Michigan Hiking and Backpacking Trips

Watersmeet, MI: Clark Lake

Submitted by: Backpacker Magazine
This 8.2-mile Sylvania Wilderness overnight loops around a glacial lake with sandy beaches and huge virgin-growth trees. It's one of the best hiking spots in the upper Midwest.

Isle Royale National Park: McCargoe Cove to Rock Harbor

Submitted by: Backpacker Magazine
Camp on sandy beaches, explore untouched forests, and listen to gray wolves howl on this 16.2-mile hike on an isolated island in Lake Superior.

Chicago: I&M Canal State Trail

Submitted by: Backpacker Magazine
Hike 5.9 miles along the most scenic section of the Illinois and Michigan Canal to the convergence of the Illinois and Kankakee Rivers. Heron, egrets and turtles are common.

Chicago: I&M Canal State Trail

BACKPACKER Review
Hike 5.9 miles along the most scenic section of the Illinois and Michigan Canal to the convergence of the Illinois and Kankakee Rivers. Heron, egrets and turtles are common.

Grand Rapids, MI: Hall Lake Trail

BACKPACKER Review
Inspire your inner thru-hiker on this easy 2-miler in Yankee Springs Recreation Area that samples the North Country Trail with a climb to a glacier-formed depression.

Isle Royale National Park: McCargoe Cove to Rock Harbor

BACKPACKER Review
Camp on sandy beaches, explore untouched forests, and listen to gray wolves howl on this 16.2-mile hike on an isolated island in Lake Superior.

Manistee River Trail

Introductory hike for younger kids.

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

Just a quick overnight loop in the 'Porkies'.

Grand Island NRA in October

Fall colors, cliffs, lake side camping, and an island all to yourself.

Upper Penninsula of Michigan;Sylvania Wilderness;Clark Lake

South Bend, IN: Michigan Wine Country

Oenophiles rejoice! This 34-mile tour of south Michigan wine country rolls past local vineyards and a handful of tasting rooms--hiccup--along the way.

Manistee River Trail

Introductory hike for younger kids.

Ultimate Adventure Handbook: Become a Backcountry Batali

BACKPACKER Review
Serve a 5-star meal that matches the scenery.

Ultimate Adventure Handbook

BACKPACKER Review
Tired of the same old weekend loops? Looking to create memories your grandkids will talk about? In this how-and-where guide, we serve up 15 extraordinary escapes that will shatter your expectations of "normal." From adventure moviemaking to canyoneering, we'll take you places you've never been—but will long to visit again soon.

Readers' Choice 2012: Top 3 - Midwest Hikes

BACKPACKER Review
This region's top mapper has notched 20 bag nights and 200 trail miles in 9 states this year scouting trails for BACKPACKER. Here are three of his favorite routes.

Readers' Choice 2012: Your Neck of the Woods - Midwest Hikes

BACKPACKER Review
Climb dunes, find instant solitude, camp atop riverside bluffs, ascend to surprising above-treeline views, and hike along the St. Croix River.

Rip & Go: Lake of the Clouds to Summit Peak - Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, MI

BACKPACKER Review
Hike a high escarpment above a northern forest and Lake Superior.

A Piece of Quiet

BACKPACKER Review
America�s leading advocate of wilderness silence shows the way to Mt. Rainier National Park�s quietest corner. Plus: 9 more campsites with life-list listening.

June 2008 Reader Photos

BACKPACKER Slideshow
Subtitle Test

May 2008 Reader Photos

BACKPACKER Slideshow

Share your tales of travel & adventure with our step-by-step guide. Upload trail descriptions, photos, video, and more.

Photos + Videos

Packing for a Backcountry Ski Day Kristin Hostetter shows you the essential gear, and how to pack it, for a day of backcountry skiing.	Adjust Your Pack Straps on the Trail Maximize your pack's comfort with a few easy, on-trail strap adjustments.

Life's Short, Hike More!

What makes a backpacker a backpacker? It's not the garage full of gear or piles of guidebooks--it's the experiences, from thru-hiking a long trail to pushing your personal envelope to inspiring a child's love of wilderness. Here we present BACKPACKER's new Life List: 10 experiences to add to your tick-listnow--and the key skills you need to nail them.