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View Full Version : Southern Michigan/ Northern Ohio Hicking Trails?



Elevation Nation
07-14-2011, 20:23
Does anyone know of any good hiking trails in the southern michigan or northern ohio area?

Sierra Echo
07-14-2011, 20:25
Do you get a hickey if you hike on those trails?

Elevation Nation
07-14-2011, 20:31
HAHA! Opps...

Sierra Echo
07-14-2011, 20:42
That was funny!

4Bears
07-14-2011, 21:30
The North Country Trail goes thru Ohio and Michigan check the state parks web site in both states would be where I would start.

sore ankle
07-18-2011, 23:07
The Waterloo-Pinckney Trail is pretty decent. It is 45 miles or so one way. There is also a 17 mile loop trail that hikers share with mountain bikers in the Pinckney SRA. It has good camp sites by a small lake, with a privy and well. This is pretty close to Ann Arbor.

Kerosene
07-19-2011, 10:01
The Waterloo-Pinckney Trail is pretty decent. It is 45 miles or so one way.There isn't very much of note in this region. I lived in Ann Arbor for 30 years. The Waterloo-Pinckney Trail (http://up-northmichigan.com/waterloopinckneytrail.htm) is 35 miles long, and sets up for a short day bracketed by two moderately long days. I wouldn't want to try to hike it in the summer given humidity and insects, but in mid-October '99 it was very pretty and very quiet. The trail is shared with horses on the western end, which makes the footbed pretty sandy and surprisingly difficult. Mountain bikers will be coming the other way for the last 6 miles if you're hiking east. Elevation change is minimal.

A number of years ago I took my teenage daughter on an 8-mile section of the W-P Trail as a warm-up for an AT section hike. It was drizzling and she was starting to flag when we got to a 50-foot rise in the trail. I'm standing at the top and she yells up to ask if the hills on the AT were as high as this! It was precious, but also a warning. We had to change our plans that year and didn't get out for another 3 years. By then, she looked forward to the climbs and does quite well.

LDog
07-19-2011, 10:31
I live in western Michigan, and the hikes I'm looking forward to this fall are all a few hours north of me in the western side of the state. The Manistee River Trail, and the Jordan River Pathway are two of Michigan Backpackers favorites. Both offer multi-day loops. The latter is spectacular during fall colors. The Manitou islands of Sleeping Bear Dunes Park are highly rated, with North Manitou being more of a backcountry wilderness experience. We're doing South Manitou next month. The North County Trail passes thru Wilderness State Park for a multi-day hike between Cross Village and Mackinac City. But I wouldn't to this during bug season ...

If you're willing to drive even further, The U.P offers the Lakeshore Trail in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and the Big & Little Carp River Trails in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Parks. Both spectacular, highly-rated trails.

Pick up a copy of Jim DuFresne's "Backpacking in Michigan" for full descriptions, itineraries and maps.