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.