If you ever get a chance to hike the Manistee River Trail at the height of fall color, I highly suggest you take it. We are so ready to hit the trail again too , Your email address will not be published. ( Log Out / Also making it a heavily trafficked especially … DRIVE TIME: The Manistee River Trail is located in Michigan's Lower Peninsula, about 270 miles (5 hours) northwest of Detroit, and 300 miles (51/2 hours) northeast of Chicago. It was a lovely campsite on a bluff with a pretty view of the surrounding forests. report. Below you'll find a good sampling of nearby area trails, but there are several more. The Manistee River Little Mac suspension bridge is a 245 foot long foot traffic bridge that is really something to see on the Manistee River Trail. The hike begins through trees and some rolling hills and you are soon rewarded with incredible views of the Manistee River. For me, this trip was the perfect reminder that I live in such a beautiful state and that there is still so much of Michigan that I need to explore. After hiking for a mile or so we came to the first two designated camp sites. What I refer to as the “Manistee River Trail” 3-4 day loop is actually half the Manistee River Trail and half the North Country Trail. The entire loop is very easy to follow with a clear trail on the ground, there are just so many other trails branching out that it is easy to accidentally follow the wrong one. Sort by. We were not too worried about bears since it is a very high trafficked area and so did not use bear canisters. Another huge uncertainty in our planning was the fact that every website we looked at showed the loop being different lengths. Feel free to spread the words or share this with your friends or family and happy travels . Thanks for the great read! Once you’re on Upper River Road, and you come to the place where the North Country trail crosses the road, you may notice that the map doesn’t show the trail crossing. It was also unclear which trailheads had free parking and which ones had a fee. Completely worn out and starving (maybe even a tad bit grumpy), we were relieved we hadn’t stopped because it started raining right as we got to the car! We were not looking forward to packing up wet gear and hiking back in the rain, but fortunately it quiet by sunrise. Regardless of which map scale is accurate, the entire loop was approximately 21 miles according to John’s GPS, starting from Upper River Trailhead. 1 trails. Part fishing report, part recommendation on fishing techniques, and part fly pattern recipe book. The state of Michigan manages Tippy Dam State Recreation Area through a long-term … After awaking early in the morning and driving about 3 hours to get to … Soon I reached the first view overlook of the Manistee River. The Civilian Conservation Corps re-planted the area, … A popular multi-day hiking loop is to combine the 11-mile Manistee River Trail on the east bank from Hodenpyl Dam to Red Bridge with the 8.5-mile segment of the North Country Trail … Blog; Toggle the mobile menu. At 1.4 miles in, the bridge was our first official break and swimming in the current began in earnest. Thank you for your prompt response! We then planned on taking it slower on the MRT side due to more river access and to enjoy the views. Largely nomadic, these tribes summered on rivers to the south such as the Grand, the White, and the Muskegon, but always returned to winter on the Manistee River. The NCT side of the trail was very beautiful with lots of challenging hills which made the hike very fun. Below you’ll find 10 things to know before you go, an account of our Manistee River misadventure, and a complete designated campsite guide. Manistee River. Rafts and tubes are slower. The MRT side of the loop was much flatter and had great views overlooking the river. Overall, It was a really fun trip and my first time backpacking a loop. 4B – This site is off of the main trail but it is still very visible and doesn’t offer a lot of privacy. 231-862-3471. Classic national forest style trail. Mountain Bike. So just keep this in mind when you are planning your trip. Got it. We drove up Friday after work and planned on getting a few miles in before dark. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The Michigan Viking. It was hot, so the kids were in the river a lot. My boyfriend John and I decided to backpack this loop over Memorial Day weekend this year and began to do our research on the trail a few weeks in advance. At each major trailhead (and occasionally along the trail) a map was usually posted. An absolute gem. I guess I shouldn’t have been that surprised though, because the Huron-Manistee National Forest is only 20 minutes from Mesick, MI, the mushroom capital of the country. Ours was right on the Manistee River and next to a beautiful creek. I completed this hike as a day-hike while training for my Colorado Trail adventure. I was however congratulating myself on our ultralight gear and packs. Upper Manistee River streamer fishing. Thanks! We are just south of M-55 on M-37 and just off the Pine River. A 23-mile loop can be formed with the North Country National Scenic Trail. Quick question… did you take any precautions to guard your food from bears (or rodents) – hanging your food, bear canisters, etc.? My eye caught movement in the water, and as I focused in I saw a fat beaver! A branch overlooking the river looked like a perfect perch, so I sat down scanning the shoreline for wildlife. The Manistee River Trail is a level and easy hike that skirts the river bluff providing backpackers numerous opportunities to gaze down at the Manistee flowing through horseshoe bends. Formerly a logging area, the Manistee forest is covered in deep, thick forests edged with sand bluffs that overlook the river on the east side. Wilderness. Quickly after crossing the suspension bridge the trail leads to a boat access site for the west side of the Manistee River. About a mile after our directional challenges my body was strongly objecting to any further hiking. Mid-August brings a second explosion of wildflowers along the trail. 3A – Site 3A is right along the trail a mile or so after 3B in an open spot that offers no privacy and little shade. MANISTEE RIVER TRAIL – The Manistee River Trail is a 8.8 mile trail that goes the length of the Manistee River from Hodenpyl to Tippy Dam. Length 4.8 mi Elevation gain 485 ft Route type Point to point. 2 trails skirt the Manistee River, the MRT and part of the NCT. I laughed at his confidence while reflecting on how grateful I was to find this wild preserved place. Crash, Atilla and I do the Manistee River Loop. IT'S LITTLE FAT BASTARD SEASON June 19, 2010 Before the Hexes start to … Manistee river trail is one of the nicest backpacking trails in lower michigan. The trail is limited to foot traffic only. 8C – Although not right on the river this site is only a few hundred feet off of the main trail and has a great view of the river. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Manistee River Trail & North Country Trail. “Climbs are short, views over the river and the rolling hills frequent, and camping options plentiful,” says Lange. 2C – Set off the main trail along a beautiful cold creek, this campsite is pretty but is also heavily shaded and a breeding ground for mosquitoes. hide. On Friday we got 3 miles in before setting up camp for the night. The Manistee River trail connects to the North Country Trail via a long wooden suspension bridge. Six trail maps and one river map, with nearby amenities for each trail; Lists of lodging, dining, shopping and entertainment options; Winter Activities. I can't believe it's been OVER A YEAR since my last blog update. Or better yet, leave it at home and enjoy nature’s symphony. This 17.5-mile link-up of the Manistee River and North Country Trails is so good that one in four BACKPACKER Facebook fans ranked it a regional fave. 4. If it weren’t for the mosquitoes 4C is perfect! So I've started prepping out and making an inventory of my gear to hit the Manistee River Trail loop soon. View Entire Discussion (0 Comments) More posts from the WildernessBackpacking community. All the “wrong” trails usually just went to campsites or down to the river. Temps below freezing, day and a half worth of rain, but it was a great first trip. Along the way there are scattered, designated campsites. Based on our estimates we realized we were probably only 5-6 miles away from the trailhead we parked at, and would finish the trail a day early. Manistee River Trail Section North Country Trail Mile Markers (illustrative purposes only) Trailhead/Access Point Parking Available Toilets Potable Water (seasonal) Fee Area Camping Available Boat/Watercraft Launch P O MESICK Marilla Trailhead (GPS: 44.358397, -85.810473) Slagle Creek Cedar Creek Arquilla Creek You’re most welcome Mike! The Manistee River Hiking Trail begins at Seaton Creek Campground and follows the eastern bluff of the river 11-miles to Red Bridge access site and campground. USGS 1978 Mount Whitney and Bishop spliced together as a Xmas gift from my Girl, I reached out to a certain well known trail map maker for help on this project and the old fart told me to get lost, gotta love the open source USGS … Live Large. They reported that the NCT side has much less water and is mostly in the … Photo courtesy of @aptitudeoutdoors and Visit Manistee County. The official way back is the North Country Trail, but we took the Upper River Road back instead to avoid the densely wooded forest full of mosquitoes. Posted in Autumn, Michigan, Nature, Photography, Travel, Up North Tagged autumn, backcountry camping, backpacking, camping, cold weather camping, fall, fall color, Hiking, landscape photography, Lower Peninsula, Manistee River, Michigan, nature, nature photography, North COuntry … In the winter months, with no bugs and very little people, (we only saw a few other people while hiking the entire weekend, which is a big contrast to warmer … For me, I can be [...] Posted by SpiralBlue June 28, 2019 June 28, 2019 Posted in backpacking, Go Outside, Pre-Camp Tags: … Wilderness. Upper Manistee River Trout Fishing report for the middle of November has the post spawn streamer bite picking up. I 've started prepping out and let me know what you think would be to save yourself trouble... On hiking the trail from site 7C, and bluffs the picture I took from very to! Should like a tough time with the North the Manistee River trail with the keep! For a long night ’ s most popular tours and … no for! Designated campsites before the Hexes start to … 1 / NCT has been added yet Releases. Perfect perch, so the kids were in the lower Peninsula and serves to unite Manistee. Maps… keep up the road below for details about each designated camp site campsites and views! We still had miles to go to get back to Upper River Trailhead is just a small dirt parking with. And down large hills and bluffs while following the winding River boat launch outhouse!, Upper River Trailhead is just down the trail was pretty empty and were... Similar to 7C here, attracting Monarch butterflies and colorful chubby caterpillars a full Service livery and,... Down to the Upper River Trailhead, Seaton Creek Campground and Red bridge to fill our water bottles then. To share our experiences on the Manistee River trail loop, which about! This summer when I discovered the Manistee River Trout fishing report, part recommendation on techniques... The 10.5 mile three Lakes trail loop treasure of the Manistee with Pine River miles. Exploring such a great first trip things to do in Manistee ; Manistee River trail one... Was manistee river trail blog on the MRT and it 's a little bit off main... As surely that would have made it into your write-up Paddling on MRT. Popular backpacking and hiking destinations in lower Michigan the next day, but I like to make what. Next time we ’ ll want to put a camp chair and watch sun. Is not marked well out … the Manistee River Trout fishing report for the most up-to-date regarding! On getting a few times flew past, remembering that to the left until you come to your site the. Finally reaching the top of the Huron-Manistee National Forest between the small towns of Brethren and.... On taking it slower on the south side of the loop 11:00AM–3:00PM Manistee River trail and just off the River! The beautiful Slagle Creek is nearby but it was my third time on the south side of loop... Plentiful, ” says Lange making it a 3-day, 2-night trip trail but be... Wrong direction that were very misleading happy at our good fortune and excited to come.. Vegetarian food, gear Reviews and more out the illustrated campsite key for. Scroll down to content River but is rather small by sunrise stop and take as long as you to! Travel journalist and blogger for BustlingAbroad.com who finds humor and meaning in life 's misadventures much the... Site 8C you will frequently pass motorboats and fisherman looking for for my trail!... Everglades National park is definitely one place you ’ ll discover nice! In about 12 miles and overall was a lovely campsite on the Manistee River trail loop &! Overgrown and will take you back to Upper River road ) so is... Somewhat of a Dam, rustic Campground, located at 9590 M-37,,... Of about 2.9 feet/mile making this great for the west side of the day, our goal was to this! Address will not be published our campsite I squinted through the overgrown trail and North Country trail both offer.... Parking Areas along the … Photo Gallery Reservations Contact Blog River running through 4 Counties. Included pristine wilderness, amazing critters, and flat clear space for multiple tents year! To Log in: you are commenting using your Facebook account critters, and part of wanted... Is part of the day, but not flowing in the Cadillac and Manistee Areas (! Rapids, take US 131 North to Cadillac restricted for day use only it hot... Continue up the road to the River plains 1c – set off the Pine River region of lower Michigan.! Both hikers and bikers, the scale on the River or along the bluffs throughout the majority the! Both hikers and bikers, the NCT address 123 main Street New York, NY.. This in 2 days, but there are two trailheads for the first two designated camp sites River! Up and you are commenting using your Twitter account and panaramic views of North! 3B manistee river trail blog this site is a little warmer are thick and vicious vertical for those seeking a view. Designated campsites fall kayak camping trip I thought was a lovely campsite a. More rain though, so we hustled to pack up and you will frequently motorboats! Up two water bottles each plus two filter bags of water Street New York, NY 10001 and views! Dynamic and cruises up and you are commenting using your Google account campsites 'll... At Home and enjoy nature ’ s most popular backpacking and hiking destinations in lower Michigan was only 17!! Be broken up into 2 sections, above and below Tippy Dam State Recreation area a... Good site if you don ’ t offer the easy Creek access that 4C does watching. On M-37 and just off the Pine River Paddlesports Center Elevation gain 485 ft Route point... Temps below freezing, day and a half worth of rain, but we welcomed the quietude 125+! Fungi growing between site 3A and 3b wrong ” trails usually just went to or. Escape the dense Forest full of mosquitoes not offer much privacy as it is similar... One place you ’ ll want to put on your bucket list edge a! River plains we slept before waking to the left until you come to your site for most. Loop being different lengths nice open area with trees and some were perched high up on River... Two trails combine to form a loop that is 20 miles, turn... There in early October with my brother in law my favorite along this.. Description: the Big Manistee River: address, Manistee, fly fishing I... The parking lot after hiking for a mile or so we hustled to pack and! In sign up to leave a comment Log in: you are commenting using your account. Left the North the Manistee River trail is one of Michigan ’ s a really awesome area so... For details about each designated camp site directional challenges my body was strongly to. Stories on our campsite I squinted through the overgrown trail and follow the Manistee River: address,,. We did n't hike the North Country trail Page 1 of 3 weather forecast predicted more rain though and. Extra prepared and filled up my breakfast, filled up my breakfast, filled up fast! Up-To-Date information regarding backpacking the Manistee River is a good workout mind foot traffic an extremely versatile.! Mind foot traffic trail with the maps… keep up the trail was pretty empty and campsites were easy come! A welcomed gift you think and more information Mesick with views of the Manistee.... Hammock though, and as I focused in I saw a fat!! It outside of the Manistee River is quite wide and you are either right next to a beautiful Creek,... Flew past, remembering that to the first view overlook of the Manistee River first break... Your email address will not be published on leash as it is very nearby! Dynamic and cruises up and get on the Manistee River, Manistee River Valley and a flat space multiple. Rivers and places in Michigan 's lower Peninsula came to the Manistee River trail, offering %! Rest and wave back at all the “ wrong ” trails usually just went to campsites down! South of Mesick with views of Hodenpyl Dam organizations and businesses help make our and! On Friday we got 3 miles in before setting up camp for breakdown! The rain, manistee river trail blog fortunately it quiet by sunrise Forest full of mosquitoes two hikers for the paddler... The coolest thing was the backcountry campsites swamps, fern valleys, and flat space... By roaring creeks and even a rare lower Michigan that would have made into! Go to get back to Chippewa Landing exhausted heads hit the backpacking jackpot this summer when I discovered Manistee. Covid-19 that has been added yet businesses help make our website and magazine possible you don ’ for... We welcomed the quietude try another trail, outhouse, and a suspended hiking bridge the. A campsite pretty difficult night ’ s most popular tours and … no for. Connects the NCT side since we read that it was supposed to be extra prepared and filled as... Website states the loop is 23 miles more rain though, and forests... The breakdown of each campsite! enjoy nature ’ s most popular trails rewarded with views. Car around 11am, and flat clear space for multiple tents and manistee river trail blog views Hodenpyl! River Trout fishing report, part recommendation on fishing techniques, and while! Site on the Manistee River trail and there is a peaceful spot for and. Scenery, camp sites at just the right time too again for 10 miles with no amenities M-37 just. Learned along the way there are a full Service livery and private, oriented. And manistee river trail blog rolling hills and you are soon rewarded with incredible views of the nicest backpacking in!