Lake Superior Provincial Park Coastal Trail

We've been thinking about hiking the Coastal Trail for about 6 years, and this year we finally hiked all 43 miles. Just a few hours north of Sault St. Marie is the beautiful, rugged, and demanding Lake Superior Coastal Trail. This trail is weather permitting! If it's raining or the lake is wavy, we really don't know how this trail is even possible due to slippery rocks. We walked along the coastline, over beaches of boulders, along high cliffs, through the woods, and even some sandy beaches.

Nathan and I decided to hike from North to South, so we were hiking into civilization. We were very happy with Twilight Resort's shuttle service. We dropped our car at the Agawa Visitor Center where we paid for our parking and backcountry permits and were shuttled to Gargantua Rd. to begin our adventure.

Planning Info:
Lake Superior Provincial Park 
Quick View Map
Map with my notes
Purchase Detailed Park Map

BUY the detailed park map, you'll be happy you did.

This is our itinerary. We decided to head north from Gargantua trailhead (for a down and back), but if you need to trim your hike down you could just head south from here. Every single day was spectacularly beautiful but difficult to extremely challenging. We had an idea of what sites we wanted to camp in, but this is where we actually stayed each night.

Day 1: Gargantua Trailhead to Chalfant Cove
Day 2: Chalfant Cove to Gargantua Bay
Day 3: Gargantua Bay to Buckshot Creek (Extremely Challenging)
Day 4: Buckshot Creek to Coldwater River (Site north of Robertson Cove)
Day 5: Coldwater River sites north of Barrett Island
Day 6: Barrett Island to our vehicle at Agawa Bay Visitor Center (Challenging)

(Note: There was a site we wished we had known about prior that had a beautiful sandy beach. It's about 1 mile past Beatty Cove and is shown on the detailed park map)

We try very hard to be mindful of what we're carrying but we really should have left more items at home. If you can live without it, don't bring it. (Note: leave your hammocks at home, there are a few nice hammock spots, especially at Gargantua Bay, but it's not worth the weight)

You will need a good pair of broken in backpacking boots. This terrain is rugged and hard on your feet. You will be very thankful for the short bits of soft terrain through the woods. We each had a hiking pole and thought it was extremely helpful.

There were many areas were we were actually scrambling or bouldering over rocks. It was a lot of fun but a lot of work. We actually didn't feel prepared in some cases and it was a bit scary but extremely exhilarating and rewarding. Unfortunately we don't have any pictures because we were too tired or preoccupied with trying to get through these areas. 

This trail is a maintained trail, however they must use the term "maintained" lightly. There were sections of the trail where there were pine trees on either side of the trail that you basically had to plow through. This is basically our only complaint. Be prepared for some real untouched ruggedness out there.

One last tip. The trail is fairly well marked, however some sections of the rocky areas have cairns that are few and far between. We lost the trail a couple times and ended up in some real difficult situations. If the going gets too tough, you might have missed the cairn leading you back into the woods.

Kentucky

For us Michiganders, Kentucky is actually a relatively short drive away. Here is a Kentucky trip planner post for Mammoth Caves National Park and Red River Gorge Geological Area.

Mammoth Cave Waterproof, Tear-Resistant, Topographic Map - This is a very nice National Geographic map showing contours, trails, campsites and more. A must have! Thanks Jacob for sending us this map and so fast! It helped with planning, and will be awesome in the backcountry. :)
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave Maps
Cave Tour Schedule and Booking
Helpful Folks @ Mammoth Cave

If you plan on doing a cave tour you should book early. I waited too long to book a trip and missed out on a tour I wanted to do. We are going to do the Violet City and Domes and Dripstones tours which l am excited for. The park seems to be dog friendly and even has 10 kennels available at the onsite hotel for your dog to wait while you are touring the cave.

(Post Trip Notes: Kennels were very accommodating, there was a little shelter for the pups to go in if they wanted and you are able to padlock the gate while you're gone. The cave tours were amazing! The first tour was 3 miles, 3.5 hours. It was nostalgic and lit by 10 oil lamps our group of 40 carried. Our Guide's Grandfather (Wood) used to be a tour guide here also. We learned about salt/peter mining, geology, historical sites such as the church and hospital and saw multiple cave rooms. It was hard to see but you could really appreciate the darkness and what what the first visitors would have experienced. The second tour was totally different and a nice contrast to the first tour. This tour was 3/4 mile 2 hours. You follow a steep staircase down and travel in sort of an L pattern. The entire thing is lit up and we travelled with a group of 120. It was nice being able to see the rock formations especially at the end where the dripstones were. We even saw bats! )

Campsites are first come first serve, so it's a little hard to pre-plan the exact itinerary. We typically like to do multiple nights in the backcountry so we will try to string a couple sites together once we arrive.

(Post Trip Notes: Even if you don't see bugs flying around, wear long pants and deet up, or visit during the winter months. We didn't realize it was happening at the time, but we got DESTROYED by chiggers and ticks in Mammoth's backcountry. Chigger bites seriously itch for 5+ weeks. :(

It rained a lot the day we arrived and the visitor center folks steered us away from the sites we wanted to stay at due to flooding. They suggested Sal Hollow (Nathan likes to call it Shallow Hal) and Turnhole Bend. Both places looked great in the picture book they showed us and both were water accessible (so they say). Long story short, you cannot get to water from either of these two sites! Personally I would say skip backcountry camping at Mammoth... do some cave tours and get out of there. Head to the Red River Gorge Geological area.)

Red River Gorge Geological Area

(Post Trip Notes: Upon arrival at the Red River Gorge Geological Area, we went to the visitor center and managed to slip in just before closing time. We purchased a glossy topo map of the area for a just a few dollars. If you can stop into the Visitor Center, purchase this map. I was unable to find it online, but the ISBN is 978159351669-7.)

Red River Gorge Topographic Map with Campsites - I highly recommend this map. It comes as a package of 4 maps depicting trails, campsites, mileage, views and much more. I was not able to find campsites anywhere online, so I say it is a must have. It is a nice thick glossy paper, and folds up to a small size. Jacob, Thank you again for sending us your maps!

Red River Gorge Geological Area Map and Mileage

Red River Gorge Geological Area Trail Descriptions

OutrageGIS: Online Maps & Short Description

Parking Permit Purchase Locations

Bourbon Trail Distillery Tours

Helpful Folks @ Gladie Information Center

The Red River Gorge Geological Area looks amazing! I'm very excited to hike, camp, and view the arches in the area. The Red River Gorge Area is also dog friendly. Just remember to pick up any food or waste to keep disease from spreading through the park. We plan to split our stay here into 3 round trips.

• Hike Auxillary Ridge Loop
• Power Loop
• Swift Camp Creek Trail

----------KML/GPS File & Interactive Map Section----------

Here are the routes and waypoints I entered into our GPS. If you want to create your own file to upload to your GPS follow these steps.

1. Get a .jpeg image or screenshot or the map you want to use. If you map is very large, take a look at this post about 1024 pixel images.
2. Add an image overlay in Google Earth. (Steps 1-4 in this link).
3. Trace the trails and add campsites, placemarks, etc. It should look like this.
4. Organize your routes, waypoints, images into a folder under My Places in Google Earth.
5. Export a KML file from Google Earth with Right Click on Folder you made > Save Place As > Save as KML file to a location on your computer.
6. Convert the KML file to a GPX file. I used a free online converter.
7. Connect your GPS and drag the GPX file to your device. On my Garmin Oregon 400, it goes in a folder call GPX. Note: You may need to tinker with the settings on your GPS to get the routes and points to show up. On the Oregon 400 you have to go into Track Manager and set each route to "show on map".

To get the map in Google Maps, I just uploaded it as a KML file. You can download the file by navigating to the map, clicking on the folder icon under the title, and selecting Download KML. You can open the file in Google Earth and make modifications or go right to step 6.

These maps do not depict every trail, campsite etc. I used them for my own trip planning but thought I would share them.

Killarney Provincial Park

If you're looking for a challenging and remote trip, Killarney Provincial Park's La Silhouette Trail Loop in Ontario, Canada is the hike to do! This is a very scenic area with many lakes and a number of excellent lookouts on the mountain peaks.

For the most part we would not see anybody except for a couple of locations where day hikers can make it in and the canoers/kayakers on the lakes. We went counter clockwise and crossed a couple of hikers each day going in the opposite direction as us. Clockwise is the normal direction for most, leaving the most difficult days for when your pack is the lightest.

The Friends of Killarney are very helpful and will help you plan your trip.  When you are ready to book you can call Ontario Parks and reserve your backcountry sites. This is a tough hike, make sure to plan the mileage according to your ability. They say you should plan at least 6 nights, but there are people who have done it in 2-3. I don't recommend it unless you and your group are in excellent shape.  ;)

Ontario Parks Website
Friends of Killarney

Book with Ontario Parks Reservations:
1-888-668-7275
Trip Planner with Friends of Killarney:
705-287-2800 (careful with this number, you may get extra charges on your bill since it is international)


I highly suggest purchasing the waterproof Map and La Silhouette Trail Guide Book. The book describes the campsites, wildlife, trail, and also provides a nice mileage map. Unfortunately there is not a lot of information online on the La Silhouette Trail making purchasing these items a must.

Make sure to purchase these early.  It took a couple of weeks for these to travel snail mail to Michigan from Canada. You will also want to make sure to plan your trip early! The campsites are not shared which is very nice for solitude and privacy, but its first come first serve when making reservations. We did not do this and ended up doing the trip counter clockwise in order to book some campsites.

The terrain is very rugged so make sure to have sturdy comfortable hiking boots.  We saw a guy wearing his camp sandals because both of the soles of his hiking boots blew out!  I should have taken a picture, it was kind of awesome. I suggest a hiking pole as well.


View Killarney in a larger map

Manistee River Trail

I have spring fever and backpacking has been on my mind. One of my favorite hikes is the Manistee River Trail. The scenery is beautiful, the camping spots are great and the distance is up to you. You can choose to do a 20 mile loop by adding in the North Country Trail (NCT), or just hike in so many miles and camp for a night or two, and hike back out.

Information and Directions to the Trailheads
Printable Trail Map
NCT Map MI-05
DNR Site

The NCT side of the loop has its ups and downs. There is no water access on the NCT and it is physically challenging, but you will have a sense of accomplishment, solidarity, and a great workout.

On the NCT side, there are 15 miles of new trail north of the Hodenpyl Dam! This trail is on my list of places to hike for 2011. Maps and information can be found here:
Guide-to-Hodenpyl-Reroute

Jordan River Valley Pathway

Another great Michigan hike is the Jordan River Valley Pathway.  You can choose from a short 3-mile loop around Deadman's Hill or a moderate to challenging 18-mile loop on the Jordan River Pathway and North Country Trail.

Sign at Deadman's Hill Scenic Overlook Parking Lot

Check out this link for information on what to expect and how to get there:
Jordan River Pathway Loop Hike

Maps: Maps and Trail Data

Historic Post Marker

Along the trail we saw posts with numbers on them, but didn't know what they were for.  My Dad and I bumped into some people who told us each post explained some historic information about each area and that we could get a pamphlet from the DNR.
It would have been nice to have this with us on our hike, and I will be sure to take it in the future: Numbered Posts - Scenic, biological, and historic markers

Campsite at Pinney Bridge
Campground

Pinney Bridge Campground:  This is a hike or canoe in campground.  It has potable water (hand pump water well), 15 tent sites with picnic tables, outhouses, and fire rings.  There is a $15/night camping fee.  It is self-registration and you can deposit cash or checks.

This link previews Jim DuFresne's book related to the Jordan River Pathway, look at pages 98-104. I recommend purchasing this book for this hike, and other Michigan hikes: Backpacking in Michigan

Oct 2010 - Colors are beautiful

Landslide Overlook

My Dad and Chopper

Saw a lot of different mushrooms

Isle Royale Trip Planning

Here are some helpful resources if you are planning a trip to Isle Royale.

Isle Royale National Park Website
(Make sure to take a look at the park newspaper under brochures, handouts, and park newspaper.  It includes transportation information and schedules.)

NG Trail Map
High quality waterproof map.

Isle Royale, Foot Trail and Water Routes
Book by Jim DuFresne.  Has information on park history and detailed information on the trails.
Here is a preview of the book: Preview

Mileage Map:  Shows mileage between campsites

Forum/WebBoard: Read trip reports, post questions, etc.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan's Upper Peninsula has spectacular views.  It is located on the shore of Lake Superior and is a GREAT place for backpacking. I highly recommend spending some time out there and if possible hiking the entire 42 miles.  Pictured Rocks is part of the North Country Trail and is located between Munising and Grand Marais.  The sightseeing is amazing!  From sandstone cliffs, sandy beaches, rivers, bald eagles, and the ever so beautiful backcountry.

Must see links if you are planning a trip:

Park Website

Maps and GPS coordinates

Mileage Map

Google Earth Tour of our Hike: