Backpacking: Manistee River Loop

The Manistee River Loop is a backpack I have done more times than I can remember. I have primarily hiked it in spring and early winter. It is located in the Huron-Manistee National Forest near Cadillac Michigan. At the end of this post are some links for more information.

The loop itself is made from the North Country Trail and the Manistee River trail. I always start at the Red Bridge River access. There is a nice parking area on the left hand side BEFORE the bridge. You do need to hike the road and cross the river to get to the trail. Here, there is a pit toilet and water. Be careful hiking the road. The trail will be just across the bridge on the right hand side.
To get to Red Bridge, drive west of Cadillac on M55. Look for Warfield Road on your right hand side. Turn right on Warfield and follow it to Coates Highway. Turn left on Coates. When you reach Red Bridge River access you are there!

The part of the loop I start with is the North Country Trail side. In the first few minutes of hiking you will cross under some massive power lines. Shortly after that you will cross a dirt road. Get ready for a long steep uphill! Some call this Mount Manistee! You will not reach the North Country Trail until you get to a trail junction. Follow the trial to the right to continue in the right direction.
I prefer the North Country Trail side of the loop because you can camp anywhere 200ft. from water. That is easy beacuse there is no water for quite some time! After 7 or 8 miles the trail will decend and a small stream can be found. There is also a pine plantation here. This is my favorite place to camp. There is evidence of previous campsites within the pines. Pack in what you pack out and keep the place clean. Follow Leave No Trace too OK?!?

The trail continues on for a few more miles. Look for a connector trail on the right hand side. This is important because it will connect you to the Manistee River trail. If you miss it you will reach a dam. I have done this before. Turn around and hike back. The connector trail crosses the Manistee River with a big suspension bridge. It is nicknamed Little Mac.

The next section of trail is the most beautiful. Epic scenery of the Manistee River can be seen atop the bluffs. Caution: The trail does follow the edge of the bluffs closely in a few spots. A small waterfall can also be seen. You must camp in designated sites on this side of the river. Eventually you will reach Coates Highway and the parking lot.

This trail is a great weekend hike. It's approx. 20 miles of hiking allow a great work out and allows spectacular scenery. You could hike this in 2 days as I have done before. However, it is more enjoyable in three. Check out the links below for more information.

http://mrtassociation.com/thetrail.aspx
http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/hmnf/pages/Recreation/Manistee/cm_manisteeriver_trail_txtonly.pdf
http://www.lnt.org