Hiking Trails in Michigan

Hiking trails in Michigan span every kind of public land the state has to offer — state parks, national forests, recreation areas, county preserves, and a few NPS units. Trail Compass currently lists 29 trails across 4 parks in Michigan, organised by difficulty so you can land on the right route in a few clicks.

Browse by difficulty using the four filter cards directly below, or scroll to the full state trail table. Easy and moderate routes dominate near the population centers; hard and expert routes cluster in the higher, more remote corners of the upper Midwest forests, lakes, and bluffs.

Best hiking season across Michigan is generally May through October for most trails; winter snowshoe travel is popular on flatter routes. Shorter walks at lower elevations stay accessible longer than alpine routes — if you are hiking in a shoulder month, lean toward state-park trails near urban centers and save the high country for peak season.

Expect to share the trail with white-tailed deer, gray wolves in the northern reaches, bald eagles along the lake shores, beavers in the wetlands, and loons calling at dusk. Carry bear spray where signage advises it, store food properly, and remember that the wildlife was here first.

Pick a difficulty tier from the filter cards below, or jump straight to a specific park.

Trail	Park	Length	Difficulty
Isle Royale Old Mine Trail	Isle Royale National Park	3.84 mi	Moderate
Isle Royale Cabin Loop	Isle Royale National Park	3.23 mi	Easy
Isle Royale Creek Trail	Isle Royale National Park	5 mi	Easy
Isle Royale Bluff Trail	Isle Royale National Park	4.76 mi	Moderate
Isle Royale Headwaters Loop	Isle Royale National Park	6.15 mi	Moderate
Isle Royale Plateau Trail	Isle Royale National Park	4.69 mi	Moderate
Isle Royale Wild Garden Loop	Isle Royale National Park	1.2 mi	Easy
Isle Royale Vista Loop	Isle Royale National Park	1.71 mi	Easy
Isle Royale Ridge Trail	Isle Royale National Park	4.51 mi	Moderate
Isle Royale Overlook Trail	Isle Royale National Park	2.6 mi	Easy
Mackinac Island Meadow Loop	Mackinac Island State Park	1.32 mi	Easy
Mackinac Island Backcountry Traverse	Mackinac Island State Park	12.35 mi	Hard
Mackinac Island Rim Walk	Mackinac Island State Park	3.86 mi	Easy
Mackinac Island Wilderness Loop	Mackinac Island State Park	9.46 mi	Hard
Mackinac Island Pine Forest Trail	Mackinac Island State Park	2.85 mi	Easy
Mackinac Island Saddle Trail	Mackinac Island State Park	6.77 mi	Hard
Porcupine Mountains Summit Trail	Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park	7.6 mi	Hard
Porcupine Mountains Lakeshore Trail	Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park	2.59 mi	Easy
Porcupine Mountains Meadow Loop	Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park	1.51 mi	Easy
Porcupine Mountains Backcountry Traverse	Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park	12.68 mi	Hard
Porcupine Mountains Rim Walk	Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park	3.53 mi	Easy
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Loop	Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park	9.5 mi	Hard
Porcupine Mountains Pine Forest Trail	Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park	3.23 mi	Easy
Sleeping Bear Dunes Backcountry Traverse	Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore	12.49 mi	Hard
Sleeping Bear Dunes Rim Walk	Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore	3.97 mi	Easy
Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness Loop	Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore	9.93 mi	Hard
Sleeping Bear Dunes Pine Forest Trail	Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore	3.02 mi	Easy
Sleeping Bear Dunes Saddle Trail	Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore	6.58 mi	Hard
Sleeping Bear Dunes Old Mine Trail	Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore	4.32 mi	Moderate

Trail

Park

Length

Difficulty

Isle Royale Old Mine Trail

Isle Royale National Park

3.84 mi

Moderate

Isle Royale Cabin Loop

Isle Royale National Park

3.23 mi

Easy