Hiking and Biking on the North Country Trail

Trail updates and recommendations from the NCT

Eleven years ago when Kenny Wawsczyk was hired as regional trail coordinator for the North Country Trail, he noticed many people didn’t know about the 4,800-mile trek through eight states.

“When I first started, I used to have to ask people, ‘Do you know what the North Country Trail is?’ I had my whole spiel,” Wawsczyk says. “But now when I ask that question people are like, ‘Yeah, we’ve been on that before.’ It's cool to hear the recognition that the trail is getting more and more.”

The NCT is twice as long as the Appalachian Trail and winds through several northern Michigan counties, treating hikers to lush forests and pristine rivers and lakes. In total, Michigan is home to nearly 1,200 miles of the trail. Wawsczyk works with 12 Michigan NCT chapters and 15 designated “trail towns”: Marquette, Grand Marais, St. Ignace, Mackinaw City, Petoskey, Kalkaska, Fife Lake, White Cloud, Lowell, Middleville, Augusta, Battle Creek, Marshall, Albion, and Litchfield.

“In northern Michigan we do try to stay in the woods pretty much,” he says. “We got a lot of natural surface single track, but all sorts of experiences for anybody out there who wants to hike.”

Getting Outside

Wawsczyk says the NCT depends on volunteers to help maintain the trail. Throughout the years he has seen more interest in hiking and biking, especially during the pandemic.

“It’s definitely increased,” Wawsczyk says. “Everybody knows what COVID did to trails and outdoor recreation in general. It got people outside, but it’s definitely not as high as the COVID years when you saw isolated parking lots jam packed full of people and full of cars.”

When the National Park Service turned 100 back in 2016, the NCT celebrated the occasion with the Hike 100 Challenge program, which awards a badge to those who complete 100 miles of the NCT within a year.

“It was supposed to be a one-year thing,” Wawsczyk says. “We got such good feedback from it and really cool stories about how it has helped with mental and physical health, or how it got hikers through a tough time. So we’ve kept that going. That’s a really big program for us.”

Wawsczyk encourages hikers to visit NCT online at northcountrytrail.org to sign up for the 100-mile badge challenge and find your next hike. The online map also provides current trail conditions and amenities.

“Anybody who’s interested in hiking the NCT, just hop on our website, go to our online map, and just scroll around and check out different sections close to you or that you’re interested in hiking,” the trail coordinator says. “That’s what makes the NCT so unique. There’s a spot for everybody.”

Hit the Trails

And indeed, you can easily find a hike or bike route near you. Here are a few recommendations for various lengths, natural features, and locations throughout northern Michigan.

Emmet County: Cecil Bay Rd. to French Farm Lake is a 5-mile out-and-back hike near Mackinaw City. There is a new bridge along this stretch just east of the Cecil Bay trailhead. Last year, NCT had an 80-foot bridge built over the little Carp Lake River. Further east, expect some of the more beautiful sections of the NCT with views of French Farm Lake.

Charlevoix County: Hikers will find good topography near the Chandler Hills area. Start near Springvale Road and hike in 2.5 miles to a one-mile loop at Cherry Valley near the northern county line. Halfway through the loop there is a viewing platform. Or, head south from Springvale Road to Chandler Hills Road for a 9-mile round trip trek.

Antrim County: The Jordan Valley river loop is one of the more popular NCT hikes in northern Michigan, but don’t forget the loop near M-32 north of the Jordan Valley. Hikers can get up close to a beaver dam on Warner Creek by navigating over swamp pans. “We used to just use the dam itself, but now this is much, much safer,” says Wawsczyk. A trailhead is located on the south side of M-32, and the loop is about 3.5 miles.

Kalkaska County: You’ll find a new NCT trailhead and parking lot on US-131 near downtown Kalkaska. This section is a good starting point for a shorter or longer trek. The north branch of the Boardman-Ottaway River is very close to the trailhead, giving you a good view of the river from the three new bridges. Keep heading west and Guernsey Lake State Forest Campground is about nine miles away.

Grand Traverse County: The NCT winds through the Sand Lakes Quiet Area with easy access to a variety of hikes. Brown Bridge Road near Scheck’s Place State Forest Campground is a good starting point when heading to the old growth Valley of the Giants along Twentytwo Creek. Hikers will find this 5-mile out-and-back hike easy to moderately challenging.

Wexford County: It is easy to find a unique spot on the NCT in Wexford County because the trail follows the Manistee River in its entirety throughout the county. The Manistee River Loop is one of the most popular trails, but during the fall, Highbanks Rollway becomes a hot spot for leaf peepers. If you want more solitude, but still beautiful views of the Manistee River, traverse the five miles between High Bridge and Sawdust Hole. Parking is available at both locations.

Storm Damage

Wawsczyk says past ice storms, a severe winter, and recent flooding have wreaked havoc on the NCT in certain sections.

In mid-April, heavy rains and snowmelt made portions of the NCT impassable or inaccessible. Sections along the Manistee River were impacted the most.

The Manistee National Forest and Wexford County Road Commission closed High Bridge Road due to a washout on the bank along the east end of the bridge spanning the Manistee River. The NCT trailhead became inaccessible, leaving long-distance hikers to reroute nearly 18 miles along the road. Another flooded section in that county included a washed-out bridge north east of Mesick and US-131.

“Reports continue to come in as sections get assessed and we assume many other areas are still under water or damaged by erosion,” Wawsczyk says. “More bridges and boardwalks will likely be impacted as well. So just a note to hikers that many sections along rivers or those that cross feeder creeks have a high chance of being impacted.”

In March 2025, an ice storm in the region snapped trees and downed limbs that affected 100 miles of trails in northern Michigan counties. “When we got the green light from the DNR to move forward for clearing maintenance-wise, the volunteers got it done in less than three months,” says Wawsczyk. But a section east of Harbor Springs still needs work this spring after a lumber salvage sale is completed.

“That’s a 4-mile road walk, so we got to look at that this spring,” says Wawsczyk. “When they’re done logging, we need to see if we can use the old route of the trail. Or are we going to have to make some reroutes because they just devastated the trail, either the storm or the logging equipment itself?”

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