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Author Topic: Michigan Backpack camping  (Read 3053 times)

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JacksonCash

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Michigan Backpack camping
« on: February 18, 2015, 01:06:45 am »
Anyone done any backpack camping trips in or around Michigan? I want to get one going this year, but want some opinions/tips on where good places are. Pictured Rocks seems like it could be fun, but I can imagine it would be awful crowded. The absolute dream would be Isle Royale, but I don't think I'm ready to tackle that yet.

Let me know!
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Offline chamookman

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Re: Michigan Backpack camping
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2015, 04:22:59 am »
Manitou Island is a cool trip. Pearl Drums did a trip there a year or so ago - You should be able to find the post in a search. Myself and Gary Davis and a couple of Canadians went on a week long Deer hunt there years ago. Bob
« Last Edit: February 18, 2015, 04:33:33 am by chamookman »
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"May the Gods give Us the strength to draw the string to the cheek, the arrow to the barb and loose the flying shaft, so long as life may last." Saxon Pope - 1923.

Offline JEB

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Re: Michigan Backpack camping
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2015, 06:26:42 am »
Wife and I did the 40 mile Pictured Rocks hike a few years ago.  The crowds were limited as you had to get camping site permits.  A good  two day hike is the Jordan   River Valley hike. It is a circle hike with a primitive camp site at the half way point with a pitcher pump and privy on the camp site .     
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blackhawk

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Re: Michigan Backpack camping
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2015, 06:53:50 am »
All good recommendations previously mentioned...

Also manistee river trail is a good one...its a ~ 21+ mile loop. I've repeated that one 3 times if it tells ya anything. If pictured rocks isn't to far of a drive and you can make it happen I'd go that route honestly. You'll just need to plan it out and get permits to camp,but that's easy.
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Offline JEB

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Re: Michigan Backpack camping
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2015, 09:36:08 am »
Forgot to mention the  hundreds of miles of the North Country Trail.  Check with most DNR stations for maps  or Google the North Country Trail.  We used to belong to that and the Appalachian Trail conference and had a lot of  maps  but we passed  them on years ago.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Michigan Backpack camping
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2015, 10:21:46 am »
Do it often. If you want solitude, go to da' UP eh'. As mentioned Manistee is real nice, but busy. Try the NCT on the other side of the river for a lot less traffic. North Manitou is fantastic and I highly suggest it, but no fires allowed. That sucks after a long day. The glow of a head lamp just isn't enough. We found ourselves in bed earlier. I posted a lot of pics on here of both places. Lately we've been enjoying finding a desolate place on National Forest land and just winging it in and out. No crowd and no cow path walking with your head down! Busting brush, reading maps/GPS and finding a camp site is a lot of fun for us.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

blackhawk

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Re: Michigan Backpack camping
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2015, 12:39:59 pm »
On second thought if your gonna be driving more than 5 hours then screw Michigan all together and head to Appalachia...its waaaaaaay better than anything Michigan has to offer IMO.

Yeah the NCT has lots of miles to explore as well. I live in PA now and the north country trail is literally minutes from my house,and I hike a lot of its sections out here.

There's some stuff up in the porcupines(u.p.) as well,but that might be a drive for ya if your in southern Michigan. But if its gotta be in Michigan then I agree with pearly about da u.p. is the place to go. Or winging it orienteering style in a national forest if ya have the skills n know how.
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JacksonCash

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Re: Michigan Backpack camping
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2015, 05:39:07 pm »
Thanks guys. I should mention that I haven't done a backpacking trip like this before. I'm trying to rope a buddy into going along as well. I'm a few hours away from pictured rocks, but my folks place is about an hours drive from there. I'll check out all these suggestions. The only real reason to keep it in Michigan is that I've not camped in my home state in something like a decade, and I want to get back out there.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Michigan Backpack camping
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2015, 06:02:08 pm »
Its as physically demanding as you want it to be, just look at my fat azz. You can still cover a long distance at a comfortable stroll.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Roy

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Re: Michigan Backpack camping
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2015, 01:21:51 pm »
Pearly Drum has to hike on an island so he's doesn't gets lost..:) LMFAO
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Offline Stixnstones

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Re: Michigan Backpack camping
« Reply #10 on: February 19, 2015, 11:41:45 pm »
I do semi prim. trips in Mio every year. Have done earth shelters for a few days at a time . One year did 10 days in earth shelter in late october. That was a hunting trip as well . Last year did 2 trips backpacking on state land not packing trails, just exploring new huntin areas. I love the superior state!
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