The popular perception of Michigan might be the southern industrial belt around Detroit, Flint, and Lansing, but Michigan actually is a giant outdoor playground, with great trails from Ann Arbor all the way to the tip of the Upper Peninsula. Surprisingly, Michigan has one of the longest coastlines of any state, surrounded by water and touching four of the five Great Lakes: Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior. That makes for great sea kayaking routes all over the state, including Isle Royale National Park, Mackinac Island, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore, Pictured Rocks National Seashore, and even Belle Isle and Peche Island right outside Detroit.
Hiking trails run through many of the same great destinations, like the Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area, the Greenstone Ridge Trail, and the Dunes Hiking Trails. Long-distance hikers and backpackers will find some of the country’s best long trails in Michigan, including the High Country Pathway Loop at the top of the Lower Peninsula, the Lake Superior Trail through the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, and the spectacular North Country Trail which runs 875 miles through the entire state, reaching many well-known outdoor destinations including Tahquamenon Falls State Park.
Thanks to lake-effect weather, Michigan’s trails get blanketed with snow through much of the winter, creating a cross-country skiing paradise through the Manistee, Huron, Ottawa, and Hiawatha National Forests and on trails at Kensington Metropark and at Maybury, Muskegon, and Hartwick Pines State Parks. And although Michigan lacks any "mountains," there are still plenty of great mountain biking trails, like the Potawatomi Trail, Bald Mountain Loops, and Pontiac Lake Recreation Area.
Find all Michigan trails
Find all Michigan hiking trails
Find all Michigan mountain bike trails
