Michigan has more than 4,000 miles of state-designated trails, plus a full stretch of the cross-country North Country Trail running through it — so narrowing it down to five is no small task. These picks cover the range: an easy dune-and-lake payoff for beginners, a rugged ridge walk for serious hikers, and everything in between.

1. Escarpment Trail — Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

If you only hike one trail in the Upper Peninsula, make it this one. The Escarpment Trail runs along a ridge above the Lake of the Clouds valley in the Porkies, delivering some of the most dramatic views in the entire Midwest without requiring technical climbing. It can be accessed from three different trailheads, so you can tailor the length to your day. The rock can get slick after rain, so trekking poles are worth bringing. Clouds moving off Lake Superior create constantly shifting light over the valley below, which is part of what makes this trail a repeat destination for photographers.

Difficulty: Moderate | Best for: Views, photography, fall colors

2. Chapel Loop — Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

This loop trail near Munising combines nearly everything that makes the UP shoreline famous: sandstone cliffs, waterfalls, forest, and turquoise Lake Superior water that genuinely looks Caribbean on a clear day. Chapel Falls, Chapel Beach, and the cliffs along Lake Superior are all reachable on this route, making it one of the most complete single hikes in the state. It's popular, so plan for company in peak season, but the payoff is worth it.

Difficulty: Moderate | Best for: Waterfalls, cliffs, a full "greatest hits" day hike

3. Empire Bluff Trail — Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

For a shorter, beginner-friendly hike with a big reward, Empire Bluff Trail is hard to beat. It's a relatively easy walk through forest that opens onto a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan and the Sleeping Bear Dunes themselves. It's often recommended as the single best "first hike" in the Lower Peninsula for exactly this reason — the scenery-to-effort ratio is about as good as it gets. Pyramid Point, nearby in the same park, is a nice second stop if you want a bit more of a climb and an equally big payoff.

Difficulty: Easy | Best for: Beginners, families, sunset views

4. Greenstone Ridge Trail — Isle Royale National Park

This is the trail for hikers who want real solitude. Running like a spine down the center of Isle Royale, the Greenstone Ridge Trail crosses roughly 40 miles of remote island wilderness accessible only by boat or seaplane. It's a multi-day backpacking commitment, not a day hike, but it delivers something almost nowhere else in Michigan can: total quiet, ancient bedrock, and a real chance of spotting moose or hearing loons call across the water. Isle Royale consistently ranks as one of the least-visited national parks in the country, which is exactly the point.

Difficulty: Strenuous (multi-day) | Best for: Backpackers, solitude, wildlife

5. Upper Falls to Lower Falls River Trail — Tahquamenon Falls State Park

A 5-mile point-to-point (or out-and-back) trail connecting Michigan's most famous waterfall to its quieter downstream sibling. The path runs along the Tahquamenon River through old-growth forest, and a shuttle service is available if you'd rather hike one direction and ride back. The Upper Falls itself now has a fully accessible boardwalk with ramps in place of the old stairs, so the main viewing area works for hikers of all abilities even if the full river trail is more rugged.

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous (narrow, rugged sections) | Best for: Waterfall chasers, a rugged middle-distance hike

A Few Notes Before You Go

Most of these trails sit inside state or national parks, so a Recreation Passport (for Michigan state parks) or park entrance pass (for Pictured Rocks, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Isle Royale, all national park sites) is required. Isle Royale in particular takes real planning — it's only accessible by ferry or seaplane and closes for the winter, so it's a trip to book well in advance rather than a spontaneous weekend add-on.

If you're newer to Michigan hiking, the general rule of thumb is: dune trails are slower than they look, shoreline cliff trails make you work for the view, and forest trails are the easiest on hot days. Picking the right trail for the kind of day you want matters more than picking the longest one.

If you are looking to move closer to one of these trails or are curious about what the real estate market is like there, give me a call today!

Connery Calkins | 248-369-5954 | REALTOR® | REMAX EDGE