Choose the Right Trail for Your Adventure
First Time Hikers
Everyone starts somewhere. Ready to wander out on your first trail hiking adventure? We have just the right spot for you!
Endurance
Want to Go Explore the North Country Trail? Newaygo County is home to some of the longest trail segments of this 4,000 mile hiking trail. Your adventure begins!
Looped Trails
Want the simplicity of ending up where you began? These loop trails offer trails of varying lengths and challenge that all circle back to your home base.
Stories from the Trail
Early Spring Hike Reveals Surprises
Spring fever had struck. I needed to hike and thought Loda Lake Wildflower Sanctuary would be a good place to explore and get my walking legs broken in. I didn’t think I would see many wildflowers, because even the daffodils weren’t up yet, but it was sunny and...
Learning to Love Running on a Ga-zillion Newaygo County Trails
The trees are heavy with the afternoon’s rain. Sagging evergreen branches hang over me; drip, drip, dripping onto the leafy floor. The sky is wrapped with clouds; dark blues and greys seeming to hold the sky closer to the Earth. The path is damp, rain...
How About a Walk on The Edge?
The Edge is a hiking and biking trail that runs along the Muskegon River on roads from Hardy Dam to Croton Dam. It's a slightly downhill stretch, so if you are running expect to have a fantastic pace per mile. I participated in a race a few years ago that started at...
A Branstrom Park Afternoon
With the sun shining brightly and spring in the air, one Sunday afternoon was the perfect day to hit the trails. I headed for Branstrom Park, in Fremont, to take a tour around the hiking trails there. The trails double as the Fremont Cross Country course, and the fun...
Birds of Newaygo County
In Newaygo County we’re lucky to have a plethora of birds to see and hear while exploring the trails and natural outdoor spaces throughout the region. It is true that many birds don’t stay in Michigan during the winter-yet even then we have many bird species. One...
A Beginner’s Guide to Snowshoes and How to Use Them
By Samantha Breza Want to do something new this winter? Try snowshoeing! Snowshoeing is an easy sport to get into. The equipment is relatively cheap, snowshoers don’t have to register the equipment, or pay annual fees for it. Snowshoers don’t need to take classes or...
Ensley Township Nature Preserve
By Wendy Sinicki Tucked in the southeastern corner of Newaygo County is a wonderful place to spend time hiking, especially with the family. The Ensley Township Nature Preserve, 6985 136th Street, Sand Lake, just west of Cypress Avenue, is designed with children in...
Are You Two Dam Tuff?
Are you Two Dam Tuff? It's a question that gets asked the first Saturday in October each and every year in Newaygo County. For those "in the know", The Croton and Hardy Dams are separated by about 6 miles as the crow flies, and are spectacular tourist draws in...
Exploring the Rustic Trail
The Hardy Dam Rustic Trail is just that: rustic, but in the best sense. This gem offers tree lined trails and picturesque views giving hikers of all abilities a sense of reconnecting with nature even for just a short time. For the first-time user, it is helpful to...
Campground Connector
The Campground Connector Trail is a 4.3-mile loop that can take local hikers from the campground through Forest Service lands where it connects with the National Trail and returns to the Campground. The hikers on the North Country Trail can take the Campground...
