12/27/9812/27/98
The Ice Age Trail will eventually include nearly 1,000 miles of hiking through Wisconsin, roughly following the leading edge of the last glacier to pass through this way. There are backcountry campsites available. Currently, there are about 160 miles of the trail certified by the National Park Service, and that much or a little more completed but not yet certified. Nice maps and descriptive brochures are available from: Ice Age National Scenic Trail, National Park Service, 1709 Jackson Street, Omaha, NE 68102.
This may
well be one of the more beautiful spots to take a long trail hike in the
midwest. Pictured Rocks spans nearly 43 miles from Grand Marais to Munising
in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and the entire trail is generally within
a couple hundred yards of the Lake Superior shore (though at times, the
actual shore may be a couple hundred feed straight down from
the edge of the cliffs you hike along). There are 13 backcountry campgrounds
along the trail which comprise 75 individual sites and 8 group campsites.
Some of the more accessible sites have privies and water pumps; most do
not (some have no surface water for cooking/cleaning - you'll have
to carry some in to those spots). Back country camping requires a free permit
(Whoops! The times, they are a-changing... Jonathan Beers advises me
that the National Lakeshores are now fee areas. See
this note I've received from him).
On my last trip through Pictured Rocks they had installed 'bear-poles' to
hang your food on and were quite insistent that you use them for your grub.
Nobody was saying much about bears. We didn't see
any either. If you travel quietly there is a lot of other wildlife
to enjoy.
While this area does get quite a bit of traffic during the Memorial Day/Labor
Day period, it's quiet and lonely at all other times. There's only a couple
of auto access points through the entire 43 miles and if you stay wide of
those areas you'll have a fine experience.
Weather changes in a big hurry along the shores of Superior. Be prepared.
We've gone from temps in the 50s on a sunny day to snow blowing around driven
by a hellacious wind within just an hour or two. Don't forget the weather
maxim of the the U.P.: 10 months of winter and 2 months of poor sledding.
Dress warm, eat lots of fat, hike hard and you'll be fine.
One of the very first
nights I camped along the trail in Pictured Rocks we were feeling the surf
hit the cliffs 200 feet below us through the ground under our pads. Strange
sensation, that. It's hard to be on this trail without becoming totally
a part of the forest, cliffs, sand dunes, and the lake.
That Lake Superior water just might be the best tasting water anywhere on
earth. Filter it, but enjoy!
Currently there are only about 60 miles of the North Country Trail open in Wisconsin. Eventually it will connect the Appalachian Trail and the Lewis & Clark Trail in North Dakota. The current section is through the Chequamegon National Forest.
There's lots of day hike opportunities in this 27,500 acre State Forest and a good hunk of the current Ice Age Trail. Many lakes and campgrounds dot the area, but traffic is high during the summer season. Wonderful geological features from the last great glacier. although interspersed with a lot of private land, there's plenty of room for hiking through this deciduous forest. Some backcountry campsites are available, and even the motor accessable campgrounds generally have a walk-in tenting area away from the crowds.
18,000 acres of rolling hills, lakes, hiking and horse trails. A most beautiful day hike area in the autumn when the leaves are changing.
In the northeast corner of Wisconsin you can find this 650,000 acre gem. Backcountry camping is permitted throughout the forest, though watch for parcels of private land that are interspersed throughout. There are over 600 campsites in the Nicolet, many trails, great canoeing rivers, good fishing lakes, and miles of marshes. Check out your topos carefully and check with the local ranger's station before setting out. The Nicolet abutts the Ottawa National Forest at the Wisconsin/Michigan State Line. Treat it with care, folks, it's a treasure!
While Door County is well (read 'over') developed, there are some fine places for day hikes or knocking around in your canoe or sea kayak. Don't miss Peninsula State Park, Newport State Park, and the Nature Conservancy owned Mink River Estuary.
Sheboygan, on the lake, is a large city. Close by lie the Kohler-Andrae State Park and, a little further south, Harrington Beach State Park. Lots of folks during the warm seasons, but pleasant day hiking and great Lake Michigan access.
Great campsites, excellent hiking, close by Lake Superior... what more needs being said. Check out more info on the Porkies.
A very nice journal entry of the Knobstone
Trail (KT) by Matt Averill.
The KT is the longest continuous hiking trail in Indiana- a total of 58
miles passing through a rugged, forested part of Indiana highland known
as the Knobstone Escarpment. The trail intermittently follows the crest
of this escarpment rising to heights of 500 feet above surrounding forests
and farmlands.