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.