This is a little bit of a long-term project, but many local high schools post maps of cross-country running courses at various parks. These can sometimes contain valuable hiking information. I will post them here as I find them.
Kensington Metropark (Oakland):
http://pioneercrosscountry.com///Maps/KensingtonCourse.pdf
Springfield Oaks County Park (Davisburg):
http://pioneercrosscountry.com///Maps/HollyInvitational.pdf
Hudson Mills Metropark:
http://pioneercrosscountry.com///Maps/HudsonMillsCourse.pdf
Ella Sharp Park (Jackson):
http://pioneercrosscountry.com///Maps/Jackson_Course.pdf
West Middle School (Portage):
http://pioneercrosscountry.com///Maps/PortageCourseMap.pdf
Hudson Mills Metropark:
http://pioneercrosscountry.com///Maps/GabrielRichardCourse.jpg
Saline Millpond Course:
http://pioneercrosscountry.com///Maps/Saline_Mill_Pond_Course.pdf
Willow Metropark:
http://pioneercrosscountry.com///Maps/WillowCourse.pdf
Oxford Hills Golf Club:
http://pioneercrosscountry.com///Maps/Oxford_Course.pdf
Fish Creek Sportsman's Club (Carson City):
http://pioneercrosscountry.com///Maps/CarsonCity2007Course.gif
Rolling Hills County Park (Washtenaw):
http://pioneercrosscountry.com///Maps/RollingHillsCourse.jpg
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
Island Lake State Recreation Area: Hike Reports
07/20/04
I would also try to push the envelope a bit in terms of camping areas in state parks and other similar areas. For instance, you could rent the cabins at Island Lake SRA and put up a tent outside the building. Or you could carry in a canoe to the canoe campground at Island Lake, leave it there during the day, head to the other end of the park, hike to the canoe only campground, canoe during the evening then hike back out.
07/20/04
Livingston County: Island Lake Recreation Area: By combining the Yellow and Blue loop trails, you can hike for 14 miles without backtracking. The terrain is flat to gently rolling with some hills . The trail surface is natural. The highlight of this hike is the meandering, undeveloped Huron River. Be aware, however, that this is a popular mountain biking area. Contact info.: Island Lake Rec. Area, (810) 229-7067. By the end of 2001, it will be possible to extend this hike into the paved Kensington Metropark trails to the north - adding another 8+ miles. No camping.
07/16/01:
I just hiked the east loop of Island lake Rec. Area with some friends. It's 6 miles and can be 14 if you hike a second loop. I think it would make a nice urban backpack. But you'd have to reserve the frontier cabins. I was also thinking it might be possible to bushwack to the canoe campgrounds - two seven mile days.
04/01/02
Hey guys. I did a little afternoon hiking at Island Lake today and checked out the canoe camps. There are two really nice sites right on the Huron River. There is a well-maintained outhouse, several benches and an unusable water pump. It would be a great place to camp.
There is a small two-track that leads out to the main park road. If you cross the road and enter the parking lot, there is another two track that intersects with the West Loop hiking/mountain bike trail. The trail crosses underneath a railroad bridge and hikers might be tempted to just follow the Huron River into camp, but this is not advisable. The terrain is swampy and difficult. Better to take the two track. So, everything is there for a nice 20 mile overnight backpack. Great trail. Great campsites.
ONE BIG PROBLEM. I asked the park staff if I could backpack into the campground and two different rangers said no. The park rules only allow canoeists to use the campsites. So, I guess it depends whether you want to lug a canoe in for show. Or take your chances. It seems like you'd stand a fair chance of being found out. This is a reason why we need a hiker advocacy group in SE Michigan.
Other options: Chaperone a group of kids backpacking to the organization camp. Or, get one of the rustic cabins on the West side of the park.
04/03/02
Hi Joe!
Your point is a good one, although there are a number of canoe camps along the Huron River in the metroparks. There is one backpacker camp in southeast Michigan. So, if you are totalling the numbers, the need for backpack camps is greater.
And guess how many canoeists were using the camp when I was there? Zero. It seems to me that a hiking group could push to get the camp opened to backpack use during the offseason or when canoeists hadn't reserved it.
Overall, the place seems well-run. So, I'll defer to the people who manage the place. But it does seem funny that an unused existing facility would be banned when there is such a need.
04/21/02
Saturday, I hiked the West/Blue Loop at Island Lake SRA in the suburbs. There were houses and a railroad along the tracks for a bit, but this was a nice 9.2 mile hike. The first 5 miles are pretty flat, but there are a few hills in the second half. There weren't too many bikers out there this early in the spring and they didn't seem to get on the trail until after noon. So, morning hiking would probably be okay. This is well-marked trail. I like a little more uncertainty. Nothing like having to guess which way to go. But, I got my first slight sunburn. Sunblock season has arrived.
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=462
I would also try to push the envelope a bit in terms of camping areas in state parks and other similar areas. For instance, you could rent the cabins at Island Lake SRA and put up a tent outside the building. Or you could carry in a canoe to the canoe campground at Island Lake, leave it there during the day, head to the other end of the park, hike to the canoe only campground, canoe during the evening then hike back out.
07/20/04
Livingston County: Island Lake Recreation Area: By combining the Yellow and Blue loop trails, you can hike for 14 miles without backtracking. The terrain is flat to gently rolling with some hills . The trail surface is natural. The highlight of this hike is the meandering, undeveloped Huron River. Be aware, however, that this is a popular mountain biking area. Contact info.: Island Lake Rec. Area, (810) 229-7067. By the end of 2001, it will be possible to extend this hike into the paved Kensington Metropark trails to the north - adding another 8+ miles. No camping.
07/16/01:
I just hiked the east loop of Island lake Rec. Area with some friends. It's 6 miles and can be 14 if you hike a second loop. I think it would make a nice urban backpack. But you'd have to reserve the frontier cabins. I was also thinking it might be possible to bushwack to the canoe campgrounds - two seven mile days.
04/01/02
Hey guys. I did a little afternoon hiking at Island Lake today and checked out the canoe camps. There are two really nice sites right on the Huron River. There is a well-maintained outhouse, several benches and an unusable water pump. It would be a great place to camp.
There is a small two-track that leads out to the main park road. If you cross the road and enter the parking lot, there is another two track that intersects with the West Loop hiking/mountain bike trail. The trail crosses underneath a railroad bridge and hikers might be tempted to just follow the Huron River into camp, but this is not advisable. The terrain is swampy and difficult. Better to take the two track. So, everything is there for a nice 20 mile overnight backpack. Great trail. Great campsites.
ONE BIG PROBLEM. I asked the park staff if I could backpack into the campground and two different rangers said no. The park rules only allow canoeists to use the campsites. So, I guess it depends whether you want to lug a canoe in for show. Or take your chances. It seems like you'd stand a fair chance of being found out. This is a reason why we need a hiker advocacy group in SE Michigan.
Other options: Chaperone a group of kids backpacking to the organization camp. Or, get one of the rustic cabins on the West side of the park.
04/03/02
Hi Joe!
Your point is a good one, although there are a number of canoe camps along the Huron River in the metroparks. There is one backpacker camp in southeast Michigan. So, if you are totalling the numbers, the need for backpack camps is greater.
And guess how many canoeists were using the camp when I was there? Zero. It seems to me that a hiking group could push to get the camp opened to backpack use during the offseason or when canoeists hadn't reserved it.
Overall, the place seems well-run. So, I'll defer to the people who manage the place. But it does seem funny that an unused existing facility would be banned when there is such a need.
04/21/02
Saturday, I hiked the West/Blue Loop at Island Lake SRA in the suburbs. There were houses and a railroad along the tracks for a bit, but this was a nice 9.2 mile hike. The first 5 miles are pretty flat, but there are a few hills in the second half. There weren't too many bikers out there this early in the spring and they didn't seem to get on the trail until after noon. So, morning hiking would probably be okay. This is well-marked trail. I like a little more uncertainty. Nothing like having to guess which way to go. But, I got my first slight sunburn. Sunblock season has arrived.
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=462
Dansville State Game Area: Hike Reports
Dansville State Game Area is to the southeast of Lansing, MI. These hike reports were originally posted on the Great Lakes Hike yahoo group:
04/03/02
I got out for a few miles this evening in the Dansville SGA - maps on DNR web site. The place is just north of the Ingham/Jackson County line. The simplest way is to take US-127 to M-36 East. Turn right on Meridian Rd. Once you hit Dexter Trail, you start getting into the SGA.
The trails I hiked were old two tracks. While not at all rugged, they were very pleasant to hike on. There were some very nice pine forests and the terrain was flat to slightly rolling. It looks to me like it might be possible to get a nice long - 6 to 8 or more mile -hike in there. The best part was Hewes Lake, a nice, unspoiled southern Michigan lake. I got there just before sunset as the reds and oranges fired across the water. As I returned to my car, friendly flakes of snow danced about the sky. Not a bad way to end the day.
04/21/02
Friday night, I bisected Dansville State Game Area in southern Ingham County. There is continuous trail from the work station on Dexter Trail to down to Ewers Rd. That's about two miles one way, so four miles total. The place has a few hills and is really swampy. I wish I had a camera to show the three makeshift bridges over some streams in the southern portions of my route. Yikes. But I didn't slip. Oh, and the bugs! Got my first bug bites of the year. I'm working on finding a circle route or extended point to point in this place. I'll post more as I learn the area.
http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/sga/dansville.pdf
04/03/02
I got out for a few miles this evening in the Dansville SGA - maps on DNR web site. The place is just north of the Ingham/Jackson County line. The simplest way is to take US-127 to M-36 East. Turn right on Meridian Rd. Once you hit Dexter Trail, you start getting into the SGA.
The trails I hiked were old two tracks. While not at all rugged, they were very pleasant to hike on. There were some very nice pine forests and the terrain was flat to slightly rolling. It looks to me like it might be possible to get a nice long - 6 to 8 or more mile -hike in there. The best part was Hewes Lake, a nice, unspoiled southern Michigan lake. I got there just before sunset as the reds and oranges fired across the water. As I returned to my car, friendly flakes of snow danced about the sky. Not a bad way to end the day.
04/21/02
Friday night, I bisected Dansville State Game Area in southern Ingham County. There is continuous trail from the work station on Dexter Trail to down to Ewers Rd. That's about two miles one way, so four miles total. The place has a few hills and is really swampy. I wish I had a camera to show the three makeshift bridges over some streams in the southern portions of my route. Yikes. But I didn't slip. Oh, and the bugs! Got my first bug bites of the year. I'm working on finding a circle route or extended point to point in this place. I'll post more as I learn the area.
http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/sga/dansville.pdf
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Sleepy Hollow State Park: Hike Reports
05/26/03
Hello again!
My second hike today was in the Sleepy Hollow SP north of Lansing. I've never been here before, so I decided to go whole hog and loop the lake. It ended up being 9 or 10 miles and was way cool. There is a surprising amount of terrain in the southern portions of the park and you get some nice views of marsh and lake. The eastern side trails between the campgrounds and lake are not really nice, but I was ready to get back to my car. I saw three mountain bikers, two hikers and several fishermen on my hike. Some of the intersection markings are not good. That said, it is hard to get lost. In fact the West Side trails are in a narrow section of public land between road and lake. It's proof that a nice trail can exist on a small corridor of land.
The highlight of the day was a small log crossing over a branch of the Maple River on the NW corner of Lake Ovid. A mountain biker who I stopped to compare notes with checked out the trail ahead on his bike and came back to tell me about the lack of bridge. I responded by saying, "Great. Now I have something to look forward to." With the help of a branch, I was able to schlepp across without much trouble.
07/19/04
Also, regular state parks can be "backpacked" using existing developed campgrounds. Sleepy Hollow State Park would be a good example of this possibility. It might not be wilderness, but that's not why people live in Lansing anyway.
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=495
Hello again!
My second hike today was in the Sleepy Hollow SP north of Lansing. I've never been here before, so I decided to go whole hog and loop the lake. It ended up being 9 or 10 miles and was way cool. There is a surprising amount of terrain in the southern portions of the park and you get some nice views of marsh and lake. The eastern side trails between the campgrounds and lake are not really nice, but I was ready to get back to my car. I saw three mountain bikers, two hikers and several fishermen on my hike. Some of the intersection markings are not good. That said, it is hard to get lost. In fact the West Side trails are in a narrow section of public land between road and lake. It's proof that a nice trail can exist on a small corridor of land.
The highlight of the day was a small log crossing over a branch of the Maple River on the NW corner of Lake Ovid. A mountain biker who I stopped to compare notes with checked out the trail ahead on his bike and came back to tell me about the lack of bridge. I responded by saying, "Great. Now I have something to look forward to." With the help of a branch, I was able to schlepp across without much trouble.
07/19/04
Also, regular state parks can be "backpacked" using existing developed campgrounds. Sleepy Hollow State Park would be a good example of this possibility. It might not be wilderness, but that's not why people live in Lansing anyway.
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=495
Stinchfield Woods: Hike Reports
02/11/01:
And, while I'm at it, has anyone ever hiked east out of Pinckney SRA on the Losee Lake trail through Stinchfield Woods (U of M property) and into Hudson Mills Metropark? I think it's all contiguous public land. I just ask, because they're planning to get rid of the dam in Dexter and build a trail on the old river bottom. It could add an extra day of hiking to the Waterloo-Pinckney trail.
02/14/01:
I was asking because you can start at Portage Lake in Waterloo Rec. Area. The start of the Losee Lake Trail is next to the end of the Waterloo-Pinckney Trail. If you hike straight through the Losee Lake Trail and bushwack a little, you get to U of M's Stinchfield Woods. On the other side of the Stinchfield Woods is an undeveloped section of Hudson Mills Metropark - more bushwacking on a river. They are planning a new trail to Dexter from there. With the right route, you would probably end up with 40+ miles - enough for a long hike.
05/19/01
Before I started a hike at Pinckney Rec. Area today, I dropped by the headquarters and asked if there was a volunteer hiking trail crew. The ranger told me that the bikers do lots of trail work, but the hikers do nothing. Is this correct? Or is there a local trail crewthat I could link up with? Any help would be appreciated.
BTW, I have a second question: Where is everyone? I hiked the Losee Lake trail. It's short (3.5 miles), but not a bad little hike when combined with some of the other trails. Well, I saw no one. Today was absolutely gorgeous and there are like 5 million people within an hours drive. Did everyone just decide to stay home? Or are there just not that many hikers out there. BTW, this is not an unusual event. I almost always find Metro area trails uncrowded - even on weekends and holidays.
Finally, some advice: Don't go off-trail hiking in a swamp unless you really know what you are doing. I was trying to find a connector from the Losee Lake trail to Stinchfield Woods and ended up ankle high in mud surrounded by thorn bushes with bees dive-bombing me. I just started laughing and asked myself, "What were you thinking?" Anyway, I haven't given up. I'll find that connector yet.
01/26/03
Hi guys!
All the trip reports got me in the mood to type this one.
Our party of three - two human, one dog - set off for some hiking fun on Saturday at Stinchfield Woods. We weren't disappointed.
Stinchfield Woods is a piece of property in the 900 acre range that is owned by the University of Michigan for forestry study and astronomy. It is located just east of the Silver Lake area of Pinckney SRA. If you want to find it on a map, just look at the square bordered by Toma Rd, Stinchfield Woods Rd., Dexter-PinckneyRd. and North Territorial. Aside from a few houses, the land is all open to hiking and skiing between 6AM and 6PM. I don't know about bikes, although I know that during heavy summer bike weekends, you can hike there with little distraction.
Anyway, there are several possible parking spots around the square, but we chose the best one - a small renegade lot on the West side of Toma on state land. We crossed the road, passed through a break in the fence and started hiking.
It's hard to get lost in this place, considering the relatively small area. There are many singletrack trails, but there are also larger two-tracks that the university uses to manage the forest and get its scientists up to the telescopes. There are two older, traditional looking scopes that no longer have lenses near the caretaker's house.
There is also a giant radio telescope that we took a look at. It kind of reminded me of the movie "Contact." Also, we made a midwinter assault on Peach Mountain. Peach Mountain is the location of the radio antenna for WUOM, Michigan Public Radio. I am an avid listener and always love looking way up to the top of the tower and marveling that my favorite radio station is located in such a beautiful place.
Generally, the best way to hike Stinchfield is to just start hiking, get lost and try to find yourself again. I do have some maps, but they are out of print. If it is icy, an assault of Peach Mountain can be dangerous. Ice forms on the tower and falls off. This would be bad, bad. This area has trails that are much steeper than the nearby Waterloo-Pinckney Trail, so ski poles are recommended.
We hiked for 2.5 hours and probably covered 6 to 7 miles. I'll bet that there are 15 to 20 miles of paths in this place, so you can keep returning for different hikes. It kind of reminds me of the Kellogg Forest near Battle Creek.
Oh, yeah, it was cold and we had snow on the ground. But that won't change soon.
06/10/02:
Finally, last night I did a perimeter hike at Stinchfield Woods, land to the east of and contiguous with Pinckney SRA. I parked on Thoma Rd. (small, obscure parking area) and did probably 7 or 8 miles. This place is great, great, great. Lots of steep hills and beautiful forest. The highlights: Laying in the sun at the top of Peach Mountain. They keep is mowed, so it's kind of like an Appalachian bald. You get just enough of a view in an opening to the east to know that in winter this would be one of the best views in SE Michigan. I'm told by the only other hikers I saw that you have to be careful of ice chunks that fall from the WUOM transmitter on top of Peach Mountain. But still, it's kind of neat to know where my NPR comes from. Another highlight was the radio telescope on the west side of the 800+ acre area. Ever seen Contact? Yup. This telescope looks just like the ones in that movie. Big and exotic. Finally, Uof M allows hikers and skiers from 6AM to 6PM.
And, while I'm at it, has anyone ever hiked east out of Pinckney SRA on the Losee Lake trail through Stinchfield Woods (U of M property) and into Hudson Mills Metropark? I think it's all contiguous public land. I just ask, because they're planning to get rid of the dam in Dexter and build a trail on the old river bottom. It could add an extra day of hiking to the Waterloo-Pinckney trail.
02/14/01:
I was asking because you can start at Portage Lake in Waterloo Rec. Area. The start of the Losee Lake Trail is next to the end of the Waterloo-Pinckney Trail. If you hike straight through the Losee Lake Trail and bushwack a little, you get to U of M's Stinchfield Woods. On the other side of the Stinchfield Woods is an undeveloped section of Hudson Mills Metropark - more bushwacking on a river. They are planning a new trail to Dexter from there. With the right route, you would probably end up with 40+ miles - enough for a long hike.
05/19/01
Before I started a hike at Pinckney Rec. Area today, I dropped by the headquarters and asked if there was a volunteer hiking trail crew. The ranger told me that the bikers do lots of trail work, but the hikers do nothing. Is this correct? Or is there a local trail crewthat I could link up with? Any help would be appreciated.
BTW, I have a second question: Where is everyone? I hiked the Losee Lake trail. It's short (3.5 miles), but not a bad little hike when combined with some of the other trails. Well, I saw no one. Today was absolutely gorgeous and there are like 5 million people within an hours drive. Did everyone just decide to stay home? Or are there just not that many hikers out there. BTW, this is not an unusual event. I almost always find Metro area trails uncrowded - even on weekends and holidays.
Finally, some advice: Don't go off-trail hiking in a swamp unless you really know what you are doing. I was trying to find a connector from the Losee Lake trail to Stinchfield Woods and ended up ankle high in mud surrounded by thorn bushes with bees dive-bombing me. I just started laughing and asked myself, "What were you thinking?" Anyway, I haven't given up. I'll find that connector yet.
01/26/03
Hi guys!
All the trip reports got me in the mood to type this one.
Our party of three - two human, one dog - set off for some hiking fun on Saturday at Stinchfield Woods. We weren't disappointed.
Stinchfield Woods is a piece of property in the 900 acre range that is owned by the University of Michigan for forestry study and astronomy. It is located just east of the Silver Lake area of Pinckney SRA. If you want to find it on a map, just look at the square bordered by Toma Rd, Stinchfield Woods Rd., Dexter-PinckneyRd. and North Territorial. Aside from a few houses, the land is all open to hiking and skiing between 6AM and 6PM. I don't know about bikes, although I know that during heavy summer bike weekends, you can hike there with little distraction.
Anyway, there are several possible parking spots around the square, but we chose the best one - a small renegade lot on the West side of Toma on state land. We crossed the road, passed through a break in the fence and started hiking.
It's hard to get lost in this place, considering the relatively small area. There are many singletrack trails, but there are also larger two-tracks that the university uses to manage the forest and get its scientists up to the telescopes. There are two older, traditional looking scopes that no longer have lenses near the caretaker's house.
There is also a giant radio telescope that we took a look at. It kind of reminded me of the movie "Contact." Also, we made a midwinter assault on Peach Mountain. Peach Mountain is the location of the radio antenna for WUOM, Michigan Public Radio. I am an avid listener and always love looking way up to the top of the tower and marveling that my favorite radio station is located in such a beautiful place.
Generally, the best way to hike Stinchfield is to just start hiking, get lost and try to find yourself again. I do have some maps, but they are out of print. If it is icy, an assault of Peach Mountain can be dangerous. Ice forms on the tower and falls off. This would be bad, bad. This area has trails that are much steeper than the nearby Waterloo-Pinckney Trail, so ski poles are recommended.
We hiked for 2.5 hours and probably covered 6 to 7 miles. I'll bet that there are 15 to 20 miles of paths in this place, so you can keep returning for different hikes. It kind of reminds me of the Kellogg Forest near Battle Creek.
Oh, yeah, it was cold and we had snow on the ground. But that won't change soon.
06/10/02:
Finally, last night I did a perimeter hike at Stinchfield Woods, land to the east of and contiguous with Pinckney SRA. I parked on Thoma Rd. (small, obscure parking area) and did probably 7 or 8 miles. This place is great, great, great. Lots of steep hills and beautiful forest. The highlights: Laying in the sun at the top of Peach Mountain. They keep is mowed, so it's kind of like an Appalachian bald. You get just enough of a view in an opening to the east to know that in winter this would be one of the best views in SE Michigan. I'm told by the only other hikers I saw that you have to be careful of ice chunks that fall from the WUOM transmitter on top of Peach Mountain. But still, it's kind of neat to know where my NPR comes from. Another highlight was the radio telescope on the west side of the 800+ acre area. Ever seen Contact? Yup. This telescope looks just like the ones in that movie. Big and exotic. Finally, Uof M allows hikers and skiers from 6AM to 6PM.
Vassar State Game Area: Hike Report
Vassar SGA
03/17/02
Hello!
I was at a conference in Frankenmuth at the end of last week and I just couldn't resist doing a little thumb tour. Of course, I was sick with this crazy virus that's going around and I couldn't hike very much.
That said, I did get a couple of miles in along the Cass River where it crosses M-46 (P.51 of Delorme's). It's in the Vassar SGA and is well-marked by, it appears, the Reese HS out-of-doors club. I really enjoyed the small section I hiked and wondered if anyone knows anything else about it. By my estimation, the contiguous Vassar and Tuscola SGAs are about 10,000 acres total - which put it on par with Waterloo or Pinckney Rec. Areas. Anyone have experience hiking this area?
Anyway, I was intrigued enough that I might head back up on a weekend in the summer. But I figured I'd ask for any local knowledge that might be on the board.
Thanks!
Mike
P.S. Beets are cool.
http://www.reese.k12.mi.us/ExtraActivities/ReeseOutofDoorsClub/tabid/251/Default.aspx
http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/sga/vassar.pdf
http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/sga/tuscola.pdf
03/17/02
Hello!
I was at a conference in Frankenmuth at the end of last week and I just couldn't resist doing a little thumb tour. Of course, I was sick with this crazy virus that's going around and I couldn't hike very much.
That said, I did get a couple of miles in along the Cass River where it crosses M-46 (P.51 of Delorme's). It's in the Vassar SGA and is well-marked by, it appears, the Reese HS out-of-doors club. I really enjoyed the small section I hiked and wondered if anyone knows anything else about it. By my estimation, the contiguous Vassar and Tuscola SGAs are about 10,000 acres total - which put it on par with Waterloo or Pinckney Rec. Areas. Anyone have experience hiking this area?
Anyway, I was intrigued enough that I might head back up on a weekend in the summer. But I figured I'd ask for any local knowledge that might be on the board.
Thanks!
Mike
P.S. Beets are cool.
http://www.reese.k12.mi.us/ExtraActivities/ReeseOutofDoorsClub/tabid/251/Default.aspx
http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/sga/vassar.pdf
http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/sga/tuscola.pdf
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Curtiss/Mill Pond Parks: Saline, MI: Hike Reports
05/11/03
On my way back from used book shopping, I decided to check out a park in Saline to see if it could be incorporated into a nice urban hike. I shot north on Mill Rd. from US-12 to the parking area for Mill Pond Park. Near the parking lot is a small bridge to nowhere -a small island - and some impressive rapids/small waterfalls.
The park is floodplain along the Saline River and an impoundment created by one of Henry Ford's village industry complexes. On both sides of the shore, the Saline River has cut steep banks on which sit very nice houses. I'd guess I walked a bit less than a mile to get to US-12 on marshy mowed grass.
From there, I crossed to Curtiss Park and shot through a nicely landscaped park along the river to the backside. At the back side of the park is a natural area with very muddy and wide paths. I've seen some small waterfalls on the opposite bank of the river here in winter. Then, I retraced mysteps.
There is nothing really to recommend this walk to anyone except those of us in the neighborhood looking for a walk. This route can be lengthened by shooting up a bank through a cemetary and sidewalks to another park called Wilderness Park with its own 2 mile trail system.
I'm also checking to see if Risdon Park can take out some of the sidewalk portions. Risdon is on the site of the estate of the founder of Saline who reached this location by boat from Lake Erie.
I saw nesting swans, ducks, bad-attitude geese, a Henry Ford mill and a nice dam on this walk. Routes in the 5+ mile range can be had here.
On my way back from used book shopping, I decided to check out a park in Saline to see if it could be incorporated into a nice urban hike. I shot north on Mill Rd. from US-12 to the parking area for Mill Pond Park. Near the parking lot is a small bridge to nowhere -a small island - and some impressive rapids/small waterfalls.
The park is floodplain along the Saline River and an impoundment created by one of Henry Ford's village industry complexes. On both sides of the shore, the Saline River has cut steep banks on which sit very nice houses. I'd guess I walked a bit less than a mile to get to US-12 on marshy mowed grass.
From there, I crossed to Curtiss Park and shot through a nicely landscaped park along the river to the backside. At the back side of the park is a natural area with very muddy and wide paths. I've seen some small waterfalls on the opposite bank of the river here in winter. Then, I retraced mysteps.
There is nothing really to recommend this walk to anyone except those of us in the neighborhood looking for a walk. This route can be lengthened by shooting up a bank through a cemetary and sidewalks to another park called Wilderness Park with its own 2 mile trail system.
I'm also checking to see if Risdon Park can take out some of the sidewalk portions. Risdon is on the site of the estate of the founder of Saline who reached this location by boat from Lake Erie.
I saw nesting swans, ducks, bad-attitude geese, a Henry Ford mill and a nice dam on this walk. Routes in the 5+ mile range can be had here.
High Cliff State Park (WI): Hike Reports
11/06/02
Hi guys!
I'm dating a woman from Wisconsin, so I've been checking out a few parks there. One that kind of captured my interest is High Cliff SP near Appleton/Green Bay on the east side of Lake Winnebago. It has lots of cool rock formations and, well, cliffs. These cliffs are apparently a part of the Niagara Escarpment.
Now, I know that Niagara Falls and the Bruce Trail to Tobermory is part of this. And I seem to recall a post here about a hidden section in the UP. And would it be wrong of me to assume that the chain of islands from the Garden Peninsula to the Door Peninsula is a section of this escarpment?
Anyway, this whole formation just always intrigues me. Does anyone know how long it is? Do you know of any hidden sections? What,exactly formed it? Any info. would be much appreciated.
Thanks!Nighthiker Mike:)
11/07/02
Re: Niagra Escarpment
Thanks Craig!
I'd love to check this section out sometime. Maybe you could pass on the directions sometime?
Jackson, eh? Too bad I'll be on my way to Wisconsin tomorrow afternoon. It'd be great to catch you for a neighborhood dayhike. Anyway, I think I'll try and catch a bit of the Ice Age Trail in Kettle Moraine SF this weekend. We'll see how it is.
Mike
--- In greatlakeshikes@y..., grypnytail@a... wrote:> Mike:> I've been to a section of the Niagra Escarpment in the Up. It's a50-100'> tall cliff, maybe 1/2 mile long, and very interesting. It's verynear the NCT> and easily accessable from a car (couple hundred yards). I think Ihave pics> on a CD somewhere...> Craig
01/19/03
I hiked about 8 miles on Saturday at High Cliff SP near Appleton/Green Bay, WI. I love the place because it has a portion of the Niagara escarpment. There is rock climbing to be had here and some nice hikes in rock crevices. On this hike, we ended up just looping through wooded areas on the edge of the cliffs along Lake Winnebago. It was cold and the wind was strong on our high route. That said, it was really nice. There is little to no snow in Wisconsin right now, so the dogsled teams that we encountered were using wheeled contraptions and four-wheeled ORVs to drive their teams. Some Boy Scouts were camping in the area and had created ice sculptures at the visitor's center. Hiking was flat and fun. The highlight was a beautiful sunset over Lake Winnebago.
03/30/03
I hiked a new trail today. Even though it was only three miles, the Old Lime Kiln trail at High Cliff is great. High Cliff SP is nearAppleton, WI on the shores of Lake Winnebago. This particular trail rises and falls over a section of the Niagara Escarpment, so it'spretty hilly. The cliffs are pretty broken in this area, so there is opportunity for some climbing and hiking through crevices. There were some mud spots and central to northern Wisconsin didn't quite get the 60s and 70s that we've seen in extreme southern MI, so Lake Winnebago is still almost completely frozen. The old lime kiln is at the trail head and it's pretty cool. I've hiked all the trails in this park except for the horse trails and I'll get those in some time this week. If anyone knows of good trail in the northeast section of WI or near Menominee in the UP, I'd appreciate them.
The most interesting aspect of the hike was the variable weather. We could see snow falling in the distance, but the bright sun was also shining through the cloud banks. Then, suddenly, we couldn't see the other side of the lake and - BOOM - the snow was upon us. Then, five minutes later it was gone.
Spring Break in Wisconsin - Brrrrr!
03/31/03
Then, I checked out the horse trails at High Cliff SP. These are fantastic. For a mile or two, we were on a sharp cliff face and the trail followed the edge. There were a couple of places where it looked possible to scramble down the cliffs. Great lake views. Some up and down. Neat old stone grain silo to check out. Good fieldstone walls. Pleasantly rocky trail at points. We hiked about 6 miles here, but you could add mileage to this section with snowmobile trails and other offshoot horse trails. And you could use the hiking trails in the park proper for a nice long day or two of hiking. I really enjoyed this place despite the drizzly snow that started to drench us.
04/01/03
BTW, I went out again last night and hiked 6 miles of horse trail in High Cliff SP. Wow! For a mile or two, I followed the top of a sheer cliff a couple of hundred feet up. Some of the terrain was reminiscent of the Minister Creek Trail in the Alleghenies. And there were spots where it seemed possible to scramble down to the lake. Lots of crevices and rock outcroppings. And that lake is gigantic - sometimes not possible to see the other side. I'll bet there are 15+ miles of trail in the park. Still, it's just a dayhiking place.
04/02/03
One cool thing, though. I was reading on the mtbr trail review page and a biker says that there is a trail that connects to High Cliff SP. That would greatly increase the total trail possible in a long dayhike.
07/12/04
I've been a regular lately at High Cliff SP near Appleton, WI. First, the out-of-state daypass is $10. I turned around and got Kathy's car with the sticker after that shocker. Lake Winnebago, however, is very cool. If you stand on the cliff, you can't see the other end of the lake - I love that. But you really to get the sense of the immensity of the Great Lakes system. I believe that Winnebago was once a part of Green Bay/Lake Michigan. The Great Lakes are much bigger than just the 5 main lakes.
Hi guys!
I'm dating a woman from Wisconsin, so I've been checking out a few parks there. One that kind of captured my interest is High Cliff SP near Appleton/Green Bay on the east side of Lake Winnebago. It has lots of cool rock formations and, well, cliffs. These cliffs are apparently a part of the Niagara Escarpment.
Now, I know that Niagara Falls and the Bruce Trail to Tobermory is part of this. And I seem to recall a post here about a hidden section in the UP. And would it be wrong of me to assume that the chain of islands from the Garden Peninsula to the Door Peninsula is a section of this escarpment?
Anyway, this whole formation just always intrigues me. Does anyone know how long it is? Do you know of any hidden sections? What,exactly formed it? Any info. would be much appreciated.
Thanks!Nighthiker Mike:)
11/07/02
Re: Niagra Escarpment
Thanks Craig!
I'd love to check this section out sometime. Maybe you could pass on the directions sometime?
Jackson, eh? Too bad I'll be on my way to Wisconsin tomorrow afternoon. It'd be great to catch you for a neighborhood dayhike. Anyway, I think I'll try and catch a bit of the Ice Age Trail in Kettle Moraine SF this weekend. We'll see how it is.
Mike
--- In greatlakeshikes@y..., grypnytail@a... wrote:> Mike:> I've been to a section of the Niagra Escarpment in the Up. It's a50-100'> tall cliff, maybe 1/2 mile long, and very interesting. It's verynear the NCT> and easily accessable from a car (couple hundred yards). I think Ihave pics> on a CD somewhere...> Craig
01/19/03
I hiked about 8 miles on Saturday at High Cliff SP near Appleton/Green Bay, WI. I love the place because it has a portion of the Niagara escarpment. There is rock climbing to be had here and some nice hikes in rock crevices. On this hike, we ended up just looping through wooded areas on the edge of the cliffs along Lake Winnebago. It was cold and the wind was strong on our high route. That said, it was really nice. There is little to no snow in Wisconsin right now, so the dogsled teams that we encountered were using wheeled contraptions and four-wheeled ORVs to drive their teams. Some Boy Scouts were camping in the area and had created ice sculptures at the visitor's center. Hiking was flat and fun. The highlight was a beautiful sunset over Lake Winnebago.
03/30/03
I hiked a new trail today. Even though it was only three miles, the Old Lime Kiln trail at High Cliff is great. High Cliff SP is nearAppleton, WI on the shores of Lake Winnebago. This particular trail rises and falls over a section of the Niagara Escarpment, so it'spretty hilly. The cliffs are pretty broken in this area, so there is opportunity for some climbing and hiking through crevices. There were some mud spots and central to northern Wisconsin didn't quite get the 60s and 70s that we've seen in extreme southern MI, so Lake Winnebago is still almost completely frozen. The old lime kiln is at the trail head and it's pretty cool. I've hiked all the trails in this park except for the horse trails and I'll get those in some time this week. If anyone knows of good trail in the northeast section of WI or near Menominee in the UP, I'd appreciate them.
The most interesting aspect of the hike was the variable weather. We could see snow falling in the distance, but the bright sun was also shining through the cloud banks. Then, suddenly, we couldn't see the other side of the lake and - BOOM - the snow was upon us. Then, five minutes later it was gone.
Spring Break in Wisconsin - Brrrrr!
03/31/03
Then, I checked out the horse trails at High Cliff SP. These are fantastic. For a mile or two, we were on a sharp cliff face and the trail followed the edge. There were a couple of places where it looked possible to scramble down the cliffs. Great lake views. Some up and down. Neat old stone grain silo to check out. Good fieldstone walls. Pleasantly rocky trail at points. We hiked about 6 miles here, but you could add mileage to this section with snowmobile trails and other offshoot horse trails. And you could use the hiking trails in the park proper for a nice long day or two of hiking. I really enjoyed this place despite the drizzly snow that started to drench us.
04/01/03
BTW, I went out again last night and hiked 6 miles of horse trail in High Cliff SP. Wow! For a mile or two, I followed the top of a sheer cliff a couple of hundred feet up. Some of the terrain was reminiscent of the Minister Creek Trail in the Alleghenies. And there were spots where it seemed possible to scramble down to the lake. Lots of crevices and rock outcroppings. And that lake is gigantic - sometimes not possible to see the other side. I'll bet there are 15+ miles of trail in the park. Still, it's just a dayhiking place.
04/02/03
One cool thing, though. I was reading on the mtbr trail review page and a biker says that there is a trail that connects to High Cliff SP. That would greatly increase the total trail possible in a long dayhike.
07/12/04
I've been a regular lately at High Cliff SP near Appleton, WI. First, the out-of-state daypass is $10. I turned around and got Kathy's car with the sticker after that shocker. Lake Winnebago, however, is very cool. If you stand on the cliff, you can't see the other end of the lake - I love that. But you really to get the sense of the immensity of the Great Lakes system. I believe that Winnebago was once a part of Green Bay/Lake Michigan. The Great Lakes are much bigger than just the 5 main lakes.
Fort Custer SRA Hike Reports
I originally posted the following hike reports on the Great Lakes Hikes bulletin board:
12/30/01:
Oh, and we had a great time at Fort Custer (Battle Creek). 8 miles, a midwinter stream ford, frozen lakes and snow, snow, snow. We cleared a picnic table for lunch that had 1.5 to 2 feet of snow on it. That was pretty consistent in the area - and some really fun trailblazing in the areas where no one had been. Here in NW Lenawee County we have 3 or 4 inches. BTW, thanks Dave and his son for joining us on today's hike.
12/31/01
This was one time when the arguments about track/not track breaks down. We had about two feet of fresh powder to hike/ski through. The skiers kind of needed the snowshoers to go first to clear the way. And the good thing about snowshoes is that the force of the foot is dissipated into a wider area - so no postholes to mess up skiers in back. The great thing was that the conditions didn't allow the skiers to get too far ahead of the pack.
Oh, and one more question to add to the ski/snowshoe debate: What about the dogsledders?
Fort Custer State Recreation Area is between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, MI. I would think it would take about 45 minutes to get there from Elkhart. It has about 30 miles of trail with a waterfall and great lakefront trail. It's worth the drive.
04/06/03
Anyway, on my way back from snow-filled and ice-covered Wisconsin, I stopped in at Fort Custer SRA near Battle Creek and hiked a bit around Eagle Lake. The trail around the lake was built by mountain bikers, but I've always found it to be one of the most enjoyable hikes in southern Michigan. I only went out about two miles and doubled back. I started at the boat launch and followed the shore. There were eight swans in a little cove. I liked the little water crossings. They were about four inches up my boot. I especially like the second one that passes right over the top of a waterfall.
The best maps that I've seen are in the Trail Atlas of Michigan. They are the only ones that have all the trails on one map -necessary in this place. This would be a great place for a local shakedown hike. Lots and lots of trail with many opportunities for shorter routes and pretty nice campground near water features.
12/30/01:
Oh, and we had a great time at Fort Custer (Battle Creek). 8 miles, a midwinter stream ford, frozen lakes and snow, snow, snow. We cleared a picnic table for lunch that had 1.5 to 2 feet of snow on it. That was pretty consistent in the area - and some really fun trailblazing in the areas where no one had been. Here in NW Lenawee County we have 3 or 4 inches. BTW, thanks Dave and his son for joining us on today's hike.
12/31/01
This was one time when the arguments about track/not track breaks down. We had about two feet of fresh powder to hike/ski through. The skiers kind of needed the snowshoers to go first to clear the way. And the good thing about snowshoes is that the force of the foot is dissipated into a wider area - so no postholes to mess up skiers in back. The great thing was that the conditions didn't allow the skiers to get too far ahead of the pack.
Oh, and one more question to add to the ski/snowshoe debate: What about the dogsledders?
Fort Custer State Recreation Area is between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, MI. I would think it would take about 45 minutes to get there from Elkhart. It has about 30 miles of trail with a waterfall and great lakefront trail. It's worth the drive.
04/06/03
Anyway, on my way back from snow-filled and ice-covered Wisconsin, I stopped in at Fort Custer SRA near Battle Creek and hiked a bit around Eagle Lake. The trail around the lake was built by mountain bikers, but I've always found it to be one of the most enjoyable hikes in southern Michigan. I only went out about two miles and doubled back. I started at the boat launch and followed the shore. There were eight swans in a little cove. I liked the little water crossings. They were about four inches up my boot. I especially like the second one that passes right over the top of a waterfall.
The best maps that I've seen are in the Trail Atlas of Michigan. They are the only ones that have all the trails on one map -necessary in this place. This would be a great place for a local shakedown hike. Lots and lots of trail with many opportunities for shorter routes and pretty nice campground near water features.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Erie State Game Area: Hike Report
This is a hike report that I originally posted on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
Erie SGA
Jan. 20, 2001
Well, Luanne, I've done a lot of thinking about that sort of thing. Mostly because I grew up in SE Michigan (Monroe). And while I have hiked in a lot of places like Isle Royale, G. Canyon, Yellowstone, most of my life is spent in a very industrial/populated region.
It really frustrates me at times. The Erie SGA hike that I mentioned has 5 power plants within view. But it is 4-20 miles of hiking right along the Great Lakes surrounded by some high quality nature. And I almost never see anybody there. I am optimistic by nature and I've hiked there so many times that I don't really see those bad things anymore.
What really frustrates me is that these power plants and dumps and quarries get built in a working class place like Monroe. And people in places like Ann Arbor don't get to see how their lights turn on at night or where their garbage goes. I actually think that I have a more real natural experience seeing the very bad with the very good. It is all part of the same.
As for this project, you could probably discount any SE Michigan hike for reasons like this. And I wouldn't necessarily recommend them to people from far away. But, they are the best I've found and for people in the area, a bit of the beautiful.
Erie SGA
Jan. 20, 2001
Well, Luanne, I've done a lot of thinking about that sort of thing. Mostly because I grew up in SE Michigan (Monroe). And while I have hiked in a lot of places like Isle Royale, G. Canyon, Yellowstone, most of my life is spent in a very industrial/populated region.
It really frustrates me at times. The Erie SGA hike that I mentioned has 5 power plants within view. But it is 4-20 miles of hiking right along the Great Lakes surrounded by some high quality nature. And I almost never see anybody there. I am optimistic by nature and I've hiked there so many times that I don't really see those bad things anymore.
What really frustrates me is that these power plants and dumps and quarries get built in a working class place like Monroe. And people in places like Ann Arbor don't get to see how their lights turn on at night or where their garbage goes. I actually think that I have a more real natural experience seeing the very bad with the very good. It is all part of the same.
As for this project, you could probably discount any SE Michigan hike for reasons like this. And I wouldn't necessarily recommend them to people from far away. But, they are the best I've found and for people in the area, a bit of the beautiful.
Cuyahoga National Park: Hike Reports
I originally posted this hike report on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
Cuyahoga Valley NP
04/06/02
Hey, anyone else know that they've changed the designation of the the CVNRA to actual national park status? I spent a day out there yesterday. It has the closest waterfalls to SE Michigan and has some pretty steep hiking. Much stronger terrain than the Waterloo-Pinckney. Driving distance from my house west of Adrian was 2.5 hours to trailheads. The drive back to my dad's house in Monroe was just under 2 hours. The park has 35 miles of the Buckeye Trail. The plan is to eventually create a 125 mile trail system on the 35,000 acres. It is in an urbanized area, so you aren't that far from people, but the hiking seems real good. No camping in the park. I think you could overnight in the AYH youth hostel, though and take the train back to the original trailhead. Might make for a nice, fun weekend.
Cuyahoga Valley NP
04/06/02
Hey, anyone else know that they've changed the designation of the the CVNRA to actual national park status? I spent a day out there yesterday. It has the closest waterfalls to SE Michigan and has some pretty steep hiking. Much stronger terrain than the Waterloo-Pinckney. Driving distance from my house west of Adrian was 2.5 hours to trailheads. The drive back to my dad's house in Monroe was just under 2 hours. The park has 35 miles of the Buckeye Trail. The plan is to eventually create a 125 mile trail system on the 35,000 acres. It is in an urbanized area, so you aren't that far from people, but the hiking seems real good. No camping in the park. I think you could overnight in the AYH youth hostel, though and take the train back to the original trailhead. Might make for a nice, fun weekend.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Lake Hudson SRA: Hike Reports
I originally posted these hike reports on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
01/19/01
Lenawee County: Lake Hudson State Rec. Area.
There are no trails, but just wild and hilly land along a lake. I bet it would be about a 10 or 12 mile hike around.
01/28/01
Lenawee: Lake Hudson SRA:
Take M-34 West from Adrian. Turn South on Morey Hwy. The park will be on the right.
05/02/02
Tonight I headed out to Lake Hudson SRA in Lenawee County. This has to be one of the least used parks in the whole state system. My understanding is that the park only gets about 90,000 visitors per year. That's about 270 per day for 3,000 acres. And I'll bet most of that comes from deer hunting and muskie fishing. Anyway, this place is desolate. It's a bunch of old farm fields with lots of hills, streams and woodlots. In the middle is a big, undeveloped lake.
There aren't really any trails in the place, but there are some hunting two tracks. I followed one out 2 or 3 miles and skirted a bunch of wooded areas. This might be a really fun place to just get lost in. The best thing is that this place is absolutely in the middle of nowhere. I drove a really nice paved road out and didn't seen any cars driving by for 15 minutes. All I heard the whole hike was the wind whipping across the plain.
01/19/01
Lenawee County: Lake Hudson State Rec. Area.
There are no trails, but just wild and hilly land along a lake. I bet it would be about a 10 or 12 mile hike around.
01/28/01
Lenawee: Lake Hudson SRA:
Take M-34 West from Adrian. Turn South on Morey Hwy. The park will be on the right.
05/02/02
Tonight I headed out to Lake Hudson SRA in Lenawee County. This has to be one of the least used parks in the whole state system. My understanding is that the park only gets about 90,000 visitors per year. That's about 270 per day for 3,000 acres. And I'll bet most of that comes from deer hunting and muskie fishing. Anyway, this place is desolate. It's a bunch of old farm fields with lots of hills, streams and woodlots. In the middle is a big, undeveloped lake.
There aren't really any trails in the place, but there are some hunting two tracks. I followed one out 2 or 3 miles and skirted a bunch of wooded areas. This might be a really fun place to just get lost in. The best thing is that this place is absolutely in the middle of nowhere. I drove a really nice paved road out and didn't seen any cars driving by for 15 minutes. All I heard the whole hike was the wind whipping across the plain.
Lillie Park: Hike Reports
I originally posted this hike report on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
5/31/3
I also checked out more of Lillie Park off of Platt Road south of Ann Arbor. This is another Pittsfield Township park. It's just about the strangest location for a park - right at the intersection of I-94 and US-23. The hike has constant traffic noise and wide, unappealing stone and paved paths. There are some sections of dirt singletrack. However, these were very muddy today. The township website says the park has 2.8 miles of trail, but there is probably more like 3.5 miles if the renegade dirt paths are included. On the positive side, there are two small lakes in the park and the section of rough trail around the northern lake is quite nice. This trail cuts up close to shore and has a small beachlike quality. There are sections of impressive boardwalk and some pretty high scenic viewpoints. This is a good place to walk the dog. And considering the aggressive, unleashed dogs that I encountered regularly on this hike, the target audience appears to have been achieved. I tell you, an apology every once in awhile would be nice.
5/31/3
I also checked out more of Lillie Park off of Platt Road south of Ann Arbor. This is another Pittsfield Township park. It's just about the strangest location for a park - right at the intersection of I-94 and US-23. The hike has constant traffic noise and wide, unappealing stone and paved paths. There are some sections of dirt singletrack. However, these were very muddy today. The township website says the park has 2.8 miles of trail, but there is probably more like 3.5 miles if the renegade dirt paths are included. On the positive side, there are two small lakes in the park and the section of rough trail around the northern lake is quite nice. This trail cuts up close to shore and has a small beachlike quality. There are sections of impressive boardwalk and some pretty high scenic viewpoints. This is a good place to walk the dog. And considering the aggressive, unleashed dogs that I encountered regularly on this hike, the target audience appears to have been achieved. I tell you, an apology every once in awhile would be nice.
Nan Weston Preserve: Hike Reports
I originally posted these hike reports on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
05/01/01
I went for a little hike (2 or 3 miles) yesterday in the Nan Weston Nature Conservancy preserve/Sharonville SGA west of Manchester. Geez, the wildflowers are amazing right now - I literally saw thousands of trilliums. I'd recommend the place to SE Michigan hikers. If you dig around in the maps a little, you can put together a good 10+ mile route.
03/27/02
I got about 5 miles in today at Sharon Hollow (P.31,Delorme's). I started from the Nature Conservancy parking area on Eusedes Rd(Section 29 on the map below). I crossed a bunch of streams - neat little bridges. I connected with the two track along the Sharon Hollow impoundment and hiked west into the game area. I followed the edge of a field along the River Raisin to where is crosses Sharon Valley Rd. I crossed and headed out to the small lake in section 36. Then I came back. 1.5 hours total. A few frogs were chirping. Lots of sandhill crane action. Lots of deer scurrying about.
Trail conditions were okay, but a bit muddy in spots. There are trails pretty much along the whole route and you can get in a good 9 or 10 mile straight line hike in the rest of the game area. But you have to know what you are doing to connect the paths. It's not too hilly, but it's a nice change of pace from Waterloo-Pinckney and you'll see no one else.
http://www.midnr.com/pdfs/wildlife/sga/sharonvl2001.pdf
05/01/01
I went for a little hike (2 or 3 miles) yesterday in the Nan Weston Nature Conservancy preserve/Sharonville SGA west of Manchester. Geez, the wildflowers are amazing right now - I literally saw thousands of trilliums. I'd recommend the place to SE Michigan hikers. If you dig around in the maps a little, you can put together a good 10+ mile route.
03/27/02
I got about 5 miles in today at Sharon Hollow (P.31,Delorme's). I started from the Nature Conservancy parking area on Eusedes Rd(Section 29 on the map below). I crossed a bunch of streams - neat little bridges. I connected with the two track along the Sharon Hollow impoundment and hiked west into the game area. I followed the edge of a field along the River Raisin to where is crosses Sharon Valley Rd. I crossed and headed out to the small lake in section 36. Then I came back. 1.5 hours total. A few frogs were chirping. Lots of sandhill crane action. Lots of deer scurrying about.
Trail conditions were okay, but a bit muddy in spots. There are trails pretty much along the whole route and you can get in a good 9 or 10 mile straight line hike in the rest of the game area. But you have to know what you are doing to connect the paths. It's not too hilly, but it's a nice change of pace from Waterloo-Pinckney and you'll see no one else.
http://www.midnr.com/pdfs/wildlife/sga/sharonvl2001.pdf
Oak Openings Metropark: Hike Reports
I originally posted these hike reports on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
11/05/01
Re: What a Sunday!
What did I see this weekend? Fighter jets. I hiked a ten mile loop at Oak Openings west of Toledo. All of a sudden, I hear a big whoosh and two fully loaded fighter jets scream over at Cessna level. Crazy. Your mind starts to wander after that.
07/24/02
Re: Hike report: Munson Park, Monroe
--- In greatlakeshikes@y..., "Susan Falk" <sfalk@o...> wrote:> Toledo as in Ohio?>> Susan
Yup. BTW, the best long trail in Toledo is the 17 mile Trail at Oak Openings Metropark. There are over 100 miles of trail there, so you can pick several routes. The place has sand dunes, lakes and oak savannah - globally rare environment. There is a backpack campground, but it might only be for scout groups. There are a few private campgrounds in the neighborhood. The place also connects to the Maumee State Forest for additional trail miles. And the 40+ mile Wabash-Cannonball Trail bisects the park. Before Dave jumps in, I'll mention that the NCT is scheduled to pass through the park.
10/01/02
The NCT will pass through Oak Openings Preserve Metropark near Toledo. The trails already exist, but are unmarked as NCT. They have over 100 miles of pathway. There is a boy scout campground in the park for backpackers. That would be about an hour from you. I would recommend it, especially during hunting season. Hunting is banned there - and no bikes. The NCT passes east and west from the park for about 40 or 50 miles along a rail corridor.
02/24/03
Re: Oak Openings Preserve/NCT Trip Report
Nice to see the report on Oak Openings. You really should see it when there is no snow on the ground. The terrain is very much different than most area hiking. The Oak Savannah is very strange to see. The endangered Karner Blue Butterfly is native to the area. I read in the Toledo Blade that the park is hoping to purchase an additional 100 acres for the park from an old industrial park. And a trail link to Secor Metropark might potentially be in the long range plan. Of course, the Wabash Cannonball, which passes through, is 47 miles long and is not far from the towpaths in its southern areas. And the Maumee State Forest connects in the south. There are a couple of small waterfalls in the park.
11/05/01
Re: What a Sunday!
What did I see this weekend? Fighter jets. I hiked a ten mile loop at Oak Openings west of Toledo. All of a sudden, I hear a big whoosh and two fully loaded fighter jets scream over at Cessna level. Crazy. Your mind starts to wander after that.
07/24/02
Re: Hike report: Munson Park, Monroe
--- In greatlakeshikes@y..., "Susan Falk" <sfalk@o...> wrote:> Toledo as in Ohio?>> Susan
Yup. BTW, the best long trail in Toledo is the 17 mile Trail at Oak Openings Metropark. There are over 100 miles of trail there, so you can pick several routes. The place has sand dunes, lakes and oak savannah - globally rare environment. There is a backpack campground, but it might only be for scout groups. There are a few private campgrounds in the neighborhood. The place also connects to the Maumee State Forest for additional trail miles. And the 40+ mile Wabash-Cannonball Trail bisects the park. Before Dave jumps in, I'll mention that the NCT is scheduled to pass through the park.
10/01/02
The NCT will pass through Oak Openings Preserve Metropark near Toledo. The trails already exist, but are unmarked as NCT. They have over 100 miles of pathway. There is a boy scout campground in the park for backpackers. That would be about an hour from you. I would recommend it, especially during hunting season. Hunting is banned there - and no bikes. The NCT passes east and west from the park for about 40 or 50 miles along a rail corridor.
02/24/03
Re: Oak Openings Preserve/NCT Trip Report
Nice to see the report on Oak Openings. You really should see it when there is no snow on the ground. The terrain is very much different than most area hiking. The Oak Savannah is very strange to see. The endangered Karner Blue Butterfly is native to the area. I read in the Toledo Blade that the park is hoping to purchase an additional 100 acres for the park from an old industrial park. And a trail link to Secor Metropark might potentially be in the long range plan. Of course, the Wabash Cannonball, which passes through, is 47 miles long and is not far from the towpaths in its southern areas. And the Maumee State Forest connects in the south. There are a couple of small waterfalls in the park.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Lakelands Trail State Park: Hike Reports
I originally posted these hike reports on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
07/27/01
I've been scouting the western end of the Lakelands Trail SP. And I've come up with an 80+ mile loop between Jackson and Ann Arbor.
Start at the Waterloo-Pinckney Trailhead at Portage Lake in Waterloo Rec. Area. Hike 36 miles to Silver Lake in Pinckney Rec. Area.
Hike 5.5 miles north on the Potowatomi Trail to it's brief encounter with Kelly Road (dirt, low use, wooded).
Hike north on Kelly Road for one mile to horse trail head in Pinckney Rec. Area. I'm looking for a trail alternative to the Kelly Rd. hike.
Hike two miles or so on the horse trails to their intersection with Lakeland Trail SP.
Hike west on Lakeland Trail 30 or 35 miles (gravel and natural surfaces) to intersection with Sayers Rd.
Hike south on Sayers, east on Coon Hill Rd. and south on Dunn Rd. Half of this road hike section is paved. Half is not. This is the least desirable section of the hike and lasts 3.5 miles. There are possible alternatives on possible state owned rail beds or the Haehnle Audubon Preserve.
At the end of Dunn Rd. you are close to Portage Lake. From here there are a couple of miles of rough trail back to the Waterloo-Pinckney trailhead and your car.
Camping on the north side would be a challenge, but I think it's cool that there is an 80 to 85 mile route in southern Michigan with less than 5 miles of road hiking.
08/04/01
I hiked the Lakelands Trail from N. Territorial Rd. in Jackson County almost to Stockbridge tonight - about 7 miles out and back. The trail is in good shape for hiking. I did run into a problem area. A farm seems to have taken over the right-of-way about a half mile west of the Stockbridge trailhead.
I also have a question for anyone who knows. On the back of the state game area maps DNR rules prohibit camping on "state lands other than state parks and recreation areas" from April 1 to Oct. 1. This of course means it's possible to camp in, say, a state game area in the fall/winter months. Does this rule apply to Department of Transportation rights of way? The far western end of the Lakelands trail is apparently owned by the Michigan DOT. If the above camping rule applies, then a hiker could camp in the right of way - making a backpack possible.
Thanks in advance!
08/09/01
I haven't forgotten about you. I pulled all my maps together tonight and I'm gonna try to get 'em photocopied to send out. I probably won't send them out until I have a little more of a chance to check out some spots in person and make a legible guide.
BTW, I've hiked probably half of the Lakelands Trail and it looks like it would make a nice hike. You would pass through some little towns that would make nice lunch/dinner breaks and potential places to stay. I'm scouting potential camping spots in Gregory and Unadilla State Game Areas. Sections of both seem within about a mile of the trail and are legal for dispersed camping Oct. 1 to April 1.
Problem spots:
1) West of Stockbridge: A farm breaks the trail. I think the states till owns a right-of-way through it and it's definitely physically possible to hike through. But, a hiker might want to hike really fast on this section of the trail.
2) Trail connection to Portage Lake Campground/Waterloo: I spent afew hours last week trying to hike a rough trail along the south side of Portage Lake and ended up with prickers all over. I concluded that the trail doesn't exist. This probably adds a mile or two of road hiking - Total: about 7 miles.
11/26/01
Well, start at Big Portage Lake in Waterloo RA. Use the cabins at Sugarloaf Lake or Mill Lake Center. Then, use existing trails to hike into the town of Pinckney. I'll bet there is lodging of some type there. Then hike the trail west to Stockbridge. There is a place to stay there. Then, hike the trail back to Big Portage Lake - and 2 miles of roads. Each day would probably be about 20 miles. I know the whole route is 67 miles or so. That would be a nice challenge nearby without much road hiking.
02/19/02
Re: Waterloo-Pinckney
Hey, John!
Funny that you mention that attempted connection from Losee Lake to Stinchfield Woods. I tried that last summer. I got stuck up to my ankles in muck and was besieged by thorn bushes. Kind of took mybreath away. But there is a spot where you can pop out onto a short road hike.
On the other side of Stinchfield Woods, there is contiguous metropark land. I've been wanting to test the hypothesis that you could hike through into Hudson Mills Metropark. Then, there is contiguous land pretty much to Dexter.
I've also been working on a route from the extreme western Waterloo Pinckney across state land to the Haehnle Audubon Sanctuary. I've found some really interesting paths and it looks like a definite possibility.
I'm also trying to traverse Haehnle. If I'm right, I'll be within a mile or two of Lakelands Trail and an almost complete 70 mile loop.
04/01/02
Oh, yeah, on my way home, I scouted the eastern sections of the Lakelands Rail Trail. I tracked it from the Pinckney horse trail area to a few miles east of Hamburg. Much of it is undeveloped old railbed perfect for hikers. It may go further, but I've checked it to almost US-23.
10/04/03
Andy!
It's my understanding that the Lakelands Trail railbed is continuous - and in public ownership to Hamburg. I even remember scouting this section of trail within the past few years. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
BTW, there is a Jackson County Park campground at Swains Lake very near to the western end of the Falling Waters Trail in Concord.
10/06/03
Re: Great SE Michigan Traverse (was WP extension)
Okay, okay, I am not encouraging anyone to tresspass on prison property. However, the Jackson prison complex contains quite a bit of land that is not behind gates. In fact, normal county dirt roads traverse the complex. You can't go off the road and walk across the empty fields, but you can certainly drive on these roads to get to a restaurant or home or whatever.
Given the fact that I can take my car down these roads, I don't think that there is much problem in walking down them. In fact, the roads that I was on were quite picturesque.
10/06/03
Re: Great SE Michigan Traverse (was WP extension)
Hi Dave!
It's okay. These are public roads that pass within the prison complex. They have farm areas and lots of unused land. If you can drive through, I don't see any reason why walking would be illegal. Of course, it might be good to call the prison beforehand. Oh, and don't say hi to hitchhikers:)
07/20/04
Lakelands Trail
I would advise anyone to read the "State Land Rules" on the following website. It covers all state land that is NOT a state park or recreation area. It opens some additional camping possibilities that might help with a backpack. For instance, sections of the Lakelands Trail and, I believe Falling Waters Trail are state owned but not designated "state park." This likely means that there are some sections of the corridor in which it is legal to camp.
www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370-31657--,00.html
07/27/01
I've been scouting the western end of the Lakelands Trail SP. And I've come up with an 80+ mile loop between Jackson and Ann Arbor.
Start at the Waterloo-Pinckney Trailhead at Portage Lake in Waterloo Rec. Area. Hike 36 miles to Silver Lake in Pinckney Rec. Area.
Hike 5.5 miles north on the Potowatomi Trail to it's brief encounter with Kelly Road (dirt, low use, wooded).
Hike north on Kelly Road for one mile to horse trail head in Pinckney Rec. Area. I'm looking for a trail alternative to the Kelly Rd. hike.
Hike two miles or so on the horse trails to their intersection with Lakeland Trail SP.
Hike west on Lakeland Trail 30 or 35 miles (gravel and natural surfaces) to intersection with Sayers Rd.
Hike south on Sayers, east on Coon Hill Rd. and south on Dunn Rd. Half of this road hike section is paved. Half is not. This is the least desirable section of the hike and lasts 3.5 miles. There are possible alternatives on possible state owned rail beds or the Haehnle Audubon Preserve.
At the end of Dunn Rd. you are close to Portage Lake. From here there are a couple of miles of rough trail back to the Waterloo-Pinckney trailhead and your car.
Camping on the north side would be a challenge, but I think it's cool that there is an 80 to 85 mile route in southern Michigan with less than 5 miles of road hiking.
08/04/01
I hiked the Lakelands Trail from N. Territorial Rd. in Jackson County almost to Stockbridge tonight - about 7 miles out and back. The trail is in good shape for hiking. I did run into a problem area. A farm seems to have taken over the right-of-way about a half mile west of the Stockbridge trailhead.
I also have a question for anyone who knows. On the back of the state game area maps DNR rules prohibit camping on "state lands other than state parks and recreation areas" from April 1 to Oct. 1. This of course means it's possible to camp in, say, a state game area in the fall/winter months. Does this rule apply to Department of Transportation rights of way? The far western end of the Lakelands trail is apparently owned by the Michigan DOT. If the above camping rule applies, then a hiker could camp in the right of way - making a backpack possible.
Thanks in advance!
08/09/01
I haven't forgotten about you. I pulled all my maps together tonight and I'm gonna try to get 'em photocopied to send out. I probably won't send them out until I have a little more of a chance to check out some spots in person and make a legible guide.
BTW, I've hiked probably half of the Lakelands Trail and it looks like it would make a nice hike. You would pass through some little towns that would make nice lunch/dinner breaks and potential places to stay. I'm scouting potential camping spots in Gregory and Unadilla State Game Areas. Sections of both seem within about a mile of the trail and are legal for dispersed camping Oct. 1 to April 1.
Problem spots:
1) West of Stockbridge: A farm breaks the trail. I think the states till owns a right-of-way through it and it's definitely physically possible to hike through. But, a hiker might want to hike really fast on this section of the trail.
2) Trail connection to Portage Lake Campground/Waterloo: I spent afew hours last week trying to hike a rough trail along the south side of Portage Lake and ended up with prickers all over. I concluded that the trail doesn't exist. This probably adds a mile or two of road hiking - Total: about 7 miles.
11/26/01
Well, start at Big Portage Lake in Waterloo RA. Use the cabins at Sugarloaf Lake or Mill Lake Center. Then, use existing trails to hike into the town of Pinckney. I'll bet there is lodging of some type there. Then hike the trail west to Stockbridge. There is a place to stay there. Then, hike the trail back to Big Portage Lake - and 2 miles of roads. Each day would probably be about 20 miles. I know the whole route is 67 miles or so. That would be a nice challenge nearby without much road hiking.
02/19/02
Re: Waterloo-Pinckney
Hey, John!
Funny that you mention that attempted connection from Losee Lake to Stinchfield Woods. I tried that last summer. I got stuck up to my ankles in muck and was besieged by thorn bushes. Kind of took mybreath away. But there is a spot where you can pop out onto a short road hike.
On the other side of Stinchfield Woods, there is contiguous metropark land. I've been wanting to test the hypothesis that you could hike through into Hudson Mills Metropark. Then, there is contiguous land pretty much to Dexter.
I've also been working on a route from the extreme western Waterloo Pinckney across state land to the Haehnle Audubon Sanctuary. I've found some really interesting paths and it looks like a definite possibility.
I'm also trying to traverse Haehnle. If I'm right, I'll be within a mile or two of Lakelands Trail and an almost complete 70 mile loop.
04/01/02
Oh, yeah, on my way home, I scouted the eastern sections of the Lakelands Rail Trail. I tracked it from the Pinckney horse trail area to a few miles east of Hamburg. Much of it is undeveloped old railbed perfect for hikers. It may go further, but I've checked it to almost US-23.
10/04/03
Andy!
It's my understanding that the Lakelands Trail railbed is continuous - and in public ownership to Hamburg. I even remember scouting this section of trail within the past few years. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
BTW, there is a Jackson County Park campground at Swains Lake very near to the western end of the Falling Waters Trail in Concord.
10/06/03
Re: Great SE Michigan Traverse (was WP extension)
Okay, okay, I am not encouraging anyone to tresspass on prison property. However, the Jackson prison complex contains quite a bit of land that is not behind gates. In fact, normal county dirt roads traverse the complex. You can't go off the road and walk across the empty fields, but you can certainly drive on these roads to get to a restaurant or home or whatever.
Given the fact that I can take my car down these roads, I don't think that there is much problem in walking down them. In fact, the roads that I was on were quite picturesque.
10/06/03
Re: Great SE Michigan Traverse (was WP extension)
Hi Dave!
It's okay. These are public roads that pass within the prison complex. They have farm areas and lots of unused land. If you can drive through, I don't see any reason why walking would be illegal. Of course, it might be good to call the prison beforehand. Oh, and don't say hi to hitchhikers:)
07/20/04
Lakelands Trail
I would advise anyone to read the "State Land Rules" on the following website. It covers all state land that is NOT a state park or recreation area. It opens some additional camping possibilities that might help with a backpack. For instance, sections of the Lakelands Trail and, I believe Falling Waters Trail are state owned but not designated "state park." This likely means that there are some sections of the corridor in which it is legal to camp.
www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370-31657--,00.html
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Pinckney SRA: Hike Reports
I originally posted these hike reports on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
05/14/01
I got out twice this weekend.
On Saturday, I hiked the horse trail loop at Pinckney Rec. Area. And I had a really great hike (about 6 miles or so). There were very few horse droppings and the trail is pretty much the same quality as the Waterloo-Pinckney. And I found a connection to the Lakelands Trail SP. I saw three people on horseback and that's it. I think the Poto would have been a lot busier. And I think that it might be possible to connect to the Crooked Lake/Poto trail on closed roads, paths. That would make a nice alternative backpack.
Speaking of which... I remember reading a while back about camping rules in State Recreation Areas. Can you backcountry camp during the off season? There was a nice little peak in the hills that would begreat for a tent. I'd like to use it this fall.
03/13/03
Re: waterloo-Pinckney thru-hike
Hey guys!
I know that I've mentioned this before, but the horse trails in Pinckney are a very valuable hiking resource. They are completely open to hikers and, in most cases, have a much better hiking tread than the horse-open sections of the Waterloo-Pinckney. There are some really nice hills and good vistas.
If you ask for the horse maps at the park offices, they usually have them, but you have to be a bit insistent. Using the existing Poto,you can link from the Doyle Rd. area into the horse trails where a direct connection exists to the Lakelands Trail. It's a short roadwalk.
You can also create a loop by shooting north on the road that is closed near the Crooked Lake campground and walking through Hell to the horse trailhead on M-36. There is a very short section on busy M-36, but it doesn't last long. Then, you can double back onto the Poto near Doyle Rd.
05/14/01
I got out twice this weekend.
On Saturday, I hiked the horse trail loop at Pinckney Rec. Area. And I had a really great hike (about 6 miles or so). There were very few horse droppings and the trail is pretty much the same quality as the Waterloo-Pinckney. And I found a connection to the Lakelands Trail SP. I saw three people on horseback and that's it. I think the Poto would have been a lot busier. And I think that it might be possible to connect to the Crooked Lake/Poto trail on closed roads, paths. That would make a nice alternative backpack.
Speaking of which... I remember reading a while back about camping rules in State Recreation Areas. Can you backcountry camp during the off season? There was a nice little peak in the hills that would begreat for a tent. I'd like to use it this fall.
03/13/03
Re: waterloo-Pinckney thru-hike
Hey guys!
I know that I've mentioned this before, but the horse trails in Pinckney are a very valuable hiking resource. They are completely open to hikers and, in most cases, have a much better hiking tread than the horse-open sections of the Waterloo-Pinckney. There are some really nice hills and good vistas.
If you ask for the horse maps at the park offices, they usually have them, but you have to be a bit insistent. Using the existing Poto,you can link from the Doyle Rd. area into the horse trails where a direct connection exists to the Lakelands Trail. It's a short roadwalk.
You can also create a loop by shooting north on the road that is closed near the Crooked Lake campground and walking through Hell to the horse trailhead on M-36. There is a very short section on busy M-36, but it doesn't last long. Then, you can double back onto the Poto near Doyle Rd.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Lost Nation State Game Area: Hike Reports
This is a series of hike reports that I originally posted on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
01/19/01
Hillsdale County: North Country trail through Lost Nations state game area and Baw Beese Lake. I've heard that the local NCTA group is going to have a bivouac area there soon for overnights. But the Lost Nation section is great - about as hilly as the hilly sections of Waterloo-Pinckney.
01/20/02
I did some hiking yesterday on the North Country Trail in Hillsdale County through the Lost Nation SGA.
Some comments:
Beautiful. Beautiful. Sections of this trail are as nice as any trail I've seen in southern Michigan. At one point, I was on the "peak" along the valley of a rushing stream as it made an oxbow down below. A few hundred feet later, I crossed a little stream making a ten foot drop over some rocks. Then I saw a couple of frozen lakes a few steps ahead. Lots of hills. Just wonderful.
Trail conditions: Very tough in some spots. Lots of deadfall from some fall storms. It seems that the storms that took out the trails at TK Lawless and Kellogg Forest also did this one in at some places. It's really unfortunate, because you can see fresh blazes on the trees and the trail is wonderfully laid out. One other problem are two gaps that necessitate road hikes. One is a half mile on pavement (bad), the other is dirt on a little used road (not bad).
My understanding is that dispersed camping is allowed with free permit until May 15. It's a little out of the way, but it's a nice overnight in Southern Michigan - a rare thing.
04/23/02
Hey Guys!
I spent some time after work the last two days hiking sections of the North Country Trail in Lost Nation State Game Area in Hillsdale County (extreme southern Michigan).
Map: http://www.midnr.com/pdfs/wildlife/sga/lostnatn2001.pdf
Last night, I started from the middle parking area on Tripp Rd. in section 14 and hiked the dotted line (NCT) west, then north. I followed blue blazes until I got to the parking area on the extreme southern fringe of section 10. From there, the NCT seems to dead end on the southern side of the E. Branch of the St. Joseph River. It's a nice place to dead end, but I was a little disappointed. There is a small dirt road that crosses the river nearby, and I'm going to check to see if I can make it to M-34 following the north/east bank of the river. That would put it in striking range of the Baw Beese Trail. BTW, the trail in this section has the feel of a rail trail. It's an old two track, but the terrain is pretty - swamps/ponds bordered by hills. I was struck by how much the "spring colors" of the trees seemed similar to fall colors. Round Trip hike was approximately three miles.
Today, I hiked from the parking area near the romantically-named "Lake No. 8" in section 24 to the NCT intersection with Pittsford Rd. Dudes! This is a great hike. I passed four or five lakes, one small waterfall, followed a small stream and looked down an impressive valley to the St. Joseph River. The coolest thing was all the hills. This has to be one of the hilliest sections of trail in southern Michigan. Up and down. Up and down. Close to Pittsford Rd. is a hill with a USGS marker that I think tops out at almost 1100 feet. The view is great. It almost felt like I was in the mountains. Oh, and the wildflowers were spectacular. I love trilliums. The only drawbacks were a few muddy spots and about ten big trees that came down in a winter storm. They are close to the ground and navigated without too much effort. Round Trip tonight: 5miles.
You can get an 8 or 10 mile one way hike out of this place with a few small road walks. Total hikers observed on all my hikes here: 0.
10/01/02
With a few sections of road hiking, the trail through Lost Nation and the Baw Beese Trail are pretty long. There was talk about a bivouac area being created, although I don't know if that ever came to pass. Right now, however, it is legal to disperse camp in the state game area. Just watch out for hunters. There are some really nice sections there, but it's a place that attracts crazies.
10/6/02
Hi again!
I got sick of grading papers at school, so I headed 25 minutes west to the NCT in Hillsdale. I hiked some of the Baw Beese Trail. It now appears to be continuous from Black Bridge Rd at the intersection with M-34 all the way to Jonesville. That's a distance on the order of fourteen miles. South from that section, there is a small gap into the Lost Nation SGA with another mostly continuous 7 or 8 mile section. So, you could get about 20-25 miles of hiking out of it maybe.
The northern sections of the Baw Beese suck. It's a blacktopped sidewalk less than a foot removed from M-99. The trail is really nice in the city of Hillsdale. It's one of the more interesting paved railtrails that I've seen with lake views and some nice wooded areas as well as some city history elements. South from there is the undeveloped rail bed to M-34. It's kind of nice and ends at an old rail trestle. The Lost Nation section is way cool, but unhikeable right now because of the hunting. I saw a guy with a deer on his car truck roof - first time I've seen that this year.
Question: Does the NCT blaze paved railtrail sections? I saw abunch of people out on the trail. It seems to me that those rollerbladers and bikers might buy into the dream a bit if they knew they were on the trail. I know this has been raised on the board recently, but is this official NCT policy not to blaze this kind oftrail.
02/02/03
Great stuff. Bummer that I didn't hear about this when you were passing through Lost Nations. I kind of like that place, except for the dumping ground areas.
I read an item from the trip journal about a 3+ mile trail section on private land near Lost Nation SGA. I was vaguely aware of this after a workday with the Baw Beese Chapter a few years ago, but I have no idea where this is. Do you have any details? Road directions/parking suggestions?
07/20/04
Also, I know that a few years ago the NCT was working on a bivouac area in the Lost Nation SGA. Perhaps there is a place there that can be camped even during the summer. I would thoroughly research any and all possibilities.
01/19/01
Hillsdale County: North Country trail through Lost Nations state game area and Baw Beese Lake. I've heard that the local NCTA group is going to have a bivouac area there soon for overnights. But the Lost Nation section is great - about as hilly as the hilly sections of Waterloo-Pinckney.
01/20/02
I did some hiking yesterday on the North Country Trail in Hillsdale County through the Lost Nation SGA.
Some comments:
Beautiful. Beautiful. Sections of this trail are as nice as any trail I've seen in southern Michigan. At one point, I was on the "peak" along the valley of a rushing stream as it made an oxbow down below. A few hundred feet later, I crossed a little stream making a ten foot drop over some rocks. Then I saw a couple of frozen lakes a few steps ahead. Lots of hills. Just wonderful.
Trail conditions: Very tough in some spots. Lots of deadfall from some fall storms. It seems that the storms that took out the trails at TK Lawless and Kellogg Forest also did this one in at some places. It's really unfortunate, because you can see fresh blazes on the trees and the trail is wonderfully laid out. One other problem are two gaps that necessitate road hikes. One is a half mile on pavement (bad), the other is dirt on a little used road (not bad).
My understanding is that dispersed camping is allowed with free permit until May 15. It's a little out of the way, but it's a nice overnight in Southern Michigan - a rare thing.
04/23/02
Hey Guys!
I spent some time after work the last two days hiking sections of the North Country Trail in Lost Nation State Game Area in Hillsdale County (extreme southern Michigan).
Map: http://www.midnr.com/pdfs/wildlife/sga/lostnatn2001.pdf
Last night, I started from the middle parking area on Tripp Rd. in section 14 and hiked the dotted line (NCT) west, then north. I followed blue blazes until I got to the parking area on the extreme southern fringe of section 10. From there, the NCT seems to dead end on the southern side of the E. Branch of the St. Joseph River. It's a nice place to dead end, but I was a little disappointed. There is a small dirt road that crosses the river nearby, and I'm going to check to see if I can make it to M-34 following the north/east bank of the river. That would put it in striking range of the Baw Beese Trail. BTW, the trail in this section has the feel of a rail trail. It's an old two track, but the terrain is pretty - swamps/ponds bordered by hills. I was struck by how much the "spring colors" of the trees seemed similar to fall colors. Round Trip hike was approximately three miles.
Today, I hiked from the parking area near the romantically-named "Lake No. 8" in section 24 to the NCT intersection with Pittsford Rd. Dudes! This is a great hike. I passed four or five lakes, one small waterfall, followed a small stream and looked down an impressive valley to the St. Joseph River. The coolest thing was all the hills. This has to be one of the hilliest sections of trail in southern Michigan. Up and down. Up and down. Close to Pittsford Rd. is a hill with a USGS marker that I think tops out at almost 1100 feet. The view is great. It almost felt like I was in the mountains. Oh, and the wildflowers were spectacular. I love trilliums. The only drawbacks were a few muddy spots and about ten big trees that came down in a winter storm. They are close to the ground and navigated without too much effort. Round Trip tonight: 5miles.
You can get an 8 or 10 mile one way hike out of this place with a few small road walks. Total hikers observed on all my hikes here: 0.
10/01/02
With a few sections of road hiking, the trail through Lost Nation and the Baw Beese Trail are pretty long. There was talk about a bivouac area being created, although I don't know if that ever came to pass. Right now, however, it is legal to disperse camp in the state game area. Just watch out for hunters. There are some really nice sections there, but it's a place that attracts crazies.
10/6/02
Hi again!
I got sick of grading papers at school, so I headed 25 minutes west to the NCT in Hillsdale. I hiked some of the Baw Beese Trail. It now appears to be continuous from Black Bridge Rd at the intersection with M-34 all the way to Jonesville. That's a distance on the order of fourteen miles. South from that section, there is a small gap into the Lost Nation SGA with another mostly continuous 7 or 8 mile section. So, you could get about 20-25 miles of hiking out of it maybe.
The northern sections of the Baw Beese suck. It's a blacktopped sidewalk less than a foot removed from M-99. The trail is really nice in the city of Hillsdale. It's one of the more interesting paved railtrails that I've seen with lake views and some nice wooded areas as well as some city history elements. South from there is the undeveloped rail bed to M-34. It's kind of nice and ends at an old rail trestle. The Lost Nation section is way cool, but unhikeable right now because of the hunting. I saw a guy with a deer on his car truck roof - first time I've seen that this year.
Question: Does the NCT blaze paved railtrail sections? I saw abunch of people out on the trail. It seems to me that those rollerbladers and bikers might buy into the dream a bit if they knew they were on the trail. I know this has been raised on the board recently, but is this official NCT policy not to blaze this kind oftrail.
02/02/03
Great stuff. Bummer that I didn't hear about this when you were passing through Lost Nations. I kind of like that place, except for the dumping ground areas.
I read an item from the trip journal about a 3+ mile trail section on private land near Lost Nation SGA. I was vaguely aware of this after a workday with the Baw Beese Chapter a few years ago, but I have no idea where this is. Do you have any details? Road directions/parking suggestions?
07/20/04
Also, I know that a few years ago the NCT was working on a bivouac area in the Lost Nation SGA. Perhaps there is a place there that can be camped even during the summer. I would thoroughly research any and all possibilities.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore: Chapel Loop Hike Report
This is a hike report that I originally posted on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
06/30/03
On Friday, Kathy and I did a ten mile version of the Chapel Loop. We took the trail to Chapel Falls from the trailhead, followed the cliff top to Mosquito Beach and then skipped Mosquito Falls and took the short route to the parking lot.
Personally, this is my favorite Michigan dayhike. It's just stunning. Views, good temperatures... There are only a few things that could be better with this hike. The trail out to Chapel Beach is a bit too flat and wide for my liking. And the forest in that area seems like a quick replant from some previous era. Also, bugs can be bad, bad on the Mosquito Beach side of things. Finally, the shortcut trail on east side of Mosquito Creek/River is very muddy.
But that is all nitpicking. The cliffs are impressive and Chapel Beach is the most gaudily beautiful spot in Michigan. Water flows eems low right now, so the river mouth into the lake jogs to the west, forming a warm water swimming hole on the beach for the Boy Scouts we saw there.
We saw three pairs of hikers and one Boy Scout troop on our 9.7 mile hike.
06/30/03
On Friday, Kathy and I did a ten mile version of the Chapel Loop. We took the trail to Chapel Falls from the trailhead, followed the cliff top to Mosquito Beach and then skipped Mosquito Falls and took the short route to the parking lot.
Personally, this is my favorite Michigan dayhike. It's just stunning. Views, good temperatures... There are only a few things that could be better with this hike. The trail out to Chapel Beach is a bit too flat and wide for my liking. And the forest in that area seems like a quick replant from some previous era. Also, bugs can be bad, bad on the Mosquito Beach side of things. Finally, the shortcut trail on east side of Mosquito Creek/River is very muddy.
But that is all nitpicking. The cliffs are impressive and Chapel Beach is the most gaudily beautiful spot in Michigan. Water flows eems low right now, so the river mouth into the lake jogs to the west, forming a warm water swimming hole on the beach for the Boy Scouts we saw there.
We saw three pairs of hikers and one Boy Scout troop on our 9.7 mile hike.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Pointe Mouillee State Game Area: Hike Reports
I originally posted most of these hike reports on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group. At least one was originally posted on thebackpacker.com.
10/02/00
Pointe Mouillee is that rare thing in Metro Detroit - a large, wild place. The waters of the Detroit and Huron Rivers and Lake Erie meet here. It is possible to see passing freighters, a lighthouse, the coast of Canada and the distant Detroit skyline.
The game area is essentially a marsh reconstruction project. Hikers follow the tops of 18+ miles of dikes. Pelicans, arctic terns and thousands of swans are among the bird life that can be spotted here.
The hiking is flat, and a perimeter hike of the game area (10/11 miles) takes about 4 or 5 hours.
Hunting, of course, is popular here and the eastern shoreline is closed from Sept. -Jan. for hunting seasons. Directions to Hike Take I-75 to the S. Rockwood/S. Huron River Dr. exit. Follow S. Huron River Drive east to U.S. Turnpike. Follow this south a few hundred yards to a dirt parking area on the south side of the Huron River. Park your car and hike. Contact Information Maps can be picked up at any time outside the DNR offices on Campau road just north of the Wayne/Monroe county line.
Call the MI DNR at Pointe Mouillee for details: (734) 379-9692
02/08/01:
I've done some night hiking at Pointe Mouillee SGA (about 20 minutessouth of Detroit). There's a lighthouse and you can see the moonglow for 20+ miles. When the freighters start moving again, you can see 'em all lit up. Just be careful with your car, because it's a kind of lonely place.
4/15/01:
BTW, I saw my first trail arrest yesterday. I was hiking the dikes at Pointe Mouillee and all of a sudden, two sunglasses-wearing, official-looking DNR guys on ORVs came by with a guy in handcuffs. Maybe he was a biker!
05/01/01:
I was also out at Pointe Mouillee SGA a few weeks ago. I just love seeing the birds. We've been talking about sandhill cranes in another thread. Well, it's possible to see hundreds of swans congregating here. I've also seen pelicans in the marshes. And there is a new bald eagle's nest across the Huron River. It's a really nice - albeit flat - hike (10-12 miles).
05/14/01:
On Sunday, I took my dad out to Pointe Mouillee. We only went about 3 miles, but saw three freighters and what we think was a bald eagle. Great weather.
7/25/01:
Last week, I hiked out and watched a few of the tall ships just south of Detroit. I saw a lighthouse, the mouth of the Huron and Detroit Rivers and the west end of Lake Erie. On my way out I was buzzed by a bald eagle. And all of this happened within view of the Renaissance Center. Hike Detroit!
12/22/01
This reminds me, though, of the pelicans I saw at Pt. Mouillee SGA a few years back. You wouldn't think of seeing them in Michigan. And I've seen bald eagles within view of the Ren Cen. Oh, and I saw a list of sighted birds from Mouillee. Apparently, there was once a flamingo in Michigan there. I'm not much of a birder, but I find them fascinating. I especially like the fact that they often blowour biased "hiker" view of good natural experience out of the water. A truly wild experience isn't always about hills and woods. Sometimes it's just a muddy patch near a factory.
04/29/02
On Sunday, I did an out and back at Pointe Mouillee SGA. It wasabout 7 miles along Mouillee Creek - a broad marshy river really -and some giant wetland ponds until I hit the coast with a great view of a couple of freighters and the Detroit River light. Of course, a cold front was coming through on my way back and I walked directly into 40 mile per hour winds. A car blew off I-75 very close to my hike. Kind of fun, though. Take I-75 to S. Rockwood exit. Take S.Huron River Drive to US Turnpike. Turn left or right to multipletrailheads. Maps on the DNR website.
03/03/03
On Sunday afternoon, I hiked at Pointe Mouillee State Game Area with a group of four. I've written about Pointe Mouillee before, but...
Pointe Mouillee is located mostly just south of the border of Wayne and Monroe Counties east of Jefferson/US Turnpike and just west of Lake Erie. While many maps show it as a conglomeration of swampy islands, it is very much hikeable due to the work of the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Pointe Mouillee was originally formed as the Huron River delta. Silt and other material would create a marshy area at the mouth ofthe Huron. Since the Detroit river sideswipes the delta from the north, no marsh was ever present at the north side of the rivermouth. All was pushed to the southern banks. The French settlers and Native Americans found great hunting here. The French gave the place its name - "wet point." Hunting is still a very popular activity here. As the level of the Great Lakes increased, the marshes began to deteriorate. This became especially true after the sand bar islands that guarded the rivermouth ceased to exist. It was very much likely that the marshes would soon be lost. So, it was decided that hunting fees and federal monies would be used to recreate the barrier islands using capped dredge material from the shipping channels.
The result was the creation of a seven mile barrier island called "the banana." I don't know how long it took to create this, but my understanding is that 40 to 50 million dollars were spent recreating the marsh. If you've ever hiked there, you can believe it. There are +30 miles of dike, most lined with giant boulders. Most human interference is a hindrance to outdoor experience, but the scale of this project always caused me a little bit of awe.
Anyway, the reconstruction project has been - it seems -successful. The place is one of the best places to bird in Michigan. On our hike on Sunday, we saw hundreds of swans flying information above us. We also spotted pheasants and other grounddwelling birds. We also spotted many ducks and a few geese. Muskrats and other marsh animals live in the area as well.
Our route took us around the perimeter of the game area. The place is about 4,000 acres in size and the perimeter hike is about 10 to 12 miles in length. The hiking is exceptionally flat.
However, the hiking can be difficult. The dikes have little give and can be hard on the feet. We also encountered large snow drifts in some spots -a few approached 3 feet in depth. We were lulled into a false sense of security in the first mile and didn't bring our snowshoes. This was a mistake. We persevered.
Perhaps the best characteristics of Pointe Mouillee are the extremely broad views. There are few trees in the game area - it is a marsh. It also abuts the confluence of Lake Erie and the Huron and Detroit Rivers. You can see forever. While we hiked, we saw a cold front moving through. The dark skies fought the brighter pastels that dominated the east. Soon sleet and snow began to fall. The winds turned bitter and became merciless. I would estimate the winds in this treeless region to be 20+ miles per hour constantly as we hiked. It took the breath away.
We passed a lighthouse and an old shipwreck on our hike. We even listened for - and heard - the foghorn from the Detroit River Light in a place guarded from the wind. When the weather is clear, a hiker can see offshore islands, the mainland coast of Canada, the old Boblo island needle and the Renaissance Center in the distance. During warmer months freighters pass on a regular basis. This is especially nice at night when the freighters and lighthouse illuminate the night sky.
We also passed a hearty crew of ice fishermen halfway through the hike. The banana holds a small harbor of refuge for boaters. This is a popular place for ice fishermen who temp the big fish of the big lake during the bitter months of the year. Besides the ice fishermen, we saw no hikers and no bikers. The place is so vast in its scope, however, that even weekends seem desolate.
Pointe Mouillee is a good example of how human interaction with nature can work well. It's also a good example of a great - and beautiful - natural environment close to a highly urbanized area. You would never know at the tip that you were within eyesight of the homes of millions.
The DNR administers this location and maps can be found on its website. I would recommend a visit.
03/15/03
Pointe Mouillee SGA has 30 miles of trail, but is much less user friendly. It is on the border of Wayne and Monroe Counties. Take I-75 to S. Rockwood exit. Take S. Huron River Drive east to US Turnpike. The park is mostly south on this road with several parking spots. Look at www.dnr.state.mi.us for maps - look in online mapsand state game and wildlife areas.
01/08/04
I really like Pte. Mouillee State Game Area (Monroe County) in the winter. There are no trees, so the wind whips unimpeded across the landscape. And since Lake Erie gets pretty much frozen flat, the wind could start in Buffalo and not hit anything until it hits your face. The slight gradations in the winter sky get so pronounced here. And the only people out are a few ice fishermen in the emergency harbor of refuge. I also like it because I can watch the tugs and ice breakers sometimes working in teams to cut the shipping channel past the Detroit River Light.
Desolate isolation!
02/29/04
Hike Report: Pointe Mouillee SGA
I just thought I'd post a little trail report for one of the better early spring hikes.
Saturday was such a nice day that I decided to do one of my favorite local 7 milers. Pointe Mouillee is a banana shaped dike system that juts into Lake Erie at the meeting point of the lake and Huron and Detroit Rivers.
I saw probably 500 or so swans flying around. I love to hear the mechanical "wuh-wuh" sound of their winds as they pass over. There were also hundreds of geese and ducks. This is an area that also has bald eagles, but I didn't see any in the open water areas. Of course, I didn't feel like systematically checking off the thousand or so birds that were just hanging out along the open water. So, maybe there were a few.
Lake Erie is almost completely open water at this point, so the early boater that I saw had lots of space. I did notice that the shipwreck at the easternmost point had moved a little since last year. The hull is just rusting away as the waves lap up.
Trails were quite hikeable. There was some mud, but no snow anywhere. However, the well-drained dikes tend to provide good hiking sooner than true natural surfaces. Monroe is a good early hike spot because it is the most south and east you can get in Michigan. This means it has the highest temperatures and the least snow in the state. Also, Lake Erie moderates temperatures upward in the winter.
3/3/4
Hey guys!
The Isle Royale post about seaplanes reminded me of something I saw while hiking at Pt. Mouillee (on far easter border of Wayne and Monroe County line).
While hiking, I was buzzed twice by a seaplane with the pontoons on. I guess the guy was trying to impress, but I was just curious if anyone knew of a place on the Detroit River that uses these things for transportation. One guess is the development on the old Boblo Island. But, I suppose it also could have taken off from the coolest airport in Michigan on Grosse Ile. Or maybe island transportation from Windsor to the Lake Erie Islands.
Always cool, though to see one of them things fly by.
05/25/04
I like Pte. Mouillee just because it's very different from other local hikes. The hiking takes place on 15 or 20 miles of dikes. The dikes have natural surface two tracks up on top. Given that this is a man-made structure, there is less give to the dikes than most trails. There are not designated "trails", however, the design of the place makes for nice hiking possibilities. The hiking is completely flat. However, the fact that this is a very large marsh next to large expanses of open water means that you get better long-distance views in this place than any other park in the region.
If you look at the map that the state puts out, you can identify the "trails" as the perimeter lines of each "unit." The coolest area might be the "banana." That is the reconstructed barrier island at the easternmost section of the game area. The view is dramatic.
05/25/04
The Detroit River Light can be accessed in a couple of ways. Take I-75 South to the South Rockwood exit. The road you exit onto is S. Huron River Drive. Take this east as far as you can go. Drive slowly because this is a notorious speed trap. Once you dead end, you will turn right onto a road called U.S. Turnpike. It might also be called Jefferson. Take this right for a very short distance and then turn left onto a potholed road just on the south side of the Huron River. Park in the DNR lot. This is Pointe Mouillee. If you follow the south bank of the Huron, you will eventually hit the confluence of the Huron and Detroit Rivers and Lake Erie - 2 or 3 mile hike. The Detroit River light is offshore. You can hear the foghorn. Bring some binocs for a good view. BTW, there are some other navigational structures in the area that can be seen on a clearday. Maps can be found on the DNR website under Pointe Mouillee State Game Area.
05/26/04
All are open to hiking. However, from the beginning of waterfowl season through Jan. 1, the game area is closed. Sept. 15th comes to mind as the close-off date. I've seen pelicans and bald eagles and hundreds upon hundreds of swans at the game area.
I'm hoping that one day there is a trail connecting Pointe Mouillee with Lake Erie Metropark and the Humbug Marsh. That would besomething.
07/20/04
Camping in the summer is not permitted at all. Camping is permitted with the free permit between Sept. 10 and May 15. Be aware that certain state game areas have specific regulations. Pointe Mouillee, for instance, is closed from 11 PM until 4AM each day. It is also closed in some spots from the beginning of waterfowl season until Jan. 1.
10/02/00
Pointe Mouillee is that rare thing in Metro Detroit - a large, wild place. The waters of the Detroit and Huron Rivers and Lake Erie meet here. It is possible to see passing freighters, a lighthouse, the coast of Canada and the distant Detroit skyline.
The game area is essentially a marsh reconstruction project. Hikers follow the tops of 18+ miles of dikes. Pelicans, arctic terns and thousands of swans are among the bird life that can be spotted here.
The hiking is flat, and a perimeter hike of the game area (10/11 miles) takes about 4 or 5 hours.
Hunting, of course, is popular here and the eastern shoreline is closed from Sept. -Jan. for hunting seasons. Directions to Hike Take I-75 to the S. Rockwood/S. Huron River Dr. exit. Follow S. Huron River Drive east to U.S. Turnpike. Follow this south a few hundred yards to a dirt parking area on the south side of the Huron River. Park your car and hike. Contact Information Maps can be picked up at any time outside the DNR offices on Campau road just north of the Wayne/Monroe county line.
Call the MI DNR at Pointe Mouillee for details: (734) 379-9692
02/08/01:
I've done some night hiking at Pointe Mouillee SGA (about 20 minutessouth of Detroit). There's a lighthouse and you can see the moonglow for 20+ miles. When the freighters start moving again, you can see 'em all lit up. Just be careful with your car, because it's a kind of lonely place.
4/15/01:
BTW, I saw my first trail arrest yesterday. I was hiking the dikes at Pointe Mouillee and all of a sudden, two sunglasses-wearing, official-looking DNR guys on ORVs came by with a guy in handcuffs. Maybe he was a biker!
05/01/01:
I was also out at Pointe Mouillee SGA a few weeks ago. I just love seeing the birds. We've been talking about sandhill cranes in another thread. Well, it's possible to see hundreds of swans congregating here. I've also seen pelicans in the marshes. And there is a new bald eagle's nest across the Huron River. It's a really nice - albeit flat - hike (10-12 miles).
05/14/01:
On Sunday, I took my dad out to Pointe Mouillee. We only went about 3 miles, but saw three freighters and what we think was a bald eagle. Great weather.
7/25/01:
Last week, I hiked out and watched a few of the tall ships just south of Detroit. I saw a lighthouse, the mouth of the Huron and Detroit Rivers and the west end of Lake Erie. On my way out I was buzzed by a bald eagle. And all of this happened within view of the Renaissance Center. Hike Detroit!
12/22/01
This reminds me, though, of the pelicans I saw at Pt. Mouillee SGA a few years back. You wouldn't think of seeing them in Michigan. And I've seen bald eagles within view of the Ren Cen. Oh, and I saw a list of sighted birds from Mouillee. Apparently, there was once a flamingo in Michigan there. I'm not much of a birder, but I find them fascinating. I especially like the fact that they often blowour biased "hiker" view of good natural experience out of the water. A truly wild experience isn't always about hills and woods. Sometimes it's just a muddy patch near a factory.
04/29/02
On Sunday, I did an out and back at Pointe Mouillee SGA. It wasabout 7 miles along Mouillee Creek - a broad marshy river really -and some giant wetland ponds until I hit the coast with a great view of a couple of freighters and the Detroit River light. Of course, a cold front was coming through on my way back and I walked directly into 40 mile per hour winds. A car blew off I-75 very close to my hike. Kind of fun, though. Take I-75 to S. Rockwood exit. Take S.Huron River Drive to US Turnpike. Turn left or right to multipletrailheads. Maps on the DNR website.
03/03/03
On Sunday afternoon, I hiked at Pointe Mouillee State Game Area with a group of four. I've written about Pointe Mouillee before, but...
Pointe Mouillee is located mostly just south of the border of Wayne and Monroe Counties east of Jefferson/US Turnpike and just west of Lake Erie. While many maps show it as a conglomeration of swampy islands, it is very much hikeable due to the work of the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Pointe Mouillee was originally formed as the Huron River delta. Silt and other material would create a marshy area at the mouth ofthe Huron. Since the Detroit river sideswipes the delta from the north, no marsh was ever present at the north side of the rivermouth. All was pushed to the southern banks. The French settlers and Native Americans found great hunting here. The French gave the place its name - "wet point." Hunting is still a very popular activity here. As the level of the Great Lakes increased, the marshes began to deteriorate. This became especially true after the sand bar islands that guarded the rivermouth ceased to exist. It was very much likely that the marshes would soon be lost. So, it was decided that hunting fees and federal monies would be used to recreate the barrier islands using capped dredge material from the shipping channels.
The result was the creation of a seven mile barrier island called "the banana." I don't know how long it took to create this, but my understanding is that 40 to 50 million dollars were spent recreating the marsh. If you've ever hiked there, you can believe it. There are +30 miles of dike, most lined with giant boulders. Most human interference is a hindrance to outdoor experience, but the scale of this project always caused me a little bit of awe.
Anyway, the reconstruction project has been - it seems -successful. The place is one of the best places to bird in Michigan. On our hike on Sunday, we saw hundreds of swans flying information above us. We also spotted pheasants and other grounddwelling birds. We also spotted many ducks and a few geese. Muskrats and other marsh animals live in the area as well.
Our route took us around the perimeter of the game area. The place is about 4,000 acres in size and the perimeter hike is about 10 to 12 miles in length. The hiking is exceptionally flat.
However, the hiking can be difficult. The dikes have little give and can be hard on the feet. We also encountered large snow drifts in some spots -a few approached 3 feet in depth. We were lulled into a false sense of security in the first mile and didn't bring our snowshoes. This was a mistake. We persevered.
Perhaps the best characteristics of Pointe Mouillee are the extremely broad views. There are few trees in the game area - it is a marsh. It also abuts the confluence of Lake Erie and the Huron and Detroit Rivers. You can see forever. While we hiked, we saw a cold front moving through. The dark skies fought the brighter pastels that dominated the east. Soon sleet and snow began to fall. The winds turned bitter and became merciless. I would estimate the winds in this treeless region to be 20+ miles per hour constantly as we hiked. It took the breath away.
We passed a lighthouse and an old shipwreck on our hike. We even listened for - and heard - the foghorn from the Detroit River Light in a place guarded from the wind. When the weather is clear, a hiker can see offshore islands, the mainland coast of Canada, the old Boblo island needle and the Renaissance Center in the distance. During warmer months freighters pass on a regular basis. This is especially nice at night when the freighters and lighthouse illuminate the night sky.
We also passed a hearty crew of ice fishermen halfway through the hike. The banana holds a small harbor of refuge for boaters. This is a popular place for ice fishermen who temp the big fish of the big lake during the bitter months of the year. Besides the ice fishermen, we saw no hikers and no bikers. The place is so vast in its scope, however, that even weekends seem desolate.
Pointe Mouillee is a good example of how human interaction with nature can work well. It's also a good example of a great - and beautiful - natural environment close to a highly urbanized area. You would never know at the tip that you were within eyesight of the homes of millions.
The DNR administers this location and maps can be found on its website. I would recommend a visit.
03/15/03
Pointe Mouillee SGA has 30 miles of trail, but is much less user friendly. It is on the border of Wayne and Monroe Counties. Take I-75 to S. Rockwood exit. Take S. Huron River Drive east to US Turnpike. The park is mostly south on this road with several parking spots. Look at www.dnr.state.mi.us for maps - look in online mapsand state game and wildlife areas.
01/08/04
I really like Pte. Mouillee State Game Area (Monroe County) in the winter. There are no trees, so the wind whips unimpeded across the landscape. And since Lake Erie gets pretty much frozen flat, the wind could start in Buffalo and not hit anything until it hits your face. The slight gradations in the winter sky get so pronounced here. And the only people out are a few ice fishermen in the emergency harbor of refuge. I also like it because I can watch the tugs and ice breakers sometimes working in teams to cut the shipping channel past the Detroit River Light.
Desolate isolation!
02/29/04
Hike Report: Pointe Mouillee SGA
I just thought I'd post a little trail report for one of the better early spring hikes.
Saturday was such a nice day that I decided to do one of my favorite local 7 milers. Pointe Mouillee is a banana shaped dike system that juts into Lake Erie at the meeting point of the lake and Huron and Detroit Rivers.
I saw probably 500 or so swans flying around. I love to hear the mechanical "wuh-wuh" sound of their winds as they pass over. There were also hundreds of geese and ducks. This is an area that also has bald eagles, but I didn't see any in the open water areas. Of course, I didn't feel like systematically checking off the thousand or so birds that were just hanging out along the open water. So, maybe there were a few.
Lake Erie is almost completely open water at this point, so the early boater that I saw had lots of space. I did notice that the shipwreck at the easternmost point had moved a little since last year. The hull is just rusting away as the waves lap up.
Trails were quite hikeable. There was some mud, but no snow anywhere. However, the well-drained dikes tend to provide good hiking sooner than true natural surfaces. Monroe is a good early hike spot because it is the most south and east you can get in Michigan. This means it has the highest temperatures and the least snow in the state. Also, Lake Erie moderates temperatures upward in the winter.
3/3/4
Hey guys!
The Isle Royale post about seaplanes reminded me of something I saw while hiking at Pt. Mouillee (on far easter border of Wayne and Monroe County line).
While hiking, I was buzzed twice by a seaplane with the pontoons on. I guess the guy was trying to impress, but I was just curious if anyone knew of a place on the Detroit River that uses these things for transportation. One guess is the development on the old Boblo Island. But, I suppose it also could have taken off from the coolest airport in Michigan on Grosse Ile. Or maybe island transportation from Windsor to the Lake Erie Islands.
Always cool, though to see one of them things fly by.
05/25/04
I like Pte. Mouillee just because it's very different from other local hikes. The hiking takes place on 15 or 20 miles of dikes. The dikes have natural surface two tracks up on top. Given that this is a man-made structure, there is less give to the dikes than most trails. There are not designated "trails", however, the design of the place makes for nice hiking possibilities. The hiking is completely flat. However, the fact that this is a very large marsh next to large expanses of open water means that you get better long-distance views in this place than any other park in the region.
If you look at the map that the state puts out, you can identify the "trails" as the perimeter lines of each "unit." The coolest area might be the "banana." That is the reconstructed barrier island at the easternmost section of the game area. The view is dramatic.
05/25/04
The Detroit River Light can be accessed in a couple of ways. Take I-75 South to the South Rockwood exit. The road you exit onto is S. Huron River Drive. Take this east as far as you can go. Drive slowly because this is a notorious speed trap. Once you dead end, you will turn right onto a road called U.S. Turnpike. It might also be called Jefferson. Take this right for a very short distance and then turn left onto a potholed road just on the south side of the Huron River. Park in the DNR lot. This is Pointe Mouillee. If you follow the south bank of the Huron, you will eventually hit the confluence of the Huron and Detroit Rivers and Lake Erie - 2 or 3 mile hike. The Detroit River light is offshore. You can hear the foghorn. Bring some binocs for a good view. BTW, there are some other navigational structures in the area that can be seen on a clearday. Maps can be found on the DNR website under Pointe Mouillee State Game Area.
05/26/04
All are open to hiking. However, from the beginning of waterfowl season through Jan. 1, the game area is closed. Sept. 15th comes to mind as the close-off date. I've seen pelicans and bald eagles and hundreds upon hundreds of swans at the game area.
I'm hoping that one day there is a trail connecting Pointe Mouillee with Lake Erie Metropark and the Humbug Marsh. That would besomething.
07/20/04
Camping in the summer is not permitted at all. Camping is permitted with the free permit between Sept. 10 and May 15. Be aware that certain state game areas have specific regulations. Pointe Mouillee, for instance, is closed from 11 PM until 4AM each day. It is also closed in some spots from the beginning of waterfowl season until Jan. 1.
Potato Creek State Park: Hike Report
This is a hike report that I originally posted on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
02/02/03
On Saturday, I headed out with Kathy for a little hiking fun at Potato Creek SP, just west of South Bend, IN. We did about 4 miles on trails #1 and #2 in the northern sections of the park. Terrain was rolling with some good inclines. The lake is a great visual feature and the forest is very pleasant. The lake is currently frozen, so the only "hikers" we ran into were ice fishermen toting their gear out to the lake. Snow was pretty thick on the trails and temperatures were about 36 when we went out. The result was difficult hiking in marginal conditions. It kind of reminded me of sand hiking as the snow on the hills slid us down a half step for every one walked. Snowshoes probably would have been a good option, especially considering that this area seems to get lake effect snow.
That said, this is a really nice place. I'd estimate that there are about 15 miles of trail when you total the hike routes, bike path and bridle trails. There is camping available, although it is in established campgrounds. There also seem to be a few old roads that are not always marked on the map.
Overall, the place seemed a lot like Fort Custer SRA in Michigan. The trails were nice with some good route options in a developed park setting.
Hike rating: 3 boots out of 5.
05/11/04
To the west, you've got Potato Creek State Park just south of South Bend. This isn't a bad park and you get some nice trails along some manmade lakes. We've had a good time hiking there in the past.
I've hiked a little bit in NE Indiana, but I haven't found a really great magic bullet hike yet. I've tried Potato Creek SP near South Bend, Pokagon SP near Coldwater, MI and the Pigeon River SWA near Mongo. Potato Creek and Pokagon are quite nice for dayhiking although they are quite developed. Both have some nice lakes and decent hills. I've always thought that Pigeon River would make for a nice longer distance trail considering the amount of public land -11,000 acres - but the only thing I've seen is a rather sandy horsetrail. But I need to explore it more.
02/02/03
On Saturday, I headed out with Kathy for a little hiking fun at Potato Creek SP, just west of South Bend, IN. We did about 4 miles on trails #1 and #2 in the northern sections of the park. Terrain was rolling with some good inclines. The lake is a great visual feature and the forest is very pleasant. The lake is currently frozen, so the only "hikers" we ran into were ice fishermen toting their gear out to the lake. Snow was pretty thick on the trails and temperatures were about 36 when we went out. The result was difficult hiking in marginal conditions. It kind of reminded me of sand hiking as the snow on the hills slid us down a half step for every one walked. Snowshoes probably would have been a good option, especially considering that this area seems to get lake effect snow.
That said, this is a really nice place. I'd estimate that there are about 15 miles of trail when you total the hike routes, bike path and bridle trails. There is camping available, although it is in established campgrounds. There also seem to be a few old roads that are not always marked on the map.
Overall, the place seemed a lot like Fort Custer SRA in Michigan. The trails were nice with some good route options in a developed park setting.
Hike rating: 3 boots out of 5.
05/11/04
To the west, you've got Potato Creek State Park just south of South Bend. This isn't a bad park and you get some nice trails along some manmade lakes. We've had a good time hiking there in the past.
I've hiked a little bit in NE Indiana, but I haven't found a really great magic bullet hike yet. I've tried Potato Creek SP near South Bend, Pokagon SP near Coldwater, MI and the Pigeon River SWA near Mongo. Potato Creek and Pokagon are quite nice for dayhiking although they are quite developed. Both have some nice lakes and decent hills. I've always thought that Pigeon River would make for a nice longer distance trail considering the amount of public land -11,000 acres - but the only thing I've seen is a rather sandy horsetrail. But I need to explore it more.
St. Patrick's Park, IN & Madeline Bertrand Park, MI
This is a hike report that I originally posted to the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
08/30/03
Hi guys!
I got a new hike in on Thursday night between Niles, MI and S. Bend, IN. Madeline Bertrand Park in MI and St. Patrick's Park in IN connect along the banks of the St. Joseph's River. There are about 4 miles of hiking on each side of the border. Terrain is generally flat, although there is a steep river bank portion slightly inland from the river. I saw several nice streams that I'd like to bushwack along at some point. Trails are generally wide skiing paths that seem to be maintained by a motorized vehicle. The MI side has woodchips in spots that make hiking difficult.
Neat items: The Potowatomi tribe seemed to be holding a meeting of some sorts in St. Patrick's Park. There was a large, branch-covered structure that was really neat. I also heard some chanting from adistance. There is a Sept. 11th Memorial on the Indiana side. It looks a bit odd, but it was thought-provoking. Since both of these parks are county parks, there are ballfields and such. However, the hike was pretty nice. Finally, this hike currently extends across two time zones. I forgot about the time change and had to hoof it back to MI quickly so that my car didn't get towed/locked in.
08/30/03
Hi guys!
I got a new hike in on Thursday night between Niles, MI and S. Bend, IN. Madeline Bertrand Park in MI and St. Patrick's Park in IN connect along the banks of the St. Joseph's River. There are about 4 miles of hiking on each side of the border. Terrain is generally flat, although there is a steep river bank portion slightly inland from the river. I saw several nice streams that I'd like to bushwack along at some point. Trails are generally wide skiing paths that seem to be maintained by a motorized vehicle. The MI side has woodchips in spots that make hiking difficult.
Neat items: The Potowatomi tribe seemed to be holding a meeting of some sorts in St. Patrick's Park. There was a large, branch-covered structure that was really neat. I also heard some chanting from adistance. There is a Sept. 11th Memorial on the Indiana side. It looks a bit odd, but it was thought-provoking. Since both of these parks are county parks, there are ballfields and such. However, the hike was pretty nice. Finally, this hike currently extends across two time zones. I forgot about the time change and had to hoof it back to MI quickly so that my car didn't get towed/locked in.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Madeline Bertrand County Park Map - Niles
This is a map of the Madeline Bertrand (Berrien) County Park in Niles, MI. The Red Trail is 1.2 miles in length. The Yellow Trail is 2.3 miles in length. The Green Trail is 2.2 miles in length and is shared by hikers and bikers. Click on the map for a larger view.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Potato Creek State Park (IN): Mountain Bike Trail Map
This is a map of the new 6.7 mile mountain bike trail system at Potato Creek State Park near South Bend in Indiana. The trail is multi-use. Click on the map for a larger view.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Onsted State Game Area: Hike Reports
I originally posted these hike reports for Onsted State Game Area on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
01/20/02
I got the hiking bug again today - funny how that happens - and decided to check out a little spot 5 minutes from my house. It's funny, isn't it, how we will drive half a day to get someplace to hike and we forget about what is right underneath our noses? Well, Onsted isn't the world's greatest hiking spot, but I saw 5 or 6 really nice frozen lakes, a set of rapids on the River Raisin and some really nice glacial hills. All in all, not bad. There are no "official" trails, but there are lots of hunting paths and a few dirt roads that I hope to string together for a nice 5 or 6 mile route. And if I can get permission from Sauk Valley - an old ski hill - I'd be able to add more miles and a high point. We'll see.
Anyway, the place is right near MIS. Don't go out of your way to get there, but you could do an Irish Hills hike day, do 5 or 6 miles at Hidden Lake Gardens, 4 or 5 miles at Onsted SGA and a 3 mile lake loop at Somerset SGA. And you could still catch some soup and sandwiches at the Beach Bar on Clark Lake. Anyway, just an idea.
05/10/02
Onsted SGA doesn't really have a legitimate good hike. I was really hoping I could string together a few hunting trails and renegade paths into a good 4 or 5 mile hike - the place is hilly, lake-filled and beautiful - but, unfortunately the only routes I could see were killed by a big swamp and well-used dirt roads. There are a couple of one-milers, though, so if you want to walk the dog...
05/02/03
Okay, here's the deal on Onsted SGA - not Onstead, like the sign says. First, you can find maps on the dnr website. Go todnr.state.mi.us. This will route you to the correct page. Then click on the left side bar that says online maps. Then click on the link "state game and wildlife areas." This will give you a list with a map of Onsted SGA on it.
Here are a couple of spots that I've hiked. If you take Brix south from US-12 to Grassy Lake Rd., turn right, you'll end up at a small parking area with a two track. That two-track shoots back around over some hills and by a lake. Then it connects with a gated seasonal road that would not be a bad little hike. There are three small lakes at the beginning of the road that can be hiked out to, but they are pretty swampy. You'd probably have to hike on GrassyLake to get back to the car. That would probably be a one to two mile loop. Not bad if it's across the street, but a bit short for a real hike.
I have also parked at the boat launch for Deep Lake on Laird Road. If you look across the road from the parking lot (by the mailbox), you'll see a little path into the woods. This goes back maybe .75 miles and then peters out in the woods. When I hiked this, I was looking for a connection around the backside of Grassy Lake to the seasonal road mentioned above. That would have made for a really nice 4 or 5 mile loop. Unfortunately, you have to cross a mud bog type area on old shipping crates to get to an upland region. Then, within view of the seasonal road, you reach impassable swamp. Hike route denied. Bummer.
So, It's worth a little trip. I have my eyes on two areas, though. One is just West of the Brick Walker Tavern. The state park Walker Tavern complex owns land on the south side of US-12. This land extends to lakeshore that I've seen from a small dead end road. The only way to get there would be to hike in. It might make a three mile hike if I'm lucky. I just don't know where to park. I also have been salivating over the Sauk Valley Resort property. I drive by MIS every morning and look at Prospect Hill like it's forbidden fruit. I've even gone out to try to get permission to hike the property, but didn't get much enthusiasm. It used to be an old ski resort and still has lots of the old pathways. There is even a map of it in the first edition Trail Atlases. I might just rent their cabin to hike it.
01/20/02
I got the hiking bug again today - funny how that happens - and decided to check out a little spot 5 minutes from my house. It's funny, isn't it, how we will drive half a day to get someplace to hike and we forget about what is right underneath our noses? Well, Onsted isn't the world's greatest hiking spot, but I saw 5 or 6 really nice frozen lakes, a set of rapids on the River Raisin and some really nice glacial hills. All in all, not bad. There are no "official" trails, but there are lots of hunting paths and a few dirt roads that I hope to string together for a nice 5 or 6 mile route. And if I can get permission from Sauk Valley - an old ski hill - I'd be able to add more miles and a high point. We'll see.
Anyway, the place is right near MIS. Don't go out of your way to get there, but you could do an Irish Hills hike day, do 5 or 6 miles at Hidden Lake Gardens, 4 or 5 miles at Onsted SGA and a 3 mile lake loop at Somerset SGA. And you could still catch some soup and sandwiches at the Beach Bar on Clark Lake. Anyway, just an idea.
05/10/02
Onsted SGA doesn't really have a legitimate good hike. I was really hoping I could string together a few hunting trails and renegade paths into a good 4 or 5 mile hike - the place is hilly, lake-filled and beautiful - but, unfortunately the only routes I could see were killed by a big swamp and well-used dirt roads. There are a couple of one-milers, though, so if you want to walk the dog...
05/02/03
Okay, here's the deal on Onsted SGA - not Onstead, like the sign says. First, you can find maps on the dnr website. Go todnr.state.mi.us. This will route you to the correct page. Then click on the left side bar that says online maps. Then click on the link "state game and wildlife areas." This will give you a list with a map of Onsted SGA on it.
Here are a couple of spots that I've hiked. If you take Brix south from US-12 to Grassy Lake Rd., turn right, you'll end up at a small parking area with a two track. That two-track shoots back around over some hills and by a lake. Then it connects with a gated seasonal road that would not be a bad little hike. There are three small lakes at the beginning of the road that can be hiked out to, but they are pretty swampy. You'd probably have to hike on GrassyLake to get back to the car. That would probably be a one to two mile loop. Not bad if it's across the street, but a bit short for a real hike.
I have also parked at the boat launch for Deep Lake on Laird Road. If you look across the road from the parking lot (by the mailbox), you'll see a little path into the woods. This goes back maybe .75 miles and then peters out in the woods. When I hiked this, I was looking for a connection around the backside of Grassy Lake to the seasonal road mentioned above. That would have made for a really nice 4 or 5 mile loop. Unfortunately, you have to cross a mud bog type area on old shipping crates to get to an upland region. Then, within view of the seasonal road, you reach impassable swamp. Hike route denied. Bummer.
So, It's worth a little trip. I have my eyes on two areas, though. One is just West of the Brick Walker Tavern. The state park Walker Tavern complex owns land on the south side of US-12. This land extends to lakeshore that I've seen from a small dead end road. The only way to get there would be to hike in. It might make a three mile hike if I'm lucky. I just don't know where to park. I also have been salivating over the Sauk Valley Resort property. I drive by MIS every morning and look at Prospect Hill like it's forbidden fruit. I've even gone out to try to get permission to hike the property, but didn't get much enthusiasm. It used to be an old ski resort and still has lots of the old pathways. There is even a map of it in the first edition Trail Atlases. I might just rent their cabin to hike it.
Walpole Island First Nation
Squirrel Island
06/11/3
A few years back, my friend Chris and I decided to have a Saturday afternoon epic adventure and circle Lake St. Clair in his Toyota pickup truck. We quickly passed through the urban stuff, bopped around Harsen's Island - did a bit of not-terribly-appealing hiking there. Then we took the ferry across the St. Clair River at Algonac. This was a pretty cool thing made even more so by the "Walpole Island First Nation - unceded territory" signs put up by the aboriginal peoples who retained control of the area. Now, the good stuff. While we were bumbling around this first nation, we ended up on Squirrel Island. This place had a bunch of very bad two tracks along the very narrow shipping channel. Of course we got stuck. This led to the very surreal experience of being stuck in the mud miles from anyone who could help as thousand foot freighters passed by just yards offshore. We got into the habit of moving our truck a few feet and then stopping to wave madly at the crewmembers on deck. Anyway, we finally threw enough stray material into the muckholes to get the truck moving and off the island. Ever since, however, I've wondered about the hikeability of this place. It seems to have lots of two-tracks that might make for a very interesting lakeshore/shipping channel/first nation hike. Does anyone have experience that might be helpful in this regard? Also, if anyone knows how to access the Lake Ste. Claire National Wildlife Refuge on the Ontario side, I'd appreciate it. We were never able to find this place.
06/11/3
A few years back, my friend Chris and I decided to have a Saturday afternoon epic adventure and circle Lake St. Clair in his Toyota pickup truck. We quickly passed through the urban stuff, bopped around Harsen's Island - did a bit of not-terribly-appealing hiking there. Then we took the ferry across the St. Clair River at Algonac. This was a pretty cool thing made even more so by the "Walpole Island First Nation - unceded territory" signs put up by the aboriginal peoples who retained control of the area. Now, the good stuff. While we were bumbling around this first nation, we ended up on Squirrel Island. This place had a bunch of very bad two tracks along the very narrow shipping channel. Of course we got stuck. This led to the very surreal experience of being stuck in the mud miles from anyone who could help as thousand foot freighters passed by just yards offshore. We got into the habit of moving our truck a few feet and then stopping to wave madly at the crewmembers on deck. Anyway, we finally threw enough stray material into the muckholes to get the truck moving and off the island. Ever since, however, I've wondered about the hikeability of this place. It seems to have lots of two-tracks that might make for a very interesting lakeshore/shipping channel/first nation hike. Does anyone have experience that might be helpful in this regard? Also, if anyone knows how to access the Lake Ste. Claire National Wildlife Refuge on the Ontario side, I'd appreciate it. We were never able to find this place.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Falling Waters Trail: Notes
I originally posted these hike notes on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
Falling Waters
05/15/02
I had a couple of hours tonight and decided to scout the Falling Waters Trail out of Jackson. It's an old rail bed, but I think it just might make a great hike. It goes through some pretty wild area with lots of lakes, streams and marshes. There is a small section that is paved in the city of Jackson, but once it heads into thecountryside, the trail turns to single and double track. I'm not sure if there are any bridges out, but it seemed passable to Homer -with a small break in Concord. I'm not quite sure how much is publicly owned beyond that, but the railbed goes to at least ThreeRivers. So, it's at least 25 miles long, maybe 50. Anyway, I'm going to start hiking it.
05/16/02
Okay, so when's a trail not a trail?
Answer: Falling Waters Trail
I decided to call around to get more info. on this thing and apparently, it still is in private ownership. I talked to the guy who is spearheading the place. He's spent about 10 years trying to get the state to buy it. Apparently, the county and cities support it and some sections near Jackson are public.
The funny thing is that he told me he grew up hiking the trail and earned his Boy Scout hiking badge on trips on the thing. And from the looks of it, it's probably the most used non-trail in the state of Michigan. In fact, it's the only non-trail I know of that has a real name as cool as "Falling Waters." This guy even gave me suggestions on good sections to hike.
But, I guess the next time I stop in one of the trail parking lots, I'll just have to ignore the thing.
07/06/03
Also, the MMBA website had a post with a DNR purchase plan for 108 acres of the "Falling Waters Trail" in Jackson County. This is an old railbed in Concord, Spring Arbor and Summit Townships. If you follow the Lakelands Trail or Waterloo-Pinckney to Jackson Prison, you are not far from the Jackson city trails. These use the Falling Waters railbed. The western end of this purchase takes the hiker almost to Homer and close proximity to the eventual path of the NCT.
I've hiked many of the paths that lie on this route and a hiking route from Lake Erie to Lake Michigan doesn't seem too outlandish.
09/25/03
I was reading the Natural Resources Commission minutes for July and I came across the discussion and vote to purchase the Falling Waters Trail in Jackson County. The purchase covers about 9 miles SW of Jackson. This is an old railbed that reaches almost to Homer. This is good news and means that there are only a few short missing sections to a trail that connects the Waterloo-Pinckney Trail to the North Country Trail route.
BTW, in terms of railtrails, the Falling Waters Trail is really nice. There is one section that bisects a lake with water on both sides. And it also follows a river for a nice stretch.
10/06/03
I got on my bike today and biked about 5 miles of the Jackson Intercity Trail and Falling Waters Trail. I did most of the paved portion through town and a bit of the dirt pathway that starts at Weatherwax Drive and heads west.
Trail conditions west of Weatherwax are unimproved, which makes hiking the preferred mode of transportation. The vegetation is very nice, even on the paved city portions.
I ran into a nice older couple and the man said he'd been running that trail for 20 years. That's the funny thing. I've never seen atrail that has gotten so much use without being public. The thing had a name, an advocacy group and many users while it was still private land. Now, the state - I believe - only bought the line to Concord. This man said that another line branched to the south - on maps it heads to Hanover and Horton. He said he'd run it regularly for years.
The paved trail also veers south along Weatherwax into populated areas. I'm not sure how far that section of trails goes. Also, I'm curious if the informal use of the trail extends past the purchase along the line into Homer. If it does, there might well be a useable connection to the NCT route right now.
Finally, the trail basically connects to Ella Sharp Park - the site of 10 to 15 miles of disjointed dirt trail.
07/20/04
Also, the Jackson County Parks Department will soon take possession of the Falling Waters Trail from the MDNR, making an 18 mile trail across Jackson County a fairly imminent possibility.
8/12/4
I would advise anyone to read the "State Land Rules" on the following website. It covers all state land that is NOT a state park or recreation area. It opens some additional camping possibilities that might help with a backpack. For instance, sections of the Lakelands Trail and, I believe Falling Waters Trail are state owned but not designated "state park." This likely means that there are some sections of the corridor in which it is legal to camp.
www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370-31657--,00.html
Falling Waters
05/15/02
I had a couple of hours tonight and decided to scout the Falling Waters Trail out of Jackson. It's an old rail bed, but I think it just might make a great hike. It goes through some pretty wild area with lots of lakes, streams and marshes. There is a small section that is paved in the city of Jackson, but once it heads into thecountryside, the trail turns to single and double track. I'm not sure if there are any bridges out, but it seemed passable to Homer -with a small break in Concord. I'm not quite sure how much is publicly owned beyond that, but the railbed goes to at least ThreeRivers. So, it's at least 25 miles long, maybe 50. Anyway, I'm going to start hiking it.
05/16/02
Okay, so when's a trail not a trail?
Answer: Falling Waters Trail
I decided to call around to get more info. on this thing and apparently, it still is in private ownership. I talked to the guy who is spearheading the place. He's spent about 10 years trying to get the state to buy it. Apparently, the county and cities support it and some sections near Jackson are public.
The funny thing is that he told me he grew up hiking the trail and earned his Boy Scout hiking badge on trips on the thing. And from the looks of it, it's probably the most used non-trail in the state of Michigan. In fact, it's the only non-trail I know of that has a real name as cool as "Falling Waters." This guy even gave me suggestions on good sections to hike.
But, I guess the next time I stop in one of the trail parking lots, I'll just have to ignore the thing.
07/06/03
Also, the MMBA website had a post with a DNR purchase plan for 108 acres of the "Falling Waters Trail" in Jackson County. This is an old railbed in Concord, Spring Arbor and Summit Townships. If you follow the Lakelands Trail or Waterloo-Pinckney to Jackson Prison, you are not far from the Jackson city trails. These use the Falling Waters railbed. The western end of this purchase takes the hiker almost to Homer and close proximity to the eventual path of the NCT.
I've hiked many of the paths that lie on this route and a hiking route from Lake Erie to Lake Michigan doesn't seem too outlandish.
09/25/03
I was reading the Natural Resources Commission minutes for July and I came across the discussion and vote to purchase the Falling Waters Trail in Jackson County. The purchase covers about 9 miles SW of Jackson. This is an old railbed that reaches almost to Homer. This is good news and means that there are only a few short missing sections to a trail that connects the Waterloo-Pinckney Trail to the North Country Trail route.
BTW, in terms of railtrails, the Falling Waters Trail is really nice. There is one section that bisects a lake with water on both sides. And it also follows a river for a nice stretch.
10/06/03
I got on my bike today and biked about 5 miles of the Jackson Intercity Trail and Falling Waters Trail. I did most of the paved portion through town and a bit of the dirt pathway that starts at Weatherwax Drive and heads west.
Trail conditions west of Weatherwax are unimproved, which makes hiking the preferred mode of transportation. The vegetation is very nice, even on the paved city portions.
I ran into a nice older couple and the man said he'd been running that trail for 20 years. That's the funny thing. I've never seen atrail that has gotten so much use without being public. The thing had a name, an advocacy group and many users while it was still private land. Now, the state - I believe - only bought the line to Concord. This man said that another line branched to the south - on maps it heads to Hanover and Horton. He said he'd run it regularly for years.
The paved trail also veers south along Weatherwax into populated areas. I'm not sure how far that section of trails goes. Also, I'm curious if the informal use of the trail extends past the purchase along the line into Homer. If it does, there might well be a useable connection to the NCT route right now.
Finally, the trail basically connects to Ella Sharp Park - the site of 10 to 15 miles of disjointed dirt trail.
07/20/04
Also, the Jackson County Parks Department will soon take possession of the Falling Waters Trail from the MDNR, making an 18 mile trail across Jackson County a fairly imminent possibility.
8/12/4
I would advise anyone to read the "State Land Rules" on the following website. It covers all state land that is NOT a state park or recreation area. It opens some additional camping possibilities that might help with a backpack. For instance, sections of the Lakelands Trail and, I believe Falling Waters Trail are state owned but not designated "state park." This likely means that there are some sections of the corridor in which it is legal to camp.
www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370-31657--,00.html
Erie Marsh Preserve Notes
I originally posted these hike reports on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
Erie Marsh
01/19/01
Monroe County: Erie Marsh Preserve/Erie State Game Area.
The Woodtick Peninsula in the game area is a 4 mile hike each way. It involves wading in the shallows and ends at an island at North Cape. And campable from Oct. 1 to April 1. And if the state ever got its act together, the peninsula could connect to about 8 or 10 miles of dike in the Nature Conservancy's Erie Marsh and about 2 or 3 miles of dike in Luna Pier. You could hike for 20+ miles with a little effort. Also, two or three more bald eagles nests. Honorable mention: Lighthouse/freighter hike at Pointe Mouillee SGA (10 or 12miles).
01/28/01
Monroe: Erie Marsh/SGA:
Take I-75 to the Erie Rd. exit just a few miles North of the Ohio border. Go East until this road dead ends in a parking lot in sight of a power plant. Hike East until you hit Lake Erie. Begin hiking south to the end of the peninsula. [Note: I was out there this weekend, and winter ice forms a natural bridge into the preserve, allowing for a 10+ mile one-way hike.]
02/04/02
Well, it was a nice day on Sunday, and since I had no power back home, I decided to hike the Erie Marsh south of Monroe. I ended up doing about 10 miles or so, although you could increase the mileage a bit.
The place is owned by the Nature Conservancy and managed by the Erie Shooting Club. So, I'm often greeted by members of the shooting club when I stop in. They are a little protective of the place, but can give good tips on dike conditions. The place is one big diked marsh. So, the wildlife is incredibly diverse. I was constantly being buzzed by hawks and you can see bald eagle nests in some spots. The view of Lake Erie is mostly obscured by the Woodtick Peninsula - the only backpackable Great Lakes shoreline in MetroDetroit - but you can see the lake about halfway through the long loop. You also get good views of inland bays, open pools and creeks. Indian Island is also in the bay - it's the site of an old native American settlement and has been the focus of occasional archaeological research. The Toledo Harbor Light can also be seen.
You really have to pick your spots when hiking here. 20% of the trail I hiked was a big mud pit. It dries out in summer. But that's when the bugs are fierce. This is probably the buggiest place I've ever been in the summer. Once you hit March, you also start hitting endangered species closures.
You can find good maps in the Trail Atlas of Michigan and on the DNR website (Erie State Game Area).
Drawbacks include freeway noise and occasional power plant views. But, it's a nice long hike with lots and lots of wildlife in a place where you will almost certainly see no other hikers.
Erie Marsh
01/19/01
Monroe County: Erie Marsh Preserve/Erie State Game Area.
The Woodtick Peninsula in the game area is a 4 mile hike each way. It involves wading in the shallows and ends at an island at North Cape. And campable from Oct. 1 to April 1. And if the state ever got its act together, the peninsula could connect to about 8 or 10 miles of dike in the Nature Conservancy's Erie Marsh and about 2 or 3 miles of dike in Luna Pier. You could hike for 20+ miles with a little effort. Also, two or three more bald eagles nests. Honorable mention: Lighthouse/freighter hike at Pointe Mouillee SGA (10 or 12miles).
01/28/01
Monroe: Erie Marsh/SGA:
Take I-75 to the Erie Rd. exit just a few miles North of the Ohio border. Go East until this road dead ends in a parking lot in sight of a power plant. Hike East until you hit Lake Erie. Begin hiking south to the end of the peninsula. [Note: I was out there this weekend, and winter ice forms a natural bridge into the preserve, allowing for a 10+ mile one-way hike.]
02/04/02
Well, it was a nice day on Sunday, and since I had no power back home, I decided to hike the Erie Marsh south of Monroe. I ended up doing about 10 miles or so, although you could increase the mileage a bit.
The place is owned by the Nature Conservancy and managed by the Erie Shooting Club. So, I'm often greeted by members of the shooting club when I stop in. They are a little protective of the place, but can give good tips on dike conditions. The place is one big diked marsh. So, the wildlife is incredibly diverse. I was constantly being buzzed by hawks and you can see bald eagle nests in some spots. The view of Lake Erie is mostly obscured by the Woodtick Peninsula - the only backpackable Great Lakes shoreline in MetroDetroit - but you can see the lake about halfway through the long loop. You also get good views of inland bays, open pools and creeks. Indian Island is also in the bay - it's the site of an old native American settlement and has been the focus of occasional archaeological research. The Toledo Harbor Light can also be seen.
You really have to pick your spots when hiking here. 20% of the trail I hiked was a big mud pit. It dries out in summer. But that's when the bugs are fierce. This is probably the buggiest place I've ever been in the summer. Once you hit March, you also start hitting endangered species closures.
You can find good maps in the Trail Atlas of Michigan and on the DNR website (Erie State Game Area).
Drawbacks include freeway noise and occasional power plant views. But, it's a nice long hike with lots and lots of wildlife in a place where you will almost certainly see no other hikers.
East Sandusky Bay Preserve
This post first appeared on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Forum:
East Sandusky Bay
01/06/04
The proposed East Sandusky Bay Preserve has expanded by 14 acres. Within the last year, over a thousand acres of land on Lake Erie have been purchased for hiking trails and nature study. This preserve is located a bit east of (Big) Cedar Point.
www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040105/NEWS17/40105003
Additional Links:
http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=13023&folder_id=251
http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=11064&folder_id=251
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/ohio/preserves/art10093.html
http://www.eriemetroparks.org/Whats%20Happening/Master%20Plans/ESB%20Master%20Plans.htm
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/oh/010604_great_lakes.htm
East Sandusky Bay
01/06/04
The proposed East Sandusky Bay Preserve has expanded by 14 acres. Within the last year, over a thousand acres of land on Lake Erie have been purchased for hiking trails and nature study. This preserve is located a bit east of (Big) Cedar Point.
www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040105/NEWS17/40105003
Additional Links:
http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=13023&folder_id=251
http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=11064&folder_id=251
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/ohio/preserves/art10093.html
http://www.eriemetroparks.org/Whats%20Happening/Master%20Plans/ESB%20Master%20Plans.htm
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/oh/010604_great_lakes.htm
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Blue Creek Conservation Area
The Blue Creek Conservation Area in Whitehouse, OH is a 577 acre site that was once the location of the Toledo House of Corrections - a prison farm. The property is being redeveloped as a Toledo Metropark highlighting both Toledo's farming heritage and the natural values that are present in the land. The park is currently under development and only open during special events.
I have found several references to this location on a few web sites. Here they are:
Toledo.com:
The Blue Creek Conservation Area in Whitehouse is the site of the former Toledo House of Corrections. Metropark is partnering with the Lucas Soil and Water Conservation District and Nature's Nursery to use the site as a center for nature, agriculture and wildlife education and restoration. An adjacent property, known as the Nona France Recreation Area, recently became park of Metroparks and will continue to be used for active recreation under an agreement with the local jurisdiction.
From the official Metoparks web site:
In the next 10 years, the park district plans to open the Fallen Timbers Battlefield in Maumee; the Blue Creek Conservation Area in Whitehouse; the 300-acre addition to Pearson; a 28-acre park on the Maumee River in downtown Toledo known as the Middlegrounds; and a greenway with an all-purpose trail from Secor to Oak Openings Preserve Metroparks.
I posted this entry on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group when I first learned of Blue Creek:
Whitehouse Metropark
04/20/04
I've never heard of this place before, but the Toledo Metroparks are apparently creating a new 577 acre Metropark near Whitehouse on the site of the old Toledo Workhouse. From what I've read, there is a creek that extends through the property, there is oak savanna habitat and glacial grooves.
It's kind of neat to think about what is happening around Toledo in terms of parks. This site is close to Oak Openings Metropark, the Wabash-Cannonball Railtrail, a series of canal parks and other planned canal trails. You can really see something nice coming together there. And for you NCT lovers, the trail goes right on through.
www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?ID=/20040419/NEWS17/404190377
This is the official Metroparks Blue Creek Conservation Area Page:
http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metroparks/bluecreek/
I have found several references to this location on a few web sites. Here they are:
Toledo.com:
The Blue Creek Conservation Area in Whitehouse is the site of the former Toledo House of Corrections. Metropark is partnering with the Lucas Soil and Water Conservation District and Nature's Nursery to use the site as a center for nature, agriculture and wildlife education and restoration. An adjacent property, known as the Nona France Recreation Area, recently became park of Metroparks and will continue to be used for active recreation under an agreement with the local jurisdiction.
From the official Metoparks web site:
In the next 10 years, the park district plans to open the Fallen Timbers Battlefield in Maumee; the Blue Creek Conservation Area in Whitehouse; the 300-acre addition to Pearson; a 28-acre park on the Maumee River in downtown Toledo known as the Middlegrounds; and a greenway with an all-purpose trail from Secor to Oak Openings Preserve Metroparks.
I posted this entry on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group when I first learned of Blue Creek:
Whitehouse Metropark
04/20/04
I've never heard of this place before, but the Toledo Metroparks are apparently creating a new 577 acre Metropark near Whitehouse on the site of the old Toledo Workhouse. From what I've read, there is a creek that extends through the property, there is oak savanna habitat and glacial grooves.
It's kind of neat to think about what is happening around Toledo in terms of parks. This site is close to Oak Openings Metropark, the Wabash-Cannonball Railtrail, a series of canal parks and other planned canal trails. You can really see something nice coming together there. And for you NCT lovers, the trail goes right on through.
www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?ID=/20040419/NEWS17/404190377
This is the official Metroparks Blue Creek Conservation Area Page:
http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metroparks/bluecreek/
Whitehouse Nature Center - Albion College
The Whitehouse Nature Center on the campus of Albion College is a perfect example of the kind of hiking that is present almost anywhere in southeast and mid-Michigan. The center property is 144 acres in size and contains a variety of environments along the Kalamazoo River. The hiking is not incredible, but it's not bad, either. And there are five or six miles of trail. That's enough for a nice two hour hike.
Here is a hike report that I originally wrote on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
Whitehouse Nature Center
05/25/02
I got out before the storms this morning for an approximately 5 mile loop hike in Albion. The
Whitehouse Center is owned by Albion College and is about 200 acres in size. There are about 5 miles of trail although there are a few small unofficial spurs. Highlights of hiking here include the Kalamazoo River and a small stream. A well-constructed pedestrian bridge over the Kalamazoo is also very pleasant. The trails are easy to hike. Some are grass. Some are dirt. Some pass through old fields. Others skim the river's edge. This is a good place for kids. And it's also a good spot if there is a threat of bad weather and you don't want to get too far off the beaten path. The nature center is also very nice - I almost walked in on a seminar. The trailhead is just to the east of the Albion College football field. Info. can be found in the Trail Atlas of Michigan and the MI Watchable Wildlife Viewing Guide. I'd recommend this place to those within an hour of Albion.
Map:
http://www.albion.edu/naturecenter/map.asp
Trail Guide:
http://www.albion.edu/naturecenter/trails.asp
MI Watchable Wildlife Viewing Guide Entry:
http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/wildlife/viewingguide/slp/98Whitehouse/index.htm
Directions to Center:
http://www.albion.edu/naturecenter/location.asp
Here is a hike report that I originally wrote on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
Whitehouse Nature Center
05/25/02
I got out before the storms this morning for an approximately 5 mile loop hike in Albion. The
Whitehouse Center is owned by Albion College and is about 200 acres in size. There are about 5 miles of trail although there are a few small unofficial spurs. Highlights of hiking here include the Kalamazoo River and a small stream. A well-constructed pedestrian bridge over the Kalamazoo is also very pleasant. The trails are easy to hike. Some are grass. Some are dirt. Some pass through old fields. Others skim the river's edge. This is a good place for kids. And it's also a good spot if there is a threat of bad weather and you don't want to get too far off the beaten path. The nature center is also very nice - I almost walked in on a seminar. The trailhead is just to the east of the Albion College football field. Info. can be found in the Trail Atlas of Michigan and the MI Watchable Wildlife Viewing Guide. I'd recommend this place to those within an hour of Albion.
Map:
http://www.albion.edu/naturecenter/map.asp
Trail Guide:
http://www.albion.edu/naturecenter/trails.asp
MI Watchable Wildlife Viewing Guide Entry:
http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/wildlife/viewingguide/slp/98Whitehouse/index.htm
Directions to Center:
http://www.albion.edu/naturecenter/location.asp
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Notes
The following notes were originally posted on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
Detroit IWR
07/10/02
Hey guys!
The posts on the two articles about Sleeping Bear, etc. got methinking again about the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. The Fish and Wildlife Service is taking public comment for the first refuge management plan. The refuge currently starts at Zug Island and stretches to the mouth of the River Raisin at Sterling SP in Monroe. Future plans call for the refuge to extend to Sandusky. And the Canadians are working on a similar extention along the DetroitRiver/Lake Erie coast - possibly to Pointe Pelee.
This is one of those long term kind of projects. The FWS is more in coordination on this until it can purchase more shoreline. However,the possible boundaries include Pointe Mouillee SGA, Sterling SP, Erie Marsh Preserve/SGA, West Sister Island Wilderness, Middle Sister Island Provincial Park, Point Pelee NP, Ottawa NWR, Little Cedar Point NWR, Maumee Bay SP and bunches of smaller areas. It's the kind of place that might eventually be really natural again. Lots of it is marshy and old industrial area that is not really all that built up.
Anyway, I went to their public comment session in Monroe recently to ask about trails and they seemed very positive. Of course, it's early. Comments can be made to the Shiawassee NWR office in Saginaw.
07/10/02
Re: Detroit River IWR
Oh, I know. Zug Island is a tough place. Another way to look at it is that the lower Rouge won WWII for America. There was no comparable hub for industry like it in America. And it still is a pretty powerful industrial area. Of course, lots was sacrificed for that.
Still, in terms of ecological diversity, you'd be hard pressed to find a place more valuable than western Lake Erie and the lower Detroit River. It's amazing what is out there. If you'd like to hike out there sometime, I'll take people on tours. I'll bet there are more species of animals/fish/birds/plants in that area than any other section of the state. And those fences keep people away -leaving some habitat undisturbed.
And, Michigan had no trees a hundred years ago. Things can get better with effort.
05/28/03
There was a good article in the Toledo Blade today about the expanded Detroit River IWR and Ottawa NWR complex in the Lake Erie West region. There is a cool map which shows the
project boundaries. This is my home hiking turf. I've spent countless hours on the trails in this complex and just love the fact that the area is expanding. I was at one of the original brainstorming meetings and find it pretty neat to see some of the plans already coming to fruition.
www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030528/NEWS06/105280040
07/06/03
Hello!
The Toledo Blade had a small article about 150 acres that will soon be purchased for the Detroit River Int. Wildlife Refuge near Estral Beach. Add this to the 200+ acres that have recently been transferred to the refuge in the same area and the thousands of acres in the Pointe Mouillee SGA. It's going to be interesting to see this corridor develop. Perhaps it might eventually connect to the Pointe Aux Peaux State Game Area and Sterling State Park.
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030705/NEWS06/107050105/-1/ARCHIVES30
07/08/03
The Michigan Seagrant is a partnership between MSU and U of M that promotes the Great Lakes. They have a website that shows the Greenway projects currently in the works for the Detroit River.
http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/greenways/map.html
09/27/03
Hi guys!
The DRIWR has been expanded by 600 acres. Detroit Edison is turning over 600 acres at Fermi II for wildlife management in the refuge tothe FWS. I'm interested to see what the specifics of this are. Is Detroit Edison donating the land? It doesn't sound like it. Will there be public access? Considering the several times I've tried to visit the Michigan Nature Association Lotus Preserve at the site and been turned away by the guards, I'd doubt it. I do know that the Boy Scouts were working on hiking trails on this land before 911.
So, this could be very good news or not much at all.
Mike
http://www.monroenews.com/articles/2003/09/26/news/news03.txt
09/30/03
The Trust for Public land has taken title to the 400 acre Humbug Marsh - the last undeveloped mile of the Detroit River shoreline. It will become part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. Hooray!
Also, some follow-up on the Fermi property. Apparently, DTE Energy donated the 600 acres around Fermi to the DRIWR. It will not be open to public access in the current security climate.
01/09/04
The City of Monroe planning documents, however, do include plans for trails on the old interurban tracks between Toledo and Detroit. Also, the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is off to a fast start. There are many miles of trail along the shore that are unconnected. With a good overall plan, these could be connected for a really nice shoreline route. I could see that happening in the next 20 years.
Detroit IWR
07/10/02
Hey guys!
The posts on the two articles about Sleeping Bear, etc. got methinking again about the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. The Fish and Wildlife Service is taking public comment for the first refuge management plan. The refuge currently starts at Zug Island and stretches to the mouth of the River Raisin at Sterling SP in Monroe. Future plans call for the refuge to extend to Sandusky. And the Canadians are working on a similar extention along the DetroitRiver/Lake Erie coast - possibly to Pointe Pelee.
This is one of those long term kind of projects. The FWS is more in coordination on this until it can purchase more shoreline. However,the possible boundaries include Pointe Mouillee SGA, Sterling SP, Erie Marsh Preserve/SGA, West Sister Island Wilderness, Middle Sister Island Provincial Park, Point Pelee NP, Ottawa NWR, Little Cedar Point NWR, Maumee Bay SP and bunches of smaller areas. It's the kind of place that might eventually be really natural again. Lots of it is marshy and old industrial area that is not really all that built up.
Anyway, I went to their public comment session in Monroe recently to ask about trails and they seemed very positive. Of course, it's early. Comments can be made to the Shiawassee NWR office in Saginaw.
07/10/02
Re: Detroit River IWR
Oh, I know. Zug Island is a tough place. Another way to look at it is that the lower Rouge won WWII for America. There was no comparable hub for industry like it in America. And it still is a pretty powerful industrial area. Of course, lots was sacrificed for that.
Still, in terms of ecological diversity, you'd be hard pressed to find a place more valuable than western Lake Erie and the lower Detroit River. It's amazing what is out there. If you'd like to hike out there sometime, I'll take people on tours. I'll bet there are more species of animals/fish/birds/plants in that area than any other section of the state. And those fences keep people away -leaving some habitat undisturbed.
And, Michigan had no trees a hundred years ago. Things can get better with effort.
05/28/03
There was a good article in the Toledo Blade today about the expanded Detroit River IWR and Ottawa NWR complex in the Lake Erie West region. There is a cool map which shows the
project boundaries. This is my home hiking turf. I've spent countless hours on the trails in this complex and just love the fact that the area is expanding. I was at one of the original brainstorming meetings and find it pretty neat to see some of the plans already coming to fruition.
www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030528/NEWS06/105280040
07/06/03
Hello!
The Toledo Blade had a small article about 150 acres that will soon be purchased for the Detroit River Int. Wildlife Refuge near Estral Beach. Add this to the 200+ acres that have recently been transferred to the refuge in the same area and the thousands of acres in the Pointe Mouillee SGA. It's going to be interesting to see this corridor develop. Perhaps it might eventually connect to the Pointe Aux Peaux State Game Area and Sterling State Park.
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030705/NEWS06/107050105/-1/ARCHIVES30
07/08/03
The Michigan Seagrant is a partnership between MSU and U of M that promotes the Great Lakes. They have a website that shows the Greenway projects currently in the works for the Detroit River.
http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/greenways/map.html
09/27/03
Hi guys!
The DRIWR has been expanded by 600 acres. Detroit Edison is turning over 600 acres at Fermi II for wildlife management in the refuge tothe FWS. I'm interested to see what the specifics of this are. Is Detroit Edison donating the land? It doesn't sound like it. Will there be public access? Considering the several times I've tried to visit the Michigan Nature Association Lotus Preserve at the site and been turned away by the guards, I'd doubt it. I do know that the Boy Scouts were working on hiking trails on this land before 911.
So, this could be very good news or not much at all.
Mike
http://www.monroenews.com/articles/2003/09/26/news/news03.txt
09/30/03
The Trust for Public land has taken title to the 400 acre Humbug Marsh - the last undeveloped mile of the Detroit River shoreline. It will become part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. Hooray!
Also, some follow-up on the Fermi property. Apparently, DTE Energy donated the 600 acres around Fermi to the DRIWR. It will not be open to public access in the current security climate.
01/09/04
The City of Monroe planning documents, however, do include plans for trails on the old interurban tracks between Toledo and Detroit. Also, the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is off to a fast start. There are many miles of trail along the shore that are unconnected. With a good overall plan, these could be connected for a really nice shoreline route. I could see that happening in the next 20 years.
Crosswinds Marsh Hike Reports
The following reports were originally posted on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group.
01/19/01
Wayne County: Crosswinds Marsh. 5 to 10 miles of trail. This place is a reconstructed marsh - to replace the marsh destroyed at MetroAirport. And it is really cool. There's a bald eagle's nest and lots of birds. And some easy canoeing. And a hill is rising right next door at the landfill that is accepting Toronto's trash and sewer sludge. My hope is that there is a plan to eventually incorporate it into the park as a scenic overlook or ski hill.
Jan. 21, 2001
A few more comments on the Toronto trash issue...
My understanding of the issue is that Canadian trash is considered international commerce under NAFTA. Even if the state wanted to stopit, they would probably get sued - and I'd imagine lose.
The issue does have another side. I believe that Michigan and other states send hazardous waste to Ontario in large volumes. Ontario can't really stop that from happening either. So, if we make them keep their trash, they are libel to make us keep our biohazards.
This dump has been there even before this deal was signed. The lack of Toronto's garbage wouldn't really make any difference at the site.
My big concern is what happens afterwards. There are a lot of quarries and dumps in my area that just get fenced off and left. But these places can be put to public use if designed right. If these places are held to high environmental standards and later become large public spaces, I think everybody wins. And in a very flat section of Michigan, a big hill with a scenic overlook on top would be a very nice addition to a park.
BTW, the local government has been very supportive of the dump. It provides jobs and tax money in an overlooked, rural part of WayneCounty.
Complexity reigns.
07/22/01
Well, after hiking in Ohio, I headed back to Monroe for a wedding reception. Afterwards, I found out I had a little more time on my hands and decided to do a little more hiking - this time at Crosswinds Marsh.
Crosswinds Marsh is a Wayne County Marsh Interpretive Preserve. It is restored marsh, created to replace wetlands destroyed for the new terminal at Metro Airport. You can get there by taking I-275 to Will Carleton (South of Detroit near the town of Waltz). Head west on Will Carleton, past the dump to Haggerty. Turn Right and you are there.
While this is not at all a strenuous hike, it is an interesting place. There is a lot of open water - enough for a 2 mile canoe trail. There is a 4.5 mile horse loop around the perimeter of the preserve that is essentially a gravel road with one water crossing. You could hike this if you wanted.
There are also 6 or 7 miles of hiking trail. These range from dirt to gravel to boardwalk. The trails pass through cattail marsh, wooded swamp areas, open water and open meadows. You can see muskrats, fish, geese and a bald eagle's nest on the south end of the park.
This area is great for kids and a nice respite from a populated area. While I was hiking, I saw 3 or 4 kids fishing and a few couples. I also ran into a group of young people who were badly in need of bug spray. I gladly helped them out.
When combined with Pointe Mouillee SGA and Lower Huron, Oakwoods, Willow and Lake Erie Metroparks, Crosswinds Marsh helps make the Downriver area a great way to get out there in an urban setting.
01/08/03
Re: Fw: E-M:/ Granholm says no to Toronto Trash
I'll bet Granholm plays this issue up big - because it doesn't require much expenditure from the state budget. If she talks tough or even changes the situation, she'll get political mileage for free.
I know this dump well. I hike occasionally at the Crosswinds Marsh that borders the place. There is a bald eagle's nest right there.
A few things to consider: Sumpter Township gets some ungodly percentage of its annual revenue from the tipping fees on the garbage. I believe it's something like 80%. This is a rural, but growing area, with lots of parkland in the Metroparks, etc. I'll assume that if the garbage doesn't flow, they'll have to find other ways to fill the township treasury - like maybe a big old development on some farmland. Or, maybe they'll just lay off the police.
But, the dump is there. It won't close if Toronto stops shipping. Garbage will come from Ohio or New York instead. So: spend lots ofenergy stopping the garbage for zero gain to local residents. Why not lobby for a new a natural area instead?
But I do find it difficult to think that some hardscrabble northern Ontario town couldn't make use of all the money that is generated by growth in the waste management industry:)
03/15/03
I have three suggestions. Crosswinds Marsh is a restored marsh on Haggerty Rd. in extreme southern Wayne County. Take I-275 to Will-Carleton (I think) and head west. Once you zoom past a landfill, the park is on the right. It's nice and would be interesting at this time of year. Crosswinds is a Wayne County Park and offers 6 to 10 miles of trail.
01/19/01
Wayne County: Crosswinds Marsh. 5 to 10 miles of trail. This place is a reconstructed marsh - to replace the marsh destroyed at MetroAirport. And it is really cool. There's a bald eagle's nest and lots of birds. And some easy canoeing. And a hill is rising right next door at the landfill that is accepting Toronto's trash and sewer sludge. My hope is that there is a plan to eventually incorporate it into the park as a scenic overlook or ski hill.
Jan. 21, 2001
A few more comments on the Toronto trash issue...
My understanding of the issue is that Canadian trash is considered international commerce under NAFTA. Even if the state wanted to stopit, they would probably get sued - and I'd imagine lose.
The issue does have another side. I believe that Michigan and other states send hazardous waste to Ontario in large volumes. Ontario can't really stop that from happening either. So, if we make them keep their trash, they are libel to make us keep our biohazards.
This dump has been there even before this deal was signed. The lack of Toronto's garbage wouldn't really make any difference at the site.
My big concern is what happens afterwards. There are a lot of quarries and dumps in my area that just get fenced off and left. But these places can be put to public use if designed right. If these places are held to high environmental standards and later become large public spaces, I think everybody wins. And in a very flat section of Michigan, a big hill with a scenic overlook on top would be a very nice addition to a park.
BTW, the local government has been very supportive of the dump. It provides jobs and tax money in an overlooked, rural part of WayneCounty.
Complexity reigns.
07/22/01
Well, after hiking in Ohio, I headed back to Monroe for a wedding reception. Afterwards, I found out I had a little more time on my hands and decided to do a little more hiking - this time at Crosswinds Marsh.
Crosswinds Marsh is a Wayne County Marsh Interpretive Preserve. It is restored marsh, created to replace wetlands destroyed for the new terminal at Metro Airport. You can get there by taking I-275 to Will Carleton (South of Detroit near the town of Waltz). Head west on Will Carleton, past the dump to Haggerty. Turn Right and you are there.
While this is not at all a strenuous hike, it is an interesting place. There is a lot of open water - enough for a 2 mile canoe trail. There is a 4.5 mile horse loop around the perimeter of the preserve that is essentially a gravel road with one water crossing. You could hike this if you wanted.
There are also 6 or 7 miles of hiking trail. These range from dirt to gravel to boardwalk. The trails pass through cattail marsh, wooded swamp areas, open water and open meadows. You can see muskrats, fish, geese and a bald eagle's nest on the south end of the park.
This area is great for kids and a nice respite from a populated area. While I was hiking, I saw 3 or 4 kids fishing and a few couples. I also ran into a group of young people who were badly in need of bug spray. I gladly helped them out.
When combined with Pointe Mouillee SGA and Lower Huron, Oakwoods, Willow and Lake Erie Metroparks, Crosswinds Marsh helps make the Downriver area a great way to get out there in an urban setting.
01/08/03
Re: Fw: E-M:/ Granholm says no to Toronto Trash
I'll bet Granholm plays this issue up big - because it doesn't require much expenditure from the state budget. If she talks tough or even changes the situation, she'll get political mileage for free.
I know this dump well. I hike occasionally at the Crosswinds Marsh that borders the place. There is a bald eagle's nest right there.
A few things to consider: Sumpter Township gets some ungodly percentage of its annual revenue from the tipping fees on the garbage. I believe it's something like 80%. This is a rural, but growing area, with lots of parkland in the Metroparks, etc. I'll assume that if the garbage doesn't flow, they'll have to find other ways to fill the township treasury - like maybe a big old development on some farmland. Or, maybe they'll just lay off the police.
But, the dump is there. It won't close if Toronto stops shipping. Garbage will come from Ohio or New York instead. So: spend lots ofenergy stopping the garbage for zero gain to local residents. Why not lobby for a new a natural area instead?
But I do find it difficult to think that some hardscrabble northern Ontario town couldn't make use of all the money that is generated by growth in the waste management industry:)
03/15/03
I have three suggestions. Crosswinds Marsh is a restored marsh on Haggerty Rd. in extreme southern Wayne County. Take I-275 to Will-Carleton (I think) and head west. Once you zoom past a landfill, the park is on the right. It's nice and would be interesting at this time of year. Crosswinds is a Wayne County Park and offers 6 to 10 miles of trail.
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