By Brian Allen
Through the years, our family and guests have selected our top three favorite hikes in the area. We feel these are also the best in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
Long Hikes
These are hikes of more than a couple miles, a bit too much for toddlers, aunts and uncles with bad knees, or people who can’t delay gratification for ice cream. Bring water for thirsty hikers.
#1. Treat Farm Trail, part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, is south of Empire in Leelanau County. Park at the corner of Stormer and Norconk roads, about a half mile west of M-22. The trail begins at a gate, across from a restored barn. To park here, you need a National Park pass, available at the NPS Visitor Center in Empire.
The trail cuts for about a half mile through mature forests, with still-living ash and beech trees, and winds gradually uphill to the former Treat farm with its picturesque barns and an old Victorian farmhouse. The trail angles to the southwest here, past the barn and into an open meadow. At the end of the meadow, the trail passes through a copse of trees (watch for poison ivy) and takes you to the edge of a bluff on Lake Michigan, with the first of many spectacular panoramic views of the lake and shore.
The best time to visit is on a sunny, cool mid-morning when the sun shining on the lake shows off beautiful aquamarine hues. Some hikers pause here and turn back, but the best of the hiking and views are farther along the trail that ascends the bluff face to the north. The trail climbs steeply in this section, but from this point there are no more difficult scrambles. Try to keep to the main trail (unmarked), as it braids with offshoots hikers use to climb to the top or to look over the edge of the bluff.
You will be on the right path if you pass along the edge and enter a cool, dark, cedar forest with an old, gnarled, spooky-looking white cedar. About one mile of the trail skirts the bluff, and if you continue you will reach the benches and overlook of the extremely popular Empire Bluff Trail. We usually turn around here, after taking a few photos of the Manitou Islands and Sleeping Bear Dune. Total round-trip time from the car is about 2-3 hours.
#2. Old Baldy Trail is within the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy’s Arcadia Dunes, just north of Arcadia. The trailhead is on the west side of M-22, about a half mile north of the state highway turnout and overlook. This is the favorite hiking trail of all our guests and is popular with others, too. From the parking lot, it is a little more than a level mile through a pine grove and deciduous forest (with a stop at the kids’ climbing tree) then up some steep steps to the open dune. The trail branches, with the trail to the north, or straight ahead, leading to a bowl dune. Here, you’ll find views of Lower Herring Lake and Frankfort. The trail to the left, heading west, goes to a bluff about 300 feet above Lake Michigan. You’ll see Elberta Bluffs and Frankfort to the north, and a perched dune with balsam firs and views toward Manistee in the south. Adventurous and fit hikers descend the bluff here to the lake for a swim in summer and a tough climb back up.
#3. Manistee River Trail is in the Manistee National Forest. Catch the trailhead at Red Bridge (over the Manistee River) on Coates Highway, about 9 miles east of Brethren. The trial follows the Manistee River mostly along a bluff from the Hodenpyl Dam south to Coates Highway. This is the best fall color hike in the area and, in my opinion, the entire Lower Peninsula. Our favorite time to hike is in early October when there is still a bit of green background for all the flaming orange, red and yellow maples and poplars. The views across the river and toward the ridge on the opposite side remind me of more hilly or mountainous landscapes of West Virginia or Kentucky. From Red Bridge, the trail heads north on the east side of the river, with many spectacular overlooks, and descends to the crystal-clear Arquilla Creek, where a foot bridge brings you to the next climb and even more gorgeous viewpoints. Another access to the trail is reached by driving Coates Highway east to Warfield Road and driving north to a two-track, Cottage Road. This heads west and intersects the trail in about one mile. Hike north from here across the high footbridge over Slagel Creek.
From the north, you can get to the trail by following Hodenpyl Dam Road then turning onto Upper River Road. About a mile down the road is a parking area under the power line. Park here to get to the trail that goes to the “Little Mac,” a suspension footbridge over the Manistee River that connects the Manistee River Trail (MRT) to the North Country Scenic Trail on the west side of the Manistee River. Cross the suspension bridge and follow the MRT south. After about a mile, you will cross numerous streams with cascades over the claybanks to the river below, some of the only waterfalls in this part of the state. For more specific and detailed directions for the MRT, check with the Manistee National Forest ranger station off M-55 in Wellston.
Short Hikes
#1. Arcadia Marsh Boardwalk. This is a Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy preserve in Arcadia, Michigan. There are two trailheads. One is on M-22, just south of the village of Arcadia. The other is on St. Pierre Road. This relatively new boardwalk was constructed by the conservancy with the help of many generous donors. The wide boardwalk crosses almost a mile of the Arcadia Marsh, one of the only intact coastal wetlands on the shore of Lake Michigan.
The boardwalk is open all year, other than the middle section which is closed to protect nesting waterfowl from mid-April to mid-July. This is the place to show your kids turtles, muskrats, dragonflies, ducks, Sandhill Cranes and Trumpeter Swans without getting muddy and usually without mosquitoes. I have been on the boardwalk hundreds of times and almost never had any problems with biting insects, despite the marsh environment.
There are several elevated platforms with benches offering front-row views of the marsh and wildlife. Lucky visitors have even encountered otters and bobcats. The boardwalk is most well known for being one of the best bird-watching sites in Michigan, with 254 species of birds seen here from the date of this writing. Another not-to-be-missed attraction nearby ⸺ and a real kid-pleaser after a visit to the boardwalk ⸺ is the Arcadia Ice House, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor on M-22.
#2. Arcadia Dunes Accessible Trail – Lake Michigan Overlook. This is another Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy preserve. From Old Baldy trailhead, follow the above directions to Old Baldy Trail, Long Hike #2. This is a short, (a little more than a half mile long), wide, wheelchair-accessible trail to the bluff above Lake Michigan. Take the trail to the left of the parking area. This easy trail passes through beautiful deciduous forests, especially attractive in spring with trillium and other wildflowers. Within the forest is a boardwalk switchback with a deck and benches and, at the end of the trail, a platform with many benches and views of Lake Michigan. This is a favorite spot for those with limited time who want a quick hike to a quiet sunset, or for those wanting to show someone with limited hiking ability one of the most beautiful spots in the Lower Peninsula.
#3. Misty Acres Trail. Misty Acres: The Borwell Preserve is also maintained by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. Take County Line Road east of US-31 and west of Crystal Mountain, a ski/golf resort. The parking area is on the north side of the road. The trail loops for a total of 0.7 miles through mature forests of maple and hemlock. About half the trail follows an exceptionally deep ravine, with a clear, babbling brook cascading over logs and gravel ars until it joins the Betsie River. Despite the steep terrain and views, the trail is mostly level.
Honorable Mention Trails
#1. Lake Michigan Ridge Trail, (Long Hike), is part of the Huron-Manistee National Forest, in the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area. The trailhead is near the Lake Michigan Recreation Area campground at the end of West Forest Trail Road in northern Mason County, about 20 minutes southwest of Manistee. This trail follows the ridge above the lake and climbs up and down dunes, heading south into the wilderness area. Within the wilderness are many trails for choosing long or moderate hikes. This is a great hike in late summer when the wild blueberries are ripe on the ridges, and the lake waters are warm and inviting for a post-hike swim.
#2. Pete’s Woods is part of the Arcadia Dunes Preserve, (Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy). From US-31 in southern Benzie County, turn west on Joyfield Road and go about 2.5 miles to Swamp Road. Turn south and take this gravel road to the bottom of the hill; the parking lot is on the right. Wildflower enthusiasts would rank this trail number one, especially in the peak season in May. Trilliums steal the show, but all types of wildflowers will capture your attention. This is an exemplary forest with no over-browsing by deer, so far, and few invasive species, thanks to the efforts of volunteers from the conservancy. The trail is a loop of 1.5 miles with some moderate hills.
To learn more about Sleeping Bear’s trails, go to: www.nps.gov/slbe. For Huron-Manistee National Forest trail information, visit: fs.usda.gov/hmnf. Find maps and more about Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy preserves at: gtrlc.org.
COVER PHOTO: Looking toward Bar Lake and Sleeping Bear Dunes from Treat Farm Trail. Photo by Brian Allen.
