Michigan’s Sunrise Side is truly blessed with unique hiking trails, remote areas of Lake Huron Shoreline and scenery about which every naturalist dreams. A hike on these routes is not just a walk down a dirt path, but the means to see some of Michigan’s most spectacular natural treasures.
The scenery is as varied as anywhere and in the country, and so are the trails. From coastal sand dunes to towering pines and hardwoods; from remote Lake Huron beaches to wilderness which an entire forest of inland lakes, all of these wonders of Nature can be reached by well-marked hiking trails.
Reid Lake Foot Travel Area
A favorite destination for a day hike is the Reid Lake Foot Travel Area, located in the Huron National Forest, on M-72, 20 miles west of Harrisville and just north of Glennie. This 3,000 acre, non- motorized area contains a six-mile network of trails wrapped around its namesake lake. In addition to lake, hikers will find a very large beaver pond, many marshes and bogs, and an abundance of birds and wildlife.
Reid Lake Foot Travel Area Information & Map - Great Getaways
Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area
A quiet sanctuary offering the finest backpacking route on Michigan’s Sunrise Side is the west loop of the Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area. This 10,600-acre, non-motorized retreat is located 23 miles west of Harrisville and seven miles north of Glennie at the intersection of M-72 and M-65. The scenic trail network encompasses seven small lakes and course through rugged terrain with many hills topping 1,200 feet. Hoist Lakes offers unique opportunities to climb a ridge, sit on its crest and view an incredible panorama. For backpackers, this area offers some of the most beautiful backcountry campsites in the Lower Peninsula.
South Point in Negwegon State Park
The most unusual and unique day hike in northeastern Michigan is the walk out to South Point in Negwegon State Park. Negwegon is an undeveloped wilderness tract comprising 1,800 acres. It is hard to reach and visited by very few people. Many believe that the most beautiful and possibly the most isolated beaches on Lake Huron lie in this park. Many areas of the 6.5 mile shoreline are lined by pine and cedar trees and feature wide, sugary beaches in remote bays closed in by rugged rocky points and pits.
Negwegon State Park is located almost halfway between Harrisville Alpena, off U.S.-23 near Black River. Visitors can call the Harrisville State Park for information and travel directions at 989.724.5126.
Sandy Hook Nature Trail
The Sandy Hook Nature Trail, located within Tawas Point State Park, near East Tawas, is a short two-mile trek through an extremely scenic and unique sand dune ecosystem. Often referred to as the “Cape Cod of the Midwest,” the Sandy Hook area is a very important location as a major landfall stopover for songbirds migrating along the Mississippi Flyway. During the spring and fall migrations, the point is literally “alive with birds.” Often spotted along the beaches are terns and gulls, including Bonaparte’s gulls, and Caspian terns, along with shorebirds such as red knots, whimbrels and even the rare piping plover. Inland ponds attract loons and a variety of waterfowl species. Willow thickets, shrubs, and sand cherry bushes attract a large variety of warblers, flycatchers, hummingbirds, orioles and bluebirds. The trail always offers a splendid view of the historic brick lighthouse, which has been in continuous service since 1876.
Sandy Hook Nature Trail - Map
Sandy Hook Nature Trail - Map (PDF 3.47MB)
Highbanks Trail
The Highbanks Trail along the towering bluffs of the AuSable River, near Oscoda, offers incredible vistas of the historic AuSable River Valley. This popular footpath originates at Iargo Springs and extends 6.5 miles to the tiny village of Sidtown. Along the route, hikers pass the interpretive center at Lumberman’s Monument the most popular section of the trail is the 2.5 miles route from Lumberman’s Monument to Sidtown. Along this portion of trail, hikers traverse the ridges of the historic towering sandy high banks from which an entire forest of logs were rolled into the river and floated downstream to the mills in Oscoda during Michigan’s white pine lumbering days. The wind-blown sand ridges have created a unique ecosystem found no where else in Michigan. If you opt to park at the Monument area and hike the route to Sidtown, be sure to drive the short distance on River Road to Iargo Springs and descend the winding stairway down to the namesake springs. Visitors will be astonished at the beauty and sounds of the small waterfalls and gurgling streams that await them.
Three wildlife observation decks and a network of boardwalks will lead visitors to exceptional views of the river and its exclusive surrounding terrain. Playful otters, soaring eagles and flocks of waterfowl provide hours of entertainment. The Highbanks area is located 12 miles northwest of Tawas at the corner of Monument and River Roads.
Highbanks Trail Map PDF (81.28 KB)
Highbanks Trail Information PDF (1.13 MB)
Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway
Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway follows the Ocqueoc River in Presque Isle County. Hikers or skiers can take a three, four or 6.5 mile loop through beautiful countryside. The Ocqueoc Falls is actually two falls, with the lower being 300 feet from the main, or upper, falls. Reached by traveling east on M-68 from Onaway, it is well marked and easy to find.
Black Mountain Forest Recreation Area
The Black Mountain Forest Recreation Area is straddled between Presque Isle and Cheboygan Counties and north of Black Lake. It is part of the Mackinaw State Forest.
Black Mountain Forest Recreation Area - Michigan DNR Information