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.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
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.
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