Michigan's Upper Peninsula has long been touted as a backpacking paradise with its long trails and rocky shoreline, but the Lower Peninsula has often been largely overlooked by backpackers except for a couple of trails.
That may change with the introduction of outdoor writer Jim DuFresne's new book "Backpacking in Michigan." The book details 50 backpacking routes and trails with a little over half of them in the Lower Peninsula; eight of them close to Traverse City and another 11 hikes in the northern Lower Peninsula.
"I have all the classic backpacking outings in the book that all serious backpackers know about, but I really wanted to include a bunch of hikes in the Lower Peninsula. It often gets overlooked." explained DuFresne when we got together recently.
He points out that day-hiking is a fine escape, but spending the night away from a rush-hour civilization is well worth the little effort it takes.
"I've found hikers often mistakenly think they need a week on the trail, lots of planning and a pack laden with lots of supplies. Unfortunately, that kind of thinking gets in the way of just taking a walk in the woods, spending the night and just getting away from our busy world for just a little while," said the prolific outdoor writer who has authored over a dozen wilderness, travel and hiking guides, most of them on Michigan.
DuFresne's top 10 treks in Michigan are: The Lakeshore Trail at Pictured Rocks; Big and Little Carp River Trails at Porcupine Mountains; The Greenstone Trail on Isle Royal; North Manitou Island; Jordan River Pathway; Minong Ridge Trail on Isle Royal; Manistee River Trail; Grand Island Recreation Area off Munising; North Country Trail in Wilderness State Park; and Waterloo-Pinckney Trail northwest of Detroit.
What I really like about the new book is that it offers lots of simple overnight hikes of varied length following the "keep it simple" rule -- lace up your boots, hoist a light backpack, take a hike and spend the night.
One of the overnight hikes in the book, located in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, is Valley View Trail. I've never hiked the trail, but it sounds delightful in the book.
Only a three-mile, round-trip hike, it leads to a handful of backcountry campsites surrounded by an impressive hardwood forest, according to DuFresne.
As he points out in the book when D.H. Day and Platte River campgrounds are overrun by tourists and motorhomes with humming generators during the height of the summer season, Valley View is a peaceful oasis where you can pitch a tent and sip your morning coffee in the shade of giant hardwoods while watching whitetails meander through a small meadow. Sounds pretty appealing and I think I will try this one.
In our neck of the woods trails listed, in addition to Valley View, are Sand Lakes Quiet Area; the North Country Trail in the Pere Marquette Forest, which includes hiking through the Valley of the Giants; Manistee River Trail; Platte Plains Trail, Bay-to-Bay Shoreline Walk, South and North Manitou Islands, which are all part of Sleeping Bear; and Jordan River Pathway.
The book also offers suggestions about when to backpack; packing the pack with the minimal gear that you need for an easy, carefree outing; and even advice on meeting bears, which is a very real possibility in the northern third of the Lower Peninsula and about anywhere in the Upper Peninsula.
The well laid-out book includes 65 scenic photographs, 77 detailed maps and indispensable information on all hikes that works well for both novice and advanced hikers.
The hikes range from one-hour to multiple-day treks in both peninsulas, and information on each hike includes length and difficulty, elevation gain, estimated amount of time needed to complete the hike, camping facilities and even nearby towns. There are also some neat side-bars on scenic highlights and historic information on some of the trails.
Also included is information on routes to and from the trailhead, as well as park fees and reservation information on shelters, walk-in cabins, rental yurts and overnight camping. It's about as complete as a book could be on this subject.
Looking through the book has renewed my interest in getting out and trying some overnight backpacking, which I haven't done in recent years. I had forgotten how simple and uncomplicated an overnight outing can be.
Keep it simple.
As DuFresne says, "It's the adventure, not the rank of the hike that matters."
Now through early October offers some of the best backpacking time in the Wolverine State. Lace up those boots, hoist your pack and get out there for at least one night. It will purge your mind and lift your soul, according to DuFresne.
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