are endless amounts of options for planning a getaway to the Porcupine Mountains.  Located in the far northwest of Michi...

Starting at the Tobin Harbor day use dock kayak/canoe northeast or out of the inlet towards Lake Superior. Stay on the left side of the inlet for roughly a mile. You will pass several small chains of islands so stay to the left. You will come upon another day use dock and you will want to get out...

Potawatomi and Gorge falls are two of the most scenic waterfalls on the black river. These two waterfalls are an easy stop for anyone and both waterfalls are accessible for wheelchairs.  The Black River Scenic Byway starts north of US 2 near Bessemer. There are signs on the highway.  The falls ar...

This was a fun visit while at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  There was a volunteer couple running the lighthouse portion and they were friendly, kind, and well informed. The tour itself (led by a NPS ranger I believe) was just ok, but it was still interesting.  The views at the top of th...

The start and end of this adventure is at the dead end of Holly Drive. There is a small boat launch parking lot that sometimes has a porta-john, although I would not count on it. You can kayak upstream (to the right) to enjoy a peaceful paddle around and through the reeds, and I have seek many mu...

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...

Located off of H-58, Sable Falls can be found about a mile north of the eastern terminus of Pictured Rocks and the Grand Sable Visitors Center. There is a large parking lot area for the falls, along with an entrance onto the North Country Trail, which runs along the falls. The hike is short, with...

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...

The main trailhead parking for the north unit is found on the west side of Harmon Rd, just south of Predmore Rd. The north unit consists of a west loop of this parking area (Blue and White trails) and an east loop (Orange trail). While both loops are rugged and scenic, the best loop is following ...

Holland State Park has a variety of activities available, the most prominent of course being swimming and relaxing on the beach. You can lay out towels and sunbathe, throw a frisbee or football in the large sand area away from the water, or play sand volleyball on one of the many courts. There is...

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...

Park at the High Rollway Observation Deck in Kingsley. There's actually two parking lots that you will come to on a dirt road. I suggest parking at the eastern most lot (drive straight instead of making a final right turn). There are two primary wooden platform lookouts near the parking lots. Be ...

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,...