Baraga and Marquette Counties, MI
110.3 mi total 26.8 certified 1.9 connecting 34.6 marked 75.7 bare
Some day, the trail in this section will be one of the finest centerpieces of the NCNST. However, that day is yet to come. While much trail work has been done in this area in the last ten years, much remains to be done; the area suffers from one-ended trail, gaps, and long, roundabout roadwalks to get to usable sections. This may be the most mixed section of the North Country Trail in Michigan, and perhaps anywhere. It ranges from unmarked roadwalks to unmarked wilderness walks, with marked urban bike trail and barely-developed woods trail. It penetrates the largest USFS wilderness area in the U.P. and the U.P.'s largest city. It is in this area that you have the biggest chance to see wolves, moose, and Olympic athletes. The trail crosses municipal, state and federal land, and has the highest proportion of completed (although, as yet, uncertified) trail on private lands in Michigan. Most of the private lands crossed belong to power companies, or forestry/mining companies.
CAMPING: There are scattered sections of state lands along the trail where camping is permitted anywhere, including Craig Lake State Park, where backcountry camping is the only camping available. Backcountry camping is permitted in the McCormick Wilderness. It's best to avoid camping on the private lands, although it may be permitted in some areas. INFORMATION available varies widely. For Craig Lake and McCormick Wilderness, see below. Elsewhere, for information beyond that in this text, the best contact is NCTA U.P. Coordinator Gene Elzinga, 12 Middle Island, Marquette MI 49855 (906) 225-1704. Elzinga and the North Country Trail Hikers Club of Marquette have built most of the trail in this area.
Between Covington and Craig Lake, the trail is entirely an unmarked roadwalk. A new trail, north of the suggested route given here, is in the planning stage, so the treatment here will be superficial. However, the maps here are adequate as far as Nestoria.
0.0 [0.0] TIBBETS FALLS TRAILHEAD
The route heads south out of the trailhead on Autio Road.
0.5 [0.5] TURN EAST ON SECTION 16 RD
1.5 [1.0] TURN SOUTH ON CEMETERY RD
2.5 [1.0] TURN EAST ON VERMILAC LAKE RD
Covington is about 1/2 mile south of this corner.
COVINGTON, MI 49919. The small town of Covington is the first possibility of a mail drop since the Rockland area. Small grocery.
3.4 [0.9] CROSS US141/M28The road becomes Vermilac Lake Rd. It's shorter to get through this section by following US141 eastward -- but the traffic is heavier, and it's not much shorter.
8.0 [4.6] TURN SOUTHEAST ON KING LAKE RD
10.1 [2.1] PASS SPUR ROAD TO KING LAKE SFCG; TURN NORTHEAST
The fee State Forest Campground lies about 3/4 mile to the southwest. It'has only limited development; picnic tables, pit toilets, and a boat launch. Where the road forks, the route turns east to parallel the old Soo Line railroad grade. This route, a snowmobile trail in winter, may prove to be somewhat easier walking than along King Lake Road.
13.4 [3.3] CONTINUE STRAIGHT ON TIOGA ROAD
King Lake Road turns to the north at the intersection, while the route goes straight ahead.
15.8 [2.4] CROSS US41/M28
For a slight amout of lighter traffic, cross US41/M28. 0.2 mile farther, turn southwest on Westphalia-Herman Road; 0.4 mile later, rejoin US41/M28. Continue east on US41/M28; after 0.4 mile, take side road to the south into the village of Nestoria. After another 0.4 mile, reach US41-M28 again; Craig Lake Road is across the highway.
NESTORIA, MI 49861 Another possible mail drop. Convenience store.
Though there is a considerable amount of off-road trail to come, much of it is hard to get to, involving roundabout walking, over poorly marked forest roads. If it was necessary to recommend a route to the long-distance hiker, the recommendation would be that US41/M28 be followed the 41 miles directly into Marquette, hazarding the traffic, as every end-to-ender has done so far. There are side roads farther along that, using a county map, could mitigate the traffic somewhat. While the route suggested here does access some of the great trails in the area, accessing the trailheads with a 4-wheel drive vehicle is recommended, and there are some great day hikes in this area. Hikers wanting to follow the entire route given here should have consulted with local experts, have topo maps for the entire area, be comfortable with using a compass, have adequate supplies and plenty of time to kill.
Because of the staggering number of obscure woods roads, limited through marking, and the wilderness nature of most of the route, plus the fact that assurance markers and blazes cannot be used in the McCormick Wilderness area, this is one area of the NCT where topos are highly recommended, along with a compass and good map reading skills. The Michigan Mapset is really not an adequate description of the route. The best bet are the Michigamme, Champion and Negaunee 15-minute quads. A DNR county map, showing public lands, will be useful for planning campsites.
17.2 [1.4] TURN NORTHEAST ON CRAIG LAKE ROAD
Craig Lake Road is followed northeast for 1.3 miles, until reaching an unnamed forest road.
18.5 [1.3] TURN NORTHEAST ON UNNAMED ROAD
The two-rut runs north for 1.8 miles until reaching a trailhead for trail heading eastbound.
20.3 [1.8] TURN EAST ON MARKED TRAIL
After 3.1 miles, the trail reaches a parking area at the south end of Craig Lake State Park. The 6983 acre park only allows wilderness, pack-in camping, with some restrictions. Contact Craig Lake State Park, Three Lakes, MI 49861, (906) 339-4461 for information.
23.4 [3.1] CRAIG LAKE STATE PARK PARKING AREA
The trail parallels Craig Lake Road for 0.6 miles around the south end of Craig Lake, and heads north up the eastern shore, generally following an old woods road. It leaves the lake, and heads northeast to touch on the Peshekee River, then turns southeastward for a ways, until emerging from the park.
28.9 [5.5] LEAVE CRAIG LAKE STATE PARK
Once leaving the park, the trail continues east on Mead Paper Company lands, then turns to cross the Main Branch of the Peshekee River on a bridge built in 1990. The bridge timbers were flown to the site by a Coast Guard helicopter, making the most spectacular cover photo ever for the NCTA Newsletter. The trail turns northeast, crosses on another bridge built with flown-in bridge timbers, and continues to the east until reaching the McCormick Wilderness.
33.4 [3.5] ENTER MCCORMICK WILDERNESS
The McCormick Wilderness had been used as a vacation retreat by the McCormick family, descendants of Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the first successful grain reaping machine. It was donated to the US Forest Service. The wilderness is managed on a "leave no trace" principle, and while trail blazes are allowed, they are scattered, and assurance markers are not allowed. For more information, contact Ottawa National Forest, Kenton Ranger District, Kenton, MI 49943 (906)852-3501. The trail enters the wilderness at the extreme southwest corner, and proceeds northeast until it reaches County Road 607, an old Huron Bay Railroad Grade. From this point, an access trail leads to the northeast, but the NCT heads east, winding around a lot, more or less along the southern boundary of the property to the east boundary.
41.5 [8.1] LEAVE MCCORMICK WILDERNESS
The trail continues eastward, once again on Mead Paper lands, though a mixed second growth forest, crossing a couple of two-rut roads, then reaching a somewhat larger one, locally known as "Wildcat Canyon Road".
44.7 [3.2] TURN SOUTH ON WILDCAT CANYON RD.
Just past the road, the trail follows a little stream that has cut a deep, pretty canyon. The trail continues on east for about 1.5 miles past Wildcat Canyon to an overlook of the Silver Lake Basin _ but ends there; construction hasn't been done through to the next road. So, it's necessary to turn south on Wildcat Canyon Rd., and follow it south, then southwest, then southeast 8.5 miles to Dishno Rd.
NOTE: The trail, on private land east of the overlook, hasn't been finished due to concerns by the landowner over liability, due to the existence of old mine shafts in the area. A 3-mile bushwhack along the north shore of the lake, then following woods roads southeastward for about 2.0 miles until rejoining the route given here, will save many miles. NCTA Coordinator Gene Elzinga reports that it's an easy bushwhack, and that the land is open to recreational use, but following roads is recommended here.
53.2 [8.5] TURN EAST ON DISHNO RD.
The hiker has the alternative of turning west on graveled Dishno Road for about 2.0 miles, then south on Peshekee River Road for about 3 miles to rejoin US41 to head 26 miles on into Marquette. Otherwise, Dishno Rd. heads east, winding around quite a bit. The road turns sharply north near Brockey Lake, then back to the east a couple of miles later, before reaching a road along the Dead River 13.4 miles from the Wildcat Canyon intersection.
66.6 [13.4] TURN NORTH ON DEAD RIVER RD.
The road winds north for about two miles until reaching a road reaching northwest to Silver Lake Basin, and southeast to the north side of Dead River Basin.
68.6 [2.0] TURN SOUTHEAST ON DEAD RIVER BASIN-SILVER LAKE BASIN RD
.This road heads southeast for about 3.8 miles, after a while following the north side of Dead River Storage Basin, until turning north along Clark Creek, which it follows for another 3.1 miles until reaching CR510.
75.5 [6.9] TURN NORTH ON CR510
CR510 is followed north for 4.4 miles, until reaching Wilson Creek Truck Trail.
79.9 [4.4] TURN NORTH ON WILSON CREEK TRUCK TRAIL
Wilson Creek Truck Trail is followed east for 4.0 miles until reaching CR550 (Big Bay Rd.).
83.9 [4.0] TURN SOUTH ON CR550 (BIG BAY RD) CR 550)
CR550 (Big Bay Rd.) is followed southeast for 5.4 miles. Near the crossing of the Little Garlic River, a section of trail built for the NCT, but not completed through to the west leads back to Little Garlic Falls, a nice, interesting dayhike. The route continues south on CR550 for another 0.5 miles, then follows a paralleling abandoned railroad grade southward for another 2.1 miles, until reaching the Little Presque Isle area. The trailhead for the Little Presque Isle section is on the east side of the road, shortly after the railroad grade crosses CR 550.
91.9 [8.0] ENTER LITTLE PRESQUE ISLE PARK
From the trailhead, the trail turns sharply east and descends to Lake Superior, then follows the shoreline out to the tip of Little Presque Isle Point, then turns to follow the shoreline southwest for about 1.3 miles, then turns inland, crosses CR550, and heads west until reaching the old railroad grade. The trail in Little Presque Isle is certified, and marked as North Country Trail.
98.7 [6.8] LEAVE LITTLE PRESQUE ISLE PARK
Certified trail heads inland for about a mile, then turns south, then southeast, crossing a couple of small roads along the way, After about three miles, it turns more easterly, and after another two more miles reaches Hawley Street in Marquette, where the bike path begins.
MARQUETTE, MI 49855 (Pop. 23,288) Named after Fr. Jacques Marquette, French explorer/missionary, Marquette is the largest city in the Upper Peninsula, and, if the UP ever becomes a state (there is a semi-serious separatist movement that occasionally emerges) it will probably be the capital. Primarily an iron ore shipping port for the ore mined to the westward, it is also the regional shopping, medical and service center, and is home to Northern Michigan University, and the nation's third Olympic Training Center.
Named by the American Hiking Society in 1996 as one of America's Top Trail Towns, it is the home of the North Country Trail Hikers Club,who they have been involved in virtually all the woods trail constructed for fifty miles to either side of Marquette, and much elsewhere in the UP. For the long-distance hiker, Marquette is the best place for major resupply and reoutfitting between Duluth, MN and the Traverse City, MI, area, especially for things like hiking boots, specialized backpacking equipment and items such as freeze-dried food. LODGING: Many hotels/motels; the ones listed are directly on the trail route. Many more are west on US-41/M28 from the trail route. Birchmont Motel, SE on US41/M28, (906) 228-7538; Edgewater Best Western, year around, 1 1/2 mi. S of city center on US41/M28, restaurant on premises (906) 225-3305; Ramada Inn, downtown, restaurant on premises, (906) 228-6000. RESTAURANTS: Range from snazzy to McDonalds. Special Restaurant Note: Pastys are the regional soul food, and no one unfamiliar with them should leave the Marquette area without giving them a try. They're a beef, potato and vegetable filling in a shell made from a pie crust; the real connisseurs eat them straight, but many like them smothered in brown gravy. No two places in the UP make them the same, and all claim they have the best. Warning: they can be filling. Two good pasty joints are Jean Kay's Pasty Shop, 1639 Presque Isle, (906) 228-5310; and Papa Paul's Pasties, on W. Washington across from the Ramada Inn. L/D, (906) 225-0310. OTHER: Mall, several full-service supermarkets, laundromats, outfitters, sporting goods, hardware, shoe repair, banks, pharmacies, doctors, dentists, hospitals. For a more complete listing, contact Marquette Area Chamber of Commerce, 501 S. Front, Marquette MI 49855 (906) 226-6591. POINTS OF INTEREST: Sports Training Center at Northern Michigan University. In 1980, the Great Lakes Sports Training Center was formed at Northern Michigan University. It provides serious athletes of all ages with access to training facilities, housing, food service and sports medicine. For more information, call (906) 227-2888. FOR MORE INFORMATION about the Marquette area, contact Marquette County Convention and Visitor's Bureau, 2252 US Hwy 41W, Suite 300, Marquette MI 49855 (906) 228-7749, or (800) 544-4321, or FAX (906) 228-3642.
103.4 [4.7] TURN S. ON BIKE PATH EXTENSION
At the east end of Hawley Street, the trail turns south on a bike path along Presque Isle Harbor. It more or less follows the harbor south for three miles, to downtown Marquette. The route follows city sidewalks south for another two miles, then the bike path continues south along the lake shore, with a spectacular view out over Marquette Harbor, to the city limits.
109.7 [6.3] LEAVE MARQUETTE CITY LIMITS
The route continues to follow the bike path and sidewalks southeastward on the east side of US41/M28, passing through the village of Harvey, until reaching the corner where M-28 turns to the east.
HARVEY, MI (No post office; 49855 Zip is Marquette's). Three miles south of Marquette, the intersection area of M28 and US41 has a busy service area. Motel, restaurant, Small grocery store, convenience store, other services available.
110.3 [1.6] HARVEY (CORNER M28 & US 41)
Description of this section ends at this point.