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]]>Region: Northeast (Pachaug State Forest, Connecticut)
Length: ~31 miles (3 days)
Physical Difficulty: Easy
- The elevation gain is 2,848 feet, and two sections account for the bulk of the elevation gain: Mount Misery (441 feet) and about 2 miles of steep up and down scrambling through rocky ravines north of Beach Pond.
- Mostly soft dirt trails and forest roads. Some short, paved road walks.
- Water crossings can be tricky after heavy rain, but bridges, some in poor condition, span the deepest crossings. I had to take off my shoes and pants to wade across one deep crossing, but I suspect the deep water was because of torrential rains in the days before my hike.
Logistical Difficulty: Easy
- Loop trail done in three days, so resupply not needed. Only two sites where camping is allowed: Dawley Pond and Dry Reservoir shelters. Permits are required.
- Plentiful water. Late-winter rainstorms before my hike left trails covered in water.
- Some forest roads leading to trailheads are closed for the winter so it’s a good idea to call Pachaug State Forest headquarters to find where you can park in the off-season.
Season: Year-round
Net Elevation Gain: 2,848 feet
Hiking the Pachaug State Forest Loop
The ~31-mile loop that I hiked combined parts of the Pachaug and Nehantic Trails in Pachaug State Forest, Connecticut’s largest state forest at 26,477 acres.
Horses are permitted on sections of the trail, and I saw two men riding horses and a fair amount of horse poop on trails. The trails also cross sanctioned dirt bike tracks.
Trailhead parking (shown on this interactive trails map) is scattered throughout the forest, but if you’re planning the off-season loop that I did I recommend parking on Fish Road, which has year-round access. The hike from Fish Road to the Dawley Pond Lean-to is ~14 miles, ~11 miles to Dry Reservoir Lean-to, and ~6 miles to Fish Road.
I parked at Fish Road and hiked south for 2 miles on the Nehantic Trail through mountain laurel stands before reaching Green Fall Pond. Water covered low-lying trail sections, a harbinger of wet trails to come for the rest of the hike.
I stopped for lunch at Green Fall Pond, a seasonal recreation area with swimming, picnic tables, outhouses, grills, and camping. This is the southern terminus for the Nehantic and Pachaug Trails.
Heading north from Green Fall Pond on the Pachaug Trail the route follows a low and mostly dry ridge for 4 miles to Route 165, crossing Route 138 along the way. The trail turns right onto Route 165, a state highway with narrow shoulders and fast-moving vehicles, for a short hike skirting the southern end of Beach Pond. The road walk enters Rhode Island at the bridge over the pond outlet, then crosses the road and heads back into the woods as the trail winds north along the pond’s eastern shore. The trail hugs the shore through the Arcadia Management Area in Rhode Island before veering away from Beach Pond and back into Connecticut and Pachaug State Forest. This is a nice stretch of the hike that offers waterfront access for hikers, unlike across the pond where the Connecticut shore is crowded with mega houses.
After leaving Beach Pond the trail begins a roughly 2-mile stretch through rocky ridges and ravines that were filled with water after late-winter rains. The trail becomes a scramble up and down the low but steep ridges, and is the most difficult section of the loop.
After the ridges the trail flattens out, and the hike to the Dawley Pond Lean-to is fast and easy. Although it’s called the Dawley Pond Lean-to, the three-sided structure is north of Dawley Pond, on Great Meadow Brook Pond.
The map here correctly shows the shelter’s location on Great Meadow Brook Pond. The Connecticut Walk Book, a comprehensive guide to Connecticut’s blue-blazed trails, mistakenly shows the shelter on Wickaboxet Marsh.
The shelter was clean when I arrived, but because it is so close to a road the shelter apparently can be a trashy party spot.
I filled up with water at the Great Meadow Brook Pond outlet just before reaching the clearly marked shelter side trail, and recommend filling up at one of the streams north of the pond if you’re coming from that direction. The pond shore is weedy and shallow at the shelter, making it difficult to get water.
The trail heading north from the shelter to Cedar Swamp Road passes stone walls and cellar holes, remnants of long-ago farms. An apparent gravesite for a 3-year-old girl who died in 1891, with fresh remembrances left at the site, sits along the trail through this section.
Emerging from the woods onto Cedar Swamp Road, the trail heads west for a short road walk. The road climbs easily to a wide-open hilltop farm—at 600-plus feet the highest point on the trail—where the wind blew fiercely from the northwest during my hike, pushing against me as I pushed back.
The trail crosses Route 49 to Hell Hollow Road, and the road walk isn’t well-blazed. But a sign does indicate the trail’s return to the woods, which loops north off Hell Hollow Road before heading south and crossing the road again.
The trail stays in the woods for several miles, crossing and following forest roads. The trail passes the Lowden Brook Cascades, and several deep pools in the brook below the falls look like promising cooling-off spots on a hot summer hike.
The walking continues to be easy to the Pachaug Trail junction with the Nehantic Trail. At this point the Pachaug and Nehantic Trails merge and head west through a recreation area popular for exercise walking. The trail soon veers left into the woods and begins ascending Mount Misery, supposedly named by European settlers for the area’s miserable farming soil. The hike to the 441-foot summit is easy and fast, and the main view is to the east and the forests I passed through on the first day of my hike.
The trail descending Mount Misery is blue-blazed but it’s easy to mistakenly follow—as I did—a herd path rather than the marked trail. At the base of the mountain the trail again follows a forest road before re-entering the woods.
A short distance later the Pachaug Trail heads south while the Nehantic Trail continues west to the Dry Reservoir Lean-to. The trail crosses a stream just before the shelter, and this is the water source for the shelter.
The Dry Reservoir Lean-to is clean, but small. I couldn’t stand up without bumping my head.
Although there’s no outstanding view at the shelter, I did see a stunning sunset and sunrise through the bare trees.
The final leg of the hike is ~6 miles, backtracking over Mount Misery and then south on the Nehantic Trail from the junction where the Pachaug Trail splits off to head north. The hike from that point back to Fish Road is flat and easy, with a short road walk on Route 49. Although blazes are few on the state highway the turnoff into the woods is clearly marked.
How to Get to Pachaug State Forest
Norwich and New London are the closest cities in Connecticut, each about a 30-minute drive to Pachaug State Forest. TF Green International Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, is about an hour drive away.
Trailheads: Fish Road, Green Fall Pond Road, Shetucket Turnpike, Brown Road, Hell Hollow Road, Fire Tower Road, and Headquarters Road.
About the Pachaug-Nehantic Loop
The trails are mostly flat, with easy vehicle access to trailheads. Because camping is allowed only at shelters, the loop I hiked requires at least 14 miles to a shelter the first day, and about 11 miles to a shelter the second day.
But there are opportunities for shorter loops using the many interconnecting trails in the state forest. And two shelters on the Narragansett Trail make a point-to-point hike possible on that trail, or possibly putting together a different loop hike.
Here’s the route I followed on my hike:
Day 1: Park in the parking area for about 6 cars on Fish Road in Voluntown, CT, at the Nehantic Trail trailhead. Hike ~2 miles south on the Nehantic to its southern terminus at Green Fall Pond, and at the pond take the Pachaug Trail north to Dawley Pond Lean-to. Total mileage, ~14 miles.
Day 2: Continue north on the Pachaug Trail to Hell Hollow Road, then veer south and after several miles connect with the Nehantic Trail at the recreation area. Hike west on the Nehantic-Pachaug Trails over Mount Misery, then head north on the Nehantic Trail when the Pachaug splits off to head south. The Dry Reservoir Lean-to is a short distance north on the Nehantic Trail. Total mileage, ~11 miles.
Day 3: Backtrack on the Nehantic Trail and Nehantic-Pachaug Trails to the junction where the Nehantic heads south and the Pachaug goes north. Follow the Nehantic Trail south to Fish Road. Total mileage, ~6 miles.
When to Hike the Pachaug-Nehantic Loop
Spring: April can be a good month for hiking as trees begin budding and wildflowers bloom; May is warm and still mostly bug-free. March is iffy. During my hike in early March streams were swollen—one required knee-deep wading—and trails were filled with water in low spots after a week of heavy rain. Temperatures for my hike were 29 to 45, but a few days later they reached the upper 60s.
Summer: Buggy, humid, and hot.
Fall: My favorite time for backpacking. The days begin cooling off in September, and October brings peak New England foliage. November can continue to have good weather good for hiking, but hunting season begins in the state forest.
Winter: Snow is rare, and when it falls usually melts within days, making the Pachaug a good winter hike if you have cabin fever.
The Pachaug-Nehantic Loop Terrain
The trail is mainly flat as it meanders through pine and hardwood forests. The Pachaug Trail follows low ridges north of Green Fall Pond and then rocky, steep ridges north of Beach Pond.
Mount Misery is the only significant climb on the Pachaug-Nehantic loop.
Ponds, marshes, and streams are plentiful, some next to the trail, others visible in the distance through the trees.
Logistics: Permits, Camping, Water
Permits: Permits are required to stay at the four shelters in Pachaug State Forest. Dispersed camping is not allowed. Information on obtaining permits from the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection can be found here.
Shelters: Dawley Pond and Dry Reservoir shelters are on the loop I hiked; Peg Mill and Legend Wood shelters are on the Narragansett Trail, which connects with the Nehantic and Pachaug Trails at Green Fall Pond. The shelters do not have bear boxes or privies.
Water: Streams and ponds are close enough along the trail that I didn’t worry about running short of water. I carried a liter and never ran dry.
Route-finding: The Pachaug and Nehantic Trails are marked with solid blue blazes; side trails use different-colored blazes and most are marked with signs. Blazes are sparse on road walks but signs mark trail turnoffs into the woods.
Know Before You Go
Clockwise or Counterclockwise?: It’s personal preference. I hiked the Pachaug-Nehantic Loop counterclockwise to get the longer-mile days out of the way on the first two days, with an easy hike to my car on day three.
Private Land: Parts of the loop pass through private land, making it important to follow the camping guidelines to preserve trail access.
Parking: The Connecticut Forest & Park Association, which maintains the 825-plus miles of blue-blazed hiking trails in Connecticut, has an interactive map on its website showing trails, shelters, and trailhead parking, with directions to the trailheads.
Transportation: Driving your own vehicle is the only practical way to get to the trail.
Cell Reception: Good throughout the forest.
Trail Guide: The Connecticut Walk Book is the ultimate guide to Connecticut’s blue-blazed trails. The book is compiled by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, which maintains the trails, and can be purchased from the CFPA or through Amazon.
Trail Updates: Trail information such as reroutes and damaged bridges can be found here. But the information does not appear to be updated online to indicate whether problems have been resolved.
Ticks: Lyme disease was first identified in Connecticut, and the ticks carrying the disease can be active year-round. I spray my clothes with permethrin and do careful tick checks of my body after every hike in the woods.
About the Forest: At 26,477 acres in six towns, Pachaug is the largest state forest in Connecticut. The word Pachaug derives from the American Indian term meaning bend or turn in the river, referring to the 9-mile Pachaug River. The forest was inhabited by Narragansett, Pequot, Wampanoag, Nipmuck, Pocumtuck, and Mohegan peoples, most of whom were driven from their lands by European settlers.
Tree Damage: Gypsy moths heavily damaged oak and maple trees in the 2010s, evidenced by swaths of clear-cut forests and the number of dead trees on the ground in the Pachaug State Forest.
State Campgrounds in the Forest: The Green Fall Campground and Mount Misery Campground in the forest are car-camping sites that offer base camps for hiking.
Pachaug State Forest Resources
Interactive Map of Trails, Trailhead Parking, and Shelters
Backpack Camping in Connecticut
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]]>The post The Cranberry Lake 50 appeared first on Backpacking Routes.
]]>Region: Mid-Atlantic (Adirondack Park, New York)
Length: 50 miles (3 to 4 days)
Physical Difficulty: Easy
- The elevation gain is 4,094 feet, mostly spread across 25 miles on the southern section.
- Mostly soft dirt trails.
- Trail crosses beaver dams between High Falls and Wanakena, water depth varies and can be knee high in the spring
Logistical Difficulty: Easy
- Loop trail done in 3-4 days, no resupply needed thanks to two stores on roadwalks.
- Plentiful water and well-spaced campsites
- Trail marked with blue discs
Net Elevation Gain: 4,094 feet
Hiking the Cranberry Lake 50
The Cranberry Lake 50 is in the northern reaches of Adirondack Park, but doesn’t have the soaring mountains of the park’s High Peaks. What it does have is a gently rolling up and down trail with campsites spread out on Cranberry Lake and the many ponds surrounding it.
I met six people while hiking, so this doesn’t have the crowds of the High Peaks. One hiker said this is what drew him to the route.
Trailhead access is from Wanakena and Cranberry Lake, small villages with friendly people and seasonal homes lining the northern shore of the lake. The roadwalk through Wanakena is along quiet roads, and people in homes and passing cars waved to me, asked me if I was “hiking the 50,” and offered water. Most of the walk through Cranberry Lake is on Route 3, a busy two-lane highway with wide bike lanes for walking so there’s less interaction with people in the village.
I parked at the Gilbert Tract trailhead on Route 3 east of Cranberry Lake. My car was the only one in the lot on Wednesday morning; four other cars were parked there when I returned the following Saturday.
The trail from the Gilbert Tract trailhead meanders through hardwood forests and bogs, with plank bridges providing dry passage through the bogs. The first Cranberry Lake campsites are about four miles in on Brandy Brook Flow. A few miles later a side trail leads one mile to East Inlet and more campsites on the lake.
The trail heads away from the lake and begins crossing ridges, passing Curtis and Dog ponds, both with small campsites. I stayed my first night at Dog Pond with two other hikers, stretching out on shoreline rock ledges while resting after a roughly 12-mile day. The next campsite was about 6.5 miles away at Chair Rock Flow on Cranberry Lake, and I didn’t have it in me to continue. So I ate supper by the pond and watched the sunset.
The second day I headed out early with no specific destination. Lean-tos at Olmstead and Cowhorn ponds, campsites at Cat Mountain and Glasby ponds, and lean-tos and campsites at High Falls were all possibilities. This section of the trail has the most elevation gain of the hike, but it wasn’t anything that beat me up.
The trail passed through wilderness forests, at times on what appeared to be old logging roads. Shortly after passing Cat Mountain Pond I had a decision to make: hike the 1.4-mile round-trip spur trail up Cat Mountain (2,257 feet) or continue on to camp at High Falls. I chose the mountain, and the trail was moderately steep with a short rock scramble near the top. The view from the rock ledges on the mountaintop took in the Five Ponds Wilderness to the south, an area I’ve often thought about visiting. And if I had set aside more than four days for this trip, that would have been a possibility.
Once down from the mountain I decided that hiking on to High Falls was out and I headed for Glasby Pond, less than a mile away. The campsite at Glasby Pond is small, but has a short path to the pond, where I filtered water, ate supper, and chatted with another hiker spending the night. In the morning I had breakfast by the pond and watched the sunrise. Total miles for the day (including Cat Mountain) was about 16.
Day 3 was an easy hike to High Falls, about .4 of a mile off the CL50, and the trip was well worth it to see the falls on the Oswegatchie River. This is a popular overnight site, with lean-tos and several campsites.
Back on the 50 the trail follows a mostly straight, flat line about nine miles to Wanakena. Along the way the trail crosses several beaver dams, with the water flowing over the dams ranging from ankle deep to higher, depending on the amount of recent rain. The worst crossing was ankle deep when I went through.
The hike to Wanakena was easy, but I found the flat trail and scenery monotonous. Plus I was pushing myself to to rack up miles to have an easy last day back to my car. Passing through Wanakena cheered me up as I found the people ready with a wave or hello. I regret not stopping for a drink and snack at Otto’s Abode.
My day ended at the tent site near loop 1 on the Peavine Swamp Trail, a nice spot but the only campsite I saw on the 50 that was not on the water. While falling asleep I heard barred owls screeching on one side of the campsite and traffic on nearby Route 3 on the other side. Total miles for the day was about 17.
The fourth day was an easy six-ish miles through woods and on roads back to my car east of Cranberry Lake. I made sure to stop for a snack and drink at the Lakeside General Store, right on the trail on Route 3. It’s a popular stop for CL50 hikers in summer, but hiker visitors had dropped off by the time I stopped by.
How to Get to the Cranberry Lake 50
Find it: Wanakena and Cranberry Lake
Closest city: 2.5 hours north of Syracuse, New York.
You can also start from Albany (3.25 hours) or Plattsburg (2 hours). All three cities have airports, but you’ll be driving from there to Wanakena and Cranberry Lake.
Parking: There are several spots for parking in Wanakena and Cranberry Lake. I parked at the Gilbert Tract trailhead.
- Recreation area on South Shore Road in Wanakena
- Peavine Swamp trailhead on Route 3 west of Cranberry Lake
- Department of Environmental Conservation boat launch on Columbian Road in Cranberry Lake
- Gilbert Tract trailhead on Route 3 a short walk east of Cranberry Lake
- Burntbridge Pond/Brandy Brook trailhead, on Route 3 about 2 miles east of Cranberry Lake. This involves a short hike to the 50.
About the Cranberry Lake 50
The Cranberry Lake 50 is a collection of existing trails in the Five Ponds Wilderness and Cranberry Lake Wild Forest within Adirondack Park. The 50 is clearly marked with bold blue trail markers stamped with the number 50 and it’s hard—but not impossible—to miss a turn and go the wrong way at a trail junction. (Yes, I did miss a turn but corrected it.) Clearly marked side trails lead even deeper into the wilderness and campsites on ponds.
The trail is well-maintained, with only a few blowdowns blocking the trail. All were easy to walk over or around.
Cranberry Lake was created in the late 1800s when the Oswegatchie River was dammed, and got its name from the cranberry bogs around the river. The dam now provides hydroelectric power.
When to Hike the Cranberry Lake 50
Spring: May can be a good month for hiking, between the likely last snowfall and before the onset of bugs. March and April can be cold with snow a strong possibility, and the bugs begin swarming in June.
Summer: Buggy, wet, and warm. Some people prefer the summer when they can swim in the ponds.
Fall: My favorite time for hiking. The temperature was in the mid 60s during the day and low 40s at night when I hiked the third week of September. The maple trees around the lakes were ablaze with red and the sky was brilliantly blue for four days. I can’t remember when the last time was I had a string of days like that.
Winter: Hiking the 50 in the winter is possible, but the snow will be deep and the temperatures low. Snowmobiles use some of the trails that make up the 50 so it’s important to watch out for them.
The Cranberry Lake 50 Terrain
The trail from Wanakena to High Falls is on an old logging railroad, and can be tedious in its unrelenting flatness. Several beaver dam crossings can be overflowing with deep water in spring and high-rain summers. Although some hikers avoid going counterclockwise from Wanakena to avoid the certainty of wet shoes early in the hike while crossing the beaver dams, the flat trail is an easy first-day hike. And your shoes are going to get wet eventually along the trail.
The trail from Route 3 in Cranberry Lake also starts with little elevation change along planks through several deep-water bogs. Only after reaching Cranberry Lake in several miles does the trail begin rolling up and down along ridges, and continues that way to Glasby Pond a few miles east of High Falls.
The 50 follows roads in Cranberry Lake and Wanakena, and an easy trail links the two villages.
Logistics: Permits, Camping, Water
Permits: No permits are needed to hike the Cranberry Lake 50.
Camping: Lean-tos at High Falls, Cowhorn Pond, and Olmstead Pond, and primitive campsites at other ponds and Cranberry Lake; most have an open privy, and a few have picnic tables. Campsites are marked on the Cranberry Lake 50 map.
Water: Streams and ponds are spread out along the trail so you don’t have to worry about running short of water. There are several beaver ponds on the trail between High Falls and Wanakena, but I don’t recommend getting water from them. I filtered water drawn from streams running into ponds or away from ponds to avoid beaver activity in the ponds.
Route-finding: Blue discs with 50 inscribed on them are nailed to trees along the trail. The markers are easy to see and it’s rare to hike far without seeing one.
Water Crossings: Bridges span most wide streams. But the beaver dam crossings on the trail between High Falls and Wanakena are covered with water, ranging from ankle deep when I hiked in late September to much deeper in spring and a heavy-rain summer.
Know Before You Go
Clockwise or Counterclockwise?: There’s no right answer. Some people hike clockwise to leave the beaver dam crossings and guaranteed wet feet to the end of the trail. Others go counterclockwise because the trail from Wanakena to High Falls is the flattest section. When I hiked I met three people hiking clockwise (four including me) and three counterclockwise, so it’s really personal preference.
Transportation: Driving your own vehicle is the only practical way to get to the trail.
Cell Reception: Surprisingly good in the village of Cranberry Lake, but I couldn’t get reception anywhere else, including in Wanakena.
Trail Guides: The Cranberry Lake 50 Pocket Guide, by Jamie Savage & Spencer Morrissey, Wildcliff Press, was updated in spring 2023 and sold out almost immediately. Other sources for information are the Western Trails guidebook and the National Geographic Adirondack Park (Old Forge/Oswegatchie) map. I used the National Geographic map for trail mileage and the Cranberry Lake 50 organization trail map available here for campsites and shelters along the trail.
Trail Stops: Otto’s Abode in Wanakena and the Lakeside General Store in Cranberry Lake are right on the trail and are must stops for a cold drink and snacks. Both are near trailhead parking.
Lodging: Packbasket Adventures, 12 South Shore Road Extension, Wanakena. Overnight stays, breakfast, packed lunches. Shuttle to Cranberry Lake 50 trailheads. (315) 848-3488
Wildlife: Moose and bears are in the woods, but they’re seldom seen. Red squirrels are seen much more frequently, especially at campsites where they’re trying to raid food stashes. I carry a bear can and had no problems. A fellow hiker at one campsite had a difficult time finding a suitable spot to hang his food bag. Loons live on the lakes, and their haunting calls fill the forest. And of course beavers are active along the trail.
Trails in the 50: The Cranberry Lake 50 combines existing trails to create a loop around Cranberry Lake. Details on those trails can be found on the CL50 website under trail descriptions.
Regulations: State land hiking and camping regulations for the CL50
The 50 Patch: Register your hike and donate a minimum of $5 to get a patch for completing the Cranberry Lake 50.
Behind the 50: The Cranberry Lake 50 is a project of Five Ponds Partners, created to draw people to northwestern Adirondack Park.
State Campground: The New York State-run Cranberry Lake Campground is off Route 3 in Cranberry Lake.
Don’t Rush: The Cranberry Lake 50 can be hiked in three days and two nights. I did it in 3.5. But there are so many side trails leading to ponds deeper into the wilderness that I could easily see spending a week hiking pond to pond. And if you like to fish that’s even more incentive to stay longer.
Cranberry Lake 50 Resources
Cranberry Lake 50 Facebook group
The Cranberry Lake 50 Pocket Guide by James Savage, a professor at the Ranger School in Wanakena.
Western Trails guidebook
Adirondack Park (Old Forge/Oswegatchie) map
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]]>The post The Great Circle Trail appeared first on Backpacking Routes.
]]>Region: New England (Nahmakanta Public Lands, Maine)
Length: ~30 miles (2-4 days)
Physical Difficulty: Easy
- Most of the trail is on soft pine duff; some rooty, rocky, and ledgy sections.
- The only summit is Wadleigh Mountain at 1,866 feet.
- Trail can be wet in sections.
Logistical Difficulty: Easy
- Loop hike with several trailhead parking areas.
- No permit needed; camping is free.
- This is a new trail and some sections are not clearly marked.
Total Elevation Gain: ~3,000 feet
Hiking The Great Circle Trail
The Great Circle Trail links 14 miles of new trails with existing trails in Maine’s Nahmakanta Public Lands, 43,000 acres of state-owned wilderness within the vast 100-Mile Wilderness. The trail connects seven pond-side campsites with options for exploring side trails that lead to other ponds deep in the wilderness.
The route was conceived in 2005 and finished in fall 2021, linking the Turtle Ridge Loop Trail, the Debsconeag Backcountry Trail, and two sections of the Appalachian Trail with newly carved-out sections. Seven primitive campsites are on ponds along the trail, making this an easy loop hike taking 2 to 4 days. The highest mountain on the loop is tree-covered Wadleigh Mountain at 1,866 feet.
The new trail sections are clearly marked as the Great Circle Trail, but the established sections carry their original names, making it difficult to know that you’re on the right path. Trail creator Jay Hall, whom I met during my hike, says GCT signs with mileage will be put on the older, established trails.
I used the Nahmakanta Public Lands map to follow the route, but still missed a trail turnoff at one junction. The new and established sections of the Great Circle Trail are marked with blue blazes, but so are other trails throughout the area. And the AT is white-blazed, with no indication that the GCT follows it.
I hiked the loop going counterclockwise in four days, taking my time to explore side trails to ponds, Tumbledown Dick Falls, and viewpoints, and climbing the rocky ledges of Turtle Ridge for a view of Sing Sing Pond below. The trail could be hiked in as few as two days, but what’s the rush?
Day 1: Park at the Turtle Ridge Loop Trailhead on Jo-Mary Road, and turn left (north) out of the parking lot onto the road. The Great Circle Trail-Tumbledown Section enters the woods on the right after about 100 feet and is marked with a sign. After about half a mile you’ll pass Leavitt Pond and a small campsite. Shortly afterward is the Tumbledown Dick Pond campsite, and a short distance later is Tumbledown Dick Falls. I recommend hiking a steep ~400 feet down a side trail to a pool at the base of the falls, especially on a hot day when you could take a cool dip.
The Tumbledown Section soon ends at the AT. Turn left (north) onto the AT and follow the white blazes to a dirt road on the south shore of Nahmakanta Lake. The AT continues straight, but GCT hikers turn right on the road, following a sign that points to the Debsconeag Backcountry. There are no blazes on the road. After about a mile reach a parking area on the left, where a sign points to the blue-blazed trail through the Debsconeag Backcountry. Follow the trail past Fifth Debsconeag Pond, over a small ridge, and drop down to Sixth Debsconeag Pond and a campsite on its shores.
Day 2: Continue following the Debsconeag Backcountry Trail, eventually turning away from Sixth Debsconeag Pond and crossing a low ridge to 1,100-acre Nahmakanta Lake. Follow the trail past the north shore of the lake and bear left at a sign for the West Trailhead. Shortly after crossing a log bridge the trail splits, and both trails have blue blazes. Bear left to stay on the GCT; the trail to the right continues to Eighth Debsconeag Pond.
Ford Rainbow Stream a short distance later, and then turn right on a dirt road. Reach the white-blazed AT after about half a mile and turn left on the AT. Right on the AT heads north to Katahdin.
The AT runs alongside Pollywog Gorge, and soon after the gorge you’ll turn right at a GCT-Pollywog Section sign. Once again you’ll be following the blue blazes of the GCT. The trail passes Pollywog Pond and eventually reaches the Pollywog Pond South Campsite.
Not long after Pollywog Pond the trail comes out to a dirt road on the north end of Wadleigh Pond. Turn right here and cross the pond outlet bridge. Left after the bridge leads to the group campsite and tent platform on the pond and right continues on the trail. There are two shelters and an old stone fireplace and chimney at the group campsite in a meadow, and a tent platform in the woods. Wood steps lead down to the pond and a great view.
Day 3: A woods road behind the shelters leads back to the trail, where you’ll bear left. After a short distance bear left again, following GCT signs. At another woods road bear left, and then make a quick right. The climb to tree-lined Wadleigh Mountain is moderate, and a side trail below the summit leads to a view of Katahdin.
The descent from the summit is briefly steep, then levels out through wet areas near Third Musquatch Pond. A short trail at the pond’s southern end leads to the Third Musquatch Pond campsite.
Continue on the GCT to the Katahdin View parking area, bear left onto the road and then right into the woods. Follow the GCT to the junction with the Turtle Ridge Loop Trail, where you’ll bear right. Shortly afterward cross the Sing Sing Pond outlet and bear left to the campsite. It’s about 3 miles from the campsite to the car, easily done in 90 minutes. I chose to camp at the pond and climb the Turtle Ridge Trail to Turtle Ridge and a great view of the pond.
Day 4: It’s ~3 smooth miles to your car on Jo-Mary Road. Continue alongside the pond and turn left at the sign for Rabbit Pond, then right at a second sign for Rabbit Pond. At this second junction I went left on day 3 to climb Turtle Ridge. The GCT crosses steppingstones at the Rabbit Pond outlet and climbs gradually along ledges, where you’ll have to keep an eye out for the East Trailhead sign on the left. (This where I missed the sign and continued straight by mistake.) After this junction it’s a quick walk to the road, where you’ll turn left to reach the parking lot a short distance away.
How to Get to the Great Circle Trail
Easiest Access: Turtle Ridge Loop Trailhead on Jo-Mary Road in the Nahmakanta Public Lands. I plugged Turtle Ridge Loop Trailhead into Google Maps and followed the directions from my home in Connecticut to the trailhead.
Katahdin View Trailhead: Located here on Google Maps.
From Greenville: This state brochure has complicated directions from Greenville.
Closest Towns: Millinocket, Greenville, Brownville
When to Hike the Great Circle Trail
The trail can be hiked June through October, though September and early October are probably the best months. June can be brutally buggy, and July and August can be uncomfortably hot and humid. The weather cools and the bugs mostly disappear in September and October. Light snow is possible in late September and early October, and heavier snow is always a chance in late October.
Great Circle Trail Terrain
The tread is mostly soft pine duff, with some rooty and rocky sections. There’s very little elevation gain, making this a great trail for a relaxing hike.
Logistics: Camping, Fees, Water
Camping: Seven pond-side campsites are spaced less than ~8 miles apart; Wadleigh Pond with its two shelters and wide open pond access is the jewel of the sites. Camping is free at all sites, and all have fire rings, pit toilets, and water access; some have picnic tables.
Hiking counterclockwise from the Turtle Ridge Loop Trail parking area the campsites are at Leavitt Pond, Tumbledown Dick Pond, Sixth Debsconeag Pond, Pollywog Pond, Wadleigh Pond (referred to as group site on signs), Third Musquatch Pond, and Sing Sing Pond.
Fees: Jo-Mary Road is a private road maintained for commercial logging, and recreational users pay a fee. Find information about the road here. There’s a checkpoint registration and pay station just north of the Jo-Mary Road junction with Route 11, and from there it’s a slow 16 miles to the Turtle Ridge Loop Trailhead parking. Logging trucks travel fast on the dirt road so it’s best to keep to the right and be alert.
Water: Every campsite is on a pond, which makes gathering water for meals easy, and there are frequent stream crossings. I carried a liter of water, filling up as needed when I passed a pond or stream.
Great Circle Trail Know Before You Go
Fishing: Because the ponds are close together it’s possible to arrive at camp early and spend time fishing. Information about Maine fishing licenses is here.
Maps: The GCT is marked on a map of the Nahmakanta Public Lands found here.
Trail History: Work on the GCT started in 2005 under the guidance of Jay Hall, Maine Parks and Lands’ Nahmakanta Unit forester, with help from the Maine Conservation Corps, the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, Caribou Parks & Recreation Department, and Unity College. Several years ago professional trail contractors were brought in. The trail opened in September 2021.
Jay says his trail planning, construction and maintenance experience in California, Oregon, Colorado, New Hampshire and Maine allowed him to pioneer trail routes efficiently, saving time that he needed for his timber management obligations in Nahmakanta. His youngest son helped finish some key projects, such as packing in and installing 120 trail signs and building the stone staircase at Wadleigh outlet.
Now retired, he plans to volunteer a few days each year to complete some items left from the final “punch list” of trail work.
Some of that work involves putting up GCT trail signs on old trails, and moving the trail off Fourth Debsconeag Lake Road from Nahmakanta Stream Bridge to the southeast Debsconeag trailhead. Because the bridge is in the AT corridor, relocating the trail will require coordination with MATC and National Park Service staff.
About the Nahmakanta Public Lands: The state-owned land encompasses 43,000 acres of forests and low mountains, streams and brooks coursing down steep slopes and running through narrow gorges, 24 ponds covering 10 or more acres, and more than 50 miles of undeveloped shoreline. Within the Nahmakanta Public Lands is Maine’s largest ecological reserve, 11,802 acres that include much of the 9,200-acre roadless area known as the Debsconeag Backcountry. Read the state’s brochure about the land here. Note that the map with this brochure does not show the new sections of the GCT
About the 100-Mile Wilderness: Since the Appalachian Mountain Club began its Maine Woods Initiative in 2003, the organization has acquired and permanently protected more than 100,000 acres of forest and fish habitat in Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness. The Wilderness stretches from Monson, Maine, to Baxter State Park, and surrounds the GCT. The AT is the most popular trail for hiking through the Wilderness.
Resources
Download a map of the trail here
Check the weather forecast here.
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]]>The Sioux-Hustler trail is a 34-mile loop in northern Minnesota. This trail is within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). It features beaver dam crossings, two waterfalls, and plentiful water sources.
Region: Great Lakes Midwest (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Superior National Forest, Minnesota)
Length: 34 miles (3-4 days)
Season: Late Spring, Late Summer, Early Fall
Total Elevation Gain: 3,000 feet
Physical Difficulty: Easy
- Rocky and rooty terrain
- Beaver dam crossings
- A few steep but short climbs and descents
Logistical Difficulty: High
- Route not marked
- Permit required
- Remote trailhead
Hiking the Sioux Hustler Trail
The Sioux-Hustler Trail is a great option for intermediate backpackers. The footpath crosses over beaver dams, features two waterfalls, and passes many water sources.
Three friends and I backpacked this loop clockwise in September 2020. Our first night was near the Devil’s Cascade waterfall and subsequent nights were on the shores of Emerald and Shell Lakes. We shared a campsite one night with two smaller backpacking parties.
We heard wolves most nights. We followed a portage to Loon Lake, where we noted moose tracks on the shoreline and said hello to Canada. Occasional fallen trees and six hours of rain made for a challenging second day.
I lost cell service about 30 minutes before arriving at the trailhead. The footpath was not blazed on trees, which caused occasional navigation challenges; cairns and cut logs helped confirm the correct path. There were also beaver dam crossings (a misstep on one ended in knee-deep mud).
Resupply is not an option, as this trail is only accessible by boat or foot. This is a shorter route, so resupply shouldn’t be needed.
How to get to the Sioux-Hustler Trail
Nearest City: Orr, Minnesota (38 miles)
Trailhead: Sioux Hustler Hiking Trail
The Sioux-Hustler trail is a lollipop loop. From the trailhead, it’s about six miles by foot to where the loop begins; go left for a clockwise trip or go right for a counterclockwise trip.
The Sioux-Hustler trailhead (BWCAW entry point 15) is 38 miles northeast of Orr, Minnesota, on US Forest Service roads. You can park overnight at the trailhead.
The nearest airports are Duluth and Minneapolis. Orr is about 145 miles north of Duluth and 280 miles north of Minneapolis. Car rentals are available at both airports; shuttle service between Duluth and the trailhead may be an option from some outfitters in Ely. Lodging and camping are available on the way to Orr.
For our trip, we left Minneapolis around 6:30 a.m. on our entry date and started hiking by 12:30 p.m..
When to Hike the Sioux Hustler Trail
The best times to hike this trail are late spring (May to June) and late summer into early fall (August through September).
Spring hikers can expect mud, wet conditions, and some snow well into May. Depending on the year, thaw/refreeze cycles may cause difficult travel on gravel Forest Service roads.
The trail can be hiked in early summer but mosquitoes may take the joy out of it. Ticks are usually the worst in May and June but may be found anytime the temperatures are above freezing.
Depending on the year, trips in late summer and early fall could be impacted by wildfires.
We began our hike in late September 2020. Daytime temperatures reached into the 50s Fahrenheit and overnight temperatures dipped into the upper 30s and 40s. It rained for about six hours on our second day. Fall colors were starting to peak and bugs were not an issue.
It may be possible to hike later than September but be sure to check the forecast and plan accordingly. Depending on the year, early October may see measurable snow and lakes could already be freezing.
Backpacking this route in winter is not advised due to deep snow and extreme temperatures. Some Forest Service roads and trailheads are not accessible in winter.
Sioux-Hustler Trail Terrain
The trail crosses forested terrain and wetlands. There are beaver dam crossings and occasional fallen trees to navigate.
Sioux-Hustler Trail Permits
Permits are required to enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).
Overnight trips beginning May 1 to September 30 require quota permits. Quota permits have a fee associated and are sold first-come, first-served. They go on sale the third Wednesday of January each year.
Before reserving a quota permit, you’ll need a recreation.gov account and to know where you will pick up your permit. Here is a list of permit issue stations. I would recommend a station in Duluth or Cook; be sure to confirm hours as some stations may not be open on weekends.
On the BWCAW webpage, click on the “Explore available permits” button in the “Available Permits” section.
Choose “Overnight Hike” in the filter dropdown and the date you plan to start.
Scroll to the “Sioux-Hustler Trail (OH)” item. Choose your start date in the grid, click the “Book Now” button, and complete your reservation.
Overnight trips in the off-season (October 1 to April 30) require a free, self-issued permit. Complete the form at the trailhead kiosk, leave a copy in the dropbox, and carry the other copy with you.
Logistics: Camping, Land Management, and Route Finding
Camping: Campsites are first-come, first-served and do not need to be shared with other parties. Most campsites are accessible by water and foot; if a site is already occupied, backpackers may be willing to share. To minimize impact, a maximum of 9 people can stay at campsites in the BWCAW; our intended campsite on day two was at maximum with a guided group of backpackers so we pushed on to another site. Campsite spurs are oftent marked with a cairn and/or a wooden marker. Follow LNT principles by trying to stay in established campsites, but if needed, dispersed / stealth camping is allowed for hikers (see page 7 of this handbook).
Land Management: This trail is mostly in a wilderness area on US Forest Service land. There are no amenities at the trailhead. The trail is only accessible by foot or boat and chainsaws are not allowed in the BWCAW, so fallen trees may not be immediately removed after a storm.
Route Finding: I recommend a GPS track or map and compass for this trail. The footpath is not marked, can disappear due to overgrowth, and crosses multiple beaver dams. Cell service was nonexistent. Be aware that the trail intersects with portages, which may or may not show up on certain maps.
Special Gear: I recommend a bug net and treated clothing or other repellent. Ticks and an obnoxious number of mosquitoes will be present, especially in late spring and early summer.
In recent summers, the Superior National Forest has issued orders requiring bear-proof containers. These orders are posted to their website and Facebook page when required, so be sure to check before heading out.
Know Before You Go
Although it isn’t the most physically challenging, I don’t recommend this route for beginners. The trail is not marked and disappears at times. There may be fallen trees to navigate if there have been recent storms and cell service was nonexistent.
Permits are required from May 1 to September 30, so some advance planning is needed, though you don’t need to reserve campsites.
If hiking in the shoulder seasons, be sure to check the forecast; snow may be present well into May and lakes may start freezing over as early as October.
Bear-proof containers may be required if there has been increased black bear activity. Check the Superior National Forest website and Facebook page for updates.
Resources
Sioux-Hustler Trail Permits at recreation.gov
Friends of the Boundary Waters
A list of local outfitters
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Maps
Andrea Breitung lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is an avid year-round hiker, biker, and camper (yes, even in winter). She started backpacking in 2019 and more recently began dabbling in bikepacking. When she’s not outside, she’s reading, snuggling her dogs, and consuming unhealthy amounts of chocolate.
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]]>The post Snowbank Lake Trail appeared first on Backpacking Routes.
]]>The Snowbank Lake Trail is a 24-mile loop in northern Minnesota. The trail is mostly within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It features beaver dam crossings, stunning views of Snowbank Lake, and the potential for additional miles.
Region: Great Lakes / Midwest (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota)
Distance: 24 miles (2-3 days)
Physical Difficulty: Easy
- Rocky and rooty terrain
- Beaver dam crossings
- A few steep but short climbs and descents
Logistical Difficulty: Moderate
- Most of the route is unmarked
- Permit required
- Remote trailhead with possible shuttle options
Season: Late Spring, Late Summer, Early Fall
Total Elevation Gain: 2,000 feet
Hiking the Snowbank Lake Trail
The Snowbank Lake Trail in Minnesota is a great option for intermediate backpackers. The footpath circles Snowbank Lake and passes smaller lakes and ponds. Five miles in the south are shared with the Kekekabic Trail.
After completing the Superior Hiking Trail in sections, I was ready for more of a challenge. In September 2020, my friend and I backpacked this loop to celebrate her birthday. We didn’t find a guidebook and weren’t sure what we were getting into.
We hoped for solitude and we were not disappointed. While we heard occasional boat traffic, we passed only one or two other parties on foot each day. We had scenic campsites to ourselves and awoke to the eerie calls of loons each morning.
We followed the trail clockwise, starting with rocky terrain that humbled us. Recent rain made for slippery footing and each of us found ourselves on the ground at one point. As we continued, the trail rewarded us with panoramic views of Snowbank Lake and surrounding areas.
We definitely had to pay attention. Most of the trail was not marked and the footpath completely disappeared at times due to overgrowth. Cairns and cut logs were welcome sights confirming the correct path. There were also many beaver dam crossings (one almost claimed a shoe).
The southwestern part of the trail was less rocky but had a few fallen trees to navigate. The final miles along the Kekekabic Trail were well-maintained and mostly flat. For additional miles, there are loops to the west as well as a short loop in the south.
Resupply is not an option, as this trail is remote and only accessible by boat or foot. This is a shorter route, so resupply shouldn’t be needed.
Getting to the Snowbank Lake Trail
Nearest City: Ely, Minnesota (21 miles)
Trailhead: Kekekabic Trail West
The Snowbank Lake Trail is a loop. For a clockwise trip, head north from the trailhead. For a counterclockwise trip, head south across the road to begin on the Kekekabic Trail.
The Snowbank Lake / Kekekabic West trailhead (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness entry point 74) is about 21 miles east of Ely, Minnesota, on US Forest Service roads. You can park overnight at the trailhead and some outfitters in Ely may provide shuttles for a fee.
The nearest airports are Duluth and Minneapolis. Ely is about 115 miles north of Duluth and 250 miles north of Minneapolis. Car rentals are available at both airports; shuttle service between Duluth and Ely may also be an option from local outfitters.
Lodging and camping are available near Ely and Duluth. We drove from Minneapolis the day before our entry date and camped at Bear Head Lake State Park (17 miles west of Ely).
When to Hike the Snowbank Lake Trail
Late spring (May-June) and late summer into early fall (August through September) are the best times to hike this trail.
Spring hikers can expect mud, wet conditions, and some snow well into May. Depending on the year, thaw / refreeze cycles may cause difficult travel on gravel roads.
The trail can be hiked in early summer but mosquitoes may take the joy out of it. Ticks are usually the worst in May and June but may be found anytime the temperatures are above freezing.
Depending on the year, trips in late summer and early fall could be impacted by wildfires.
We began our hike in mid-September 2020. Daytime temperatures reached the mid-50s Fahrenheit and some overnight temperatures dipped just above freezing. Fall colors were starting and bugs were not an issue.
It may be possible to hike later than September, but check the forecast and plan accordingly. Depending on the year, early October may see measurable snow and lakes could already be freezing.
Backpacking this route in winter is not advised due to deep snow and extreme temperatures. Some Forest Service roads and trailheads are not accessible in winter.
Snowbank Lake Trail Terrain
The northern part of the trail is rocky and where you will encounter more strenuous climbs. The southern section is more forgiving and meanders through forested terrain. The trail crosses wetlands and over multiple beaver dams. There may be occasional fallen trees to navigate.
Snowbank Lake Trail Permits
Permits are required to enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).
Overnight trips beginning May 1 to September 30 require quota permits. Quota permits have a fee and are sold first-come, first-served. They go on sale the third Wednesday of January each year.
Before reserving a quota permit, you’ll need a recreation.gov account and know where you will pick up your permit. Here is a list of permit issue stations. I recommend a station in Ely, but be sure to confirm hours as some may be closed on weekends.
To reserve a quote permit, go to the BWCAW webpage and click the “Explore available permits” button in the “Available Permits” section.
Choose “Overnight Hike” in the filter dropdown, and the date you plan to start.
Scroll to the “Kekekabic Trail (west) /Snowbank (OH)” item. Choose your start date in the grid, click the “Book Now” button, and complete your reservation.
Overnight trips in the off-season (October 1 to April 30) require a free, self-issued permit. Complete the form at the trailhead kiosk, leave a copy in the dropbox, and carry the other copy with you.
Snowbank Lake Trail Logistics: Camping, Land Management, Navigation
Camping: Campsites are first-come, first-served and do not need to be shared with other parties. If a site is already occupied, backpackers may be willing to share. To minimize impact, a maximum of nine people can stay at campsites in the BWCAW. Campsite spurs are sometimes marked with a cairn and/or a wooden marker. When looking at maps of the Snowbank Lake loop, please note that some campsites may only be accessible by water. Follow LNT principles by trying to stay in established campsites, but if needed, dispersed / stealth camping is allowed for hikers (see page 7).
Land Management: Most of this trail passes through a wilderness area on US Forest Service land. There are no amenities at the trailhead. The trail is only accessible by foot or boat and chainsaws are not allowed in the BWCAW, so fallen trees may not be immediately removed after a storm. A short section in the south along the Kekekabic Trail passes through private property. Be sure to stay on trail through this section.
Route Finding: I recommend a GPS track or map and compass. Except for the shared portion with the Kekekabic Trail, the footpath is not marked, can disappear due to overgrowth, and crosses multiple beaver dams. Be aware that the trail intersects with portages (which may or may not show up on certain maps) as well as other loops to the east and in the south.
Adding Miles: There are connecting loops for additional mileage options. Loops to the east navigate around Disappointment Lake or continue up Disappointment Mountain. There is also a short loop to Becoosin and Benezie Lakes near where the Snowbank Lake Trail meets the Kekekabic in the southeast.
Special Gear
I recommend a bug net, treated clothing, or other repellent. Ticks and an obnoxious number of mosquitos will be present, especially in late spring and early summer.
In recent summers, the Superior National Forest has issued orders requiring bear-proof containers. These orders are posted to their website and Facebook page when they’re required, so keep tabs before you head out.
Know Before You Go
Though it isn’t the most physically challenging route, I don’t necessarily recommended this route for beginners. The trail is mostly unmarked and disappears at times. There may be fallen trees to navigate if there have been recent storms.
Since permits are required for trips from May 1 to September 30, it also requires advance planning, though you don’t need to reserve campsites.
If hiking in the shoulder seasons, be sure to check the forecast; snow may be present well into May and lakes may start freezing over as early as October.
Bear-proof containers may be required if there has been increased black bear activity. Check the Superior National Forest website and Facebook page for updates.
Snowbank Lake Trail Resources
Snowbank Lake Trail Permits at recreation.gov
Friends of the Boundary Waters
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Snowbank Lake Trail and Backcountry Sites
Maps
Andrea Breitung lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is an avid year-round hiker, biker, and camper (yes, even in winter). She started backpacking in 2019 and more recently began dabbling in bikepacking. When she’s not outside, she’s reading, snuggling her dogs, and consuming unhealthy amounts of chocolate.
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]]>The post Gila River Middle Fork-West Fork Loop appeared first on Backpacking Routes.
]]>The Gila River Loop (Middle Fork-West Fork) is a 45-mile loop through the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico that can be hiked in 3-5 days. It features frequent river crossings, soaring canyon views, and the potential for additional miles or side trips.
Region: Southwest (Gila Wilderness, New Mexico)
Distance: 44.5 miles (3-5 days)
Physical Difficulty: Easy
- Frequent river crossings
- One major climb and descent, otherwise mostly flat terrain
- Exposed conditions; canyons can get hot during the day and cold at night
Logistical Difficulty: Easy
- No permits required
- Loop trail
- Abundant water near the Middle and West Forks
Season: Late Spring, Early Fall
Elevation (Average): 5,600 to 7,400 feet
Total Elevation Gain: 3,500 feet
Hiking the Gila River Middle Fork-West Fork Loop
The Gila River Loop (Middle Fork-West Fork) is a perfect early- or late-season route for anyone looking for a hike full of beauty and low in difficulty. Minus one big climb and descent, the route is mostly flat. However, innumerable water crossings, poison ivy, possible very hot and very cool weather, and varied, beautiful terrain remove the possibility for boredom.
I was looking for the perfect trip to bring my new-to-backpacking cousin something with low levels of suffering and high rewards. Besides both nights being pretty cold in mid-May, this route fit the bill. We were initially planning three nights out, but despite my inordinate caution around poison ivy, the evident burning and rash on my calves sped us up so that I could get to a shower and out in just two nights.
The Middle Fork of the Gila River is an extremely popular alternate with Continental Divide Trail thru-hikers (who can be encountered in the wild if you’re lucky). This northern part of the loop passes a small hot spring early on and Jordan Hot Springs 7 miles in, while the southern part passes Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument at the West Fork Trailhead—all worthy side trips. Since the national monument has limited hours, it’s worth planning your trip or loop direction around a visit (we arrived right after closing and were super bummed).
Overall, this is the perfect trip to bring a newbie backpacker willing to get their feet wet or a pleasant easing in or out of the hiking season. Views abound, water crossings add a fun challenge, and the beauty of the wild Gila will have you planning your next trip back before you’re even done.
How to Get to the Gila River Middle Fork-West Fork Loop
Nearest Cities:
Gila Hot Springs, New Mexico (4 miles)
Silver City, New Mexico (44 miles, 1.5 hours)
Deming, New Mexico (95 miles, 2 hours)
To make this route a loop, there is an easy 2-mile road walk between the Middle Fork and West Fork trailheads. You can begin at either Middle Fork or West Fork Trailhead, and head your preferred direction, starting with trail or road. Shuttles with Gila Backcountry Services are also available if you fly into Grant County Airport 12 miles outside Silver City or need a ride from Silver City.
Coming from any direction, Silver City is your last chance for real groceries before the hike. Immediately prior to entering the wilderness, you will pass through the small town of Gila Hot Springs, where the only real amenity is Doc Campbell’s Post, a popular stop for CDT hikers to load up on homemade ice cream. The store does have some light resupply options, but hours are limited. To start at the West Fork Trailhead, continue past Doc Campbell’s and turn left at the continuation of state Highway 15, following signs for Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument. To start at the Middle Fork Trailhead, continue straight past the Gila Cliff Dwellings turn and the Gila Forest Service Visitor Center. The trailhead will be on your left.
When to Hike the Gila River Middle Fork-West Fork Loop
This route is best hiked in late spring, early summer, or early fall
Although this hike generally falls into the spring/fall category for backpacking, it is at a higher elevation than most low desert hikes and can therefore be a bit colder in spring. This especially applies to the portion of the loop where you switchback up the canyon to high desert ponderosa pines where temperatures drop considerably.
May/June and September/mid-October are ideal for warm daytime temps, cool nighttime lows, and avoiding summer crowding. This hike could be pushed further into the summer if you are prepared for daytime highs in the 90s. However, flooding is common in the Gila, so avoid late summer rains (July/August) when river crossings become dangerous and trails frequently wash out. Check here for the most recent trail conditions.
Gila River Loop Middle Fork-West Fork Terrain
While hiking along the Middle and West Forks of the Gila, the trail winds back and forth across the river, making for very frequent water crossings. Of the two forks, the Middle Fork contains the most water crossings, while the West Fork Trail is more direct and spends more time in the forest. In between getting your feet wet, the trail leads you through sand, brush, forest stands, rocky river beds, and lush vegetation (almost always including poison ivy).
Logistics: Direction, Land Management, Water
Loop Direction:
Counterclockwise: Head this direction to arrive at the hot springs on your first day, get the majority of the river crossings out of the way when your feet are fresh, and have a more cruisy hike out
Clockwise: This is the direction to go for fewer early-hike river crossings, and to soak your feet in hot springs near the end of your trip
Land Management: The majority of the loop is in Gila Wilderness, part of Gila National Forest, where camping is free and open. Be sure to follow LNT principles and use already established sites. The first few miles of the West Fork Trail heading north from the trailhead are in Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Camping isn’t permitted in the national monument, so be sure to give yourself enough time to get beyond the boundary, or you can choose to stay at either Upper or Lower Scorpion Campgrounds near the West Fork Trailhead.
Water: While walking along the Middle and West Forks, you will be crossing your water source every few minutes. When crossing from fork to fork, however, expect completely dry conditions and load up on water before you start the climb.
Prior Spring on top of the plateau between the forks is an unreliable water source and was dry for us. Check here for updates, especially if you are extending your trip to a different area in the wilderness.
Special Gear
Long Pants: I didn’t heed this warning and was punished for it. Even though I can ID poison ivy and did my best to avoid it, it still got on my legs. Trust me, it is everywhere. Wearing shorts isn’t worth the possibility of ruining your trip.
Neoprene Socks (optional): I didn’t feel a need for these, but if you are prone to very cold feet or don’t like being wet, they could be valuable for water crossings.
Know Before You Go
Side Trips:
Hot Springs: Half a mile in from the Middle Fork Trailhead is the small Lightfeather Hot Springs. If starting early in the day, it might be too early to stop, and isn’t quite as established of a soaking area. Jordan Hot Springs 7 miles in is a popular day hike destination and much more worthy of a soak. Look out for an easy to miss side trail to the north that takes you up a hill to the secluded hot spring. Expect crowds, especially if traveling on a weekend or holiday. Nearby campsites are limited. FYI: public nudity is not permited in the national forest. Also beware of the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria Fowleri present in these hot springs and do not submerge your head underwater.
Gila Cliff Dwellings: Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is a worthwhile side trip at the beginning or end of your loop. You will pass by the small museum at the trailhead and a 1-mile loop trail guiding you through ancient cliff dwellings. They are open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Doc Campbell’s Post: If you are able to stop by here during their limited business hours, the homemade ice cream is the perfect way to cool off after your trip.
Add or Remove Miles: If you have the time or desire to extend your trip in the Gila, there are a multitude of other trail offshoots or loop extensions. Shorter loops are possible as well. For more trip ideas, I found this book to be helpful. Just be sure to check here for updated trail conditions and water information if adding miles.
Carry Water When You’re Crossing Between Forks: There is no reliable water on the plateau between forks, so load up before the climb!
Signage isn’t Always Clear or Existent: Pay attention to your maps when you know you’re nearing a trail crossing.
Make Sure Trails are Passable Floods and fires frequently damage the trail. Find updated conditions.
Flora and Fauna: We encountered one rattlesnake in the middle of the trail that we had to give a wide berth. Less harmless wildlife included thousands of tadpoles ranging from minuscule to enormous. In May, wildflowers and poison ivy were abundant. Know how to properly identify poison ivy.
Additional Resources
Triple Crown Hostel: Hiker hostel in Silver City, New Mexico. Great place to stay before or after your hike.
Gila Backcountry Services: Shuttles
Backpacking in the Gila Wilderness: US Forest Service
Gila Trails Info: Gila Trail resources
Tess Mullaney is an Arizona native with roots in the high-desert mountains. She enjoys writing about nature and experiencing the life-changing effects that the outdoors can provide. Besides hiking, she is often gardening, reading, or spoiling her black fluffy cat Ezra. You can find her Instagram here, or read more on her blog.
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]]>The post Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore appeared first on Backpacking Routes.
]]>Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a popular 42.4-mile trail that follows the shoreline of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It offers picturesque views of the lake, a lighthouse, unique rock formations, and prominent cliffs along the shoreline.
Region: Great Lakes Midwest (Michigan’s Upper Peninsula)
Distance: 42.4 miles (2-4 days)
Physical Difficulty: Easy
- The terrain is mostly flat with the occasional steep climb up a staircase or sandy hill.
- No significant elevation gain.
- The trail is not marked but is clear and well-maintained.
Logistical Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
- Permits are required and must be acquired well in advance.
- Shuttle services are available for reservation.
- There is frequent water access along the trail.
Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Elevation: 604 to 902 feet
Total Elevation Change: (East to West) +3,227 feet, -3,356 feet
Hiking Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Pictured Rocks) traverses the southern shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula between the towns of Grand Marais and Munising. It offers dramatic views of the cliffs that line the lake, unique rock formations, and both pebble and sandy beaches. Like its longer sibling on Lake Superior (the Superior Hiking Trail), Pictured Rocks was a well-established and popular trail before it was joined to the rest of the North Country National Scenic Trail.
Pictured Rocks remains one of the most popular backpacking routes in Michigan and for good reason. It is well-maintained, relatively accessible, and offers views that are breathtaking and unique. The trail and beaches around the popular Chapel Rock are accessible as a day hike and are typically high-traffic areas, especially during peak tourist season. Because of the permit system, however, you can still find moments of solitude along the trail. Once you are away from the popular tourist sites you will likely only run into the occasional backpacker.
Covering only 42 miles over relatively easy terrain and with frequent water access, Pictured Rocks is a great trail for beginning backpackers, families, or those on a tight schedule. The beautiful beaches and breathtaking views make it a great choice for beginners and well-seasoned backpackers alike. If you are willing to deal with the crowds along some sections of this trail, you will surely see what makes it such a popular destination.
How to Get to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Nearest City: Marquette, Michigan (45 minutes)
Sawyer International Airport (outside Marquette, Michigan) is just a 45-minute drive from the trail, while larger regional airports in Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul are each about 7 hours away. Once you arrive at the trail, a shuttle is available to bring you to your starting point. The shuttle must be prepaid and booked at least 48 hours in advance. Note that it does not run if there are no reservations, so don’t plan to get on at the last minute! Free parking is available at either end of the trail. Make sure you talk to the park ranger and let them know your plans if you are leaving a vehicle unattended.
When to Hike Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
While winter camping is allowed, late spring to early fall is the most popular time to hike. Note that if you are there during the off-season many of the services and facilities in the area may not be operating. You can find more information about winter camping at Pictured Rocks here. Summer temperatures are typically mild, though it can be cooler than you might expect due to the proximity to Lake Superior.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Terrain
The trail is mostly flat and smooth, though there are a few short but steep climbs up staircases and sandy embankments. The ground can also be quite soft and sandy in places, which can slow your pace. There are a number of places along the route where the trail follows very closely with the cliffs’ edges. Note that sections of the cliffs erode and fall into the lake each year, so the shoreline is constantly changing. Take extra caution in these areas, as it can be dangerous if you are not careful.
Logistics: Camping Permits, Water, Resupply
Permits: Camping permits are required for all backcountry campgrounds. No dispersed camping is allowed. Permits are available through recreation.gov starting on January 1 each year. Cost is a $15 reservation fee plus $5 per person per night. Reservations tend to fill up quickly, so make sure you book well in advance, especially if you have a large group or if you want first pick of the camping locations. This backcountry camping planner has more detailed information on each of the campsites and also includes a chart that gives the mileage. Note that the chart includes both backcountry campgrounds and those available for campers/car camping.
Water: Water is available frequently along the trail. Lake Superior is accessible fairly regularly and is an excellent source of water. There are also a number of streams and a few places where potable water is available. While water is plentiful and of little concern on this trail, because of the cliffs, the water is not always accessible. You can check the backcountry planner to see which campsites have water available.
Resupply: There are no towns or stores accessible from the trail to serve as a resupply point. Most hikers will not find it necessary to resupply on this trail; however, there are 3 drive-in campgrounds along the trail, so slackpacking or a resupply point could be arranged.
Know Before You Go
Bears: Black bears are present and active in this area. Bear lockers are required and provided at each campground. Make sure you use them! Report any bear/human interactions to park staff at (906) 387-3700.
Bugs: High bug pressure is a possibility May through September. This includes black flies, mosquitos, ticks, and biting stable flies. Insect repellent is not effective on stable flies, so consider pants and long sleeves to provide protection if needed.
Trail Markings: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a part of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT); however, it is NOT marked with the blue blazes typical of the NCT. In fact, there are no markings along this trail. It is typically clear and easy to follow but make sure you have a good map. There are a few side trails to lakes, parking lots, etc., that are easy to take by mistake.
Hunting Season: Hunting is allowed in this area after Labor Day Weekend until March 31 each year. Bring some blaze orange if you plan on hiking within this time frame.
No Pets: Pets are not allowed in the park.
Safety Along the Cliffs: 15 miles of the trail run along 50-200 foot cliffs. The views are gorgeous but they can be dangerous. Unsupported overhangs of soft sandstone are common and sections of rock tumble into the lake each year (usually in the early spring after it thaws). Use caution when hiking along the cliffs’ edges.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Resources
Contact info for Munising Falls Visitor Center:
[email protected]
(906) 387-3700
Shuttle – Alger County Transit (ALTRAN)
(906) 387-4845
Jon Hallenbeck Ask (he/him) and his wife, Christy, hiked the Camino de Santiago in 2016 and have been captivated by hiking and the trail community ever since. Jon is now a stay-at-home parent and spends a lot of time with their daughter at local parks. He gets out on longer adventures whenever he can talk his in-laws into volunteering childcare. You can read stories from the Camino and other more recent adventures on his Instagram.
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]]>The post Lone Star Hiking Trail appeared first on Backpacking Routes.
]]>The Lone Star Hiking Trail is a 96-mile point-to-point hiking trail located in East Texas just north of Houston. It is marked with white blazes and can be hiked in 4-10 days.
Region: Southwest (Sam Houston National Forest, Texas)
Distance: 96.4 miles, 4-10 days
Physical Difficulty: Easy
- Flat and well-maintained the vast majority of the trail
- Some muddy sections but limited overall
- Some scrambled-up V-shaped dips across dry streambeds along the trail
Logistical Difficulty: Moderate
- Camping in designated campsites only during hunting season
- Water is scarce and low-quality in times of drought
- Proper preparation means relatively easy resupply / access to water caches at easily accessible trailheads
Season: Late Fall, Winter, Early Spring
Average Elevation: ~250 feet
Total Elevation Gain: ~1,000 feet
| Miles/Day | Days to Complete |
| 24.1 | 4 |
| 19.8 | 5 |
| 16.1 | 6 |
| 13.8 | 7 |
| 12.1 | 8 |
| 10.7 | 9 |
| 9.6 | 10 |
Hiking the Lone Star Hiking Trail
Hiking has always been a meditative experience for me, and I knew the routine of figuring out water for the day, what snacks I wanted to eat, setting up camp, rinsing and repeating would help me process events I had recently gone through. I drove 4.5 hours from my home in Austin, Texas, to Sam Houston National Forest, passing through the cities of Katy and Houston along the way (ironic because my name is Katie Houston).
This really is the perfect thru-hike for beginners, people who know they like hiking but don’t know if they love long-distance hiking, someone preparing for a longer thru-hike, doing a gear shakedown, or just looking to have a fun week on trail and crush some miles in the process. I was able to giggle as I passed the sign announcing the “LSHT High Point” of just over 400 feet. Though there were a few times I had to scramble down and back up V-shaped ditches carved by streams, the trail was technically the easiest hiking I’ve ever done.
I’ll cover the logistics later, but there is definitely a special place in my heart for a trail of this length because I felt accomplished at the end but also carried all my food for the trip and didn’t have to manage any complex hitches or resupplies. I also wasn’t in a town every day, didn’t have any excessively long road walks, and felt remote enough to get the mental benefits of being alone in nature.
You can hike the trail east or westbound, it doesn’t make much of a difference either way. I chose eastbound because it was easier for me to drop off my car at the eastern terminus than the western … and that’s about it! I met a couple of thru-hikers along the way; about half were hiking westbound and half were headed east. The first few segments I hiked had recently been through a prescribed burn and the feeling of hiking through a smoke-filled (yet safe) forest was incredible. From there, the terrain jumped from swampy, jungle-like forests to sparse, tall pine trees reaching toward the sky and creating a dense canopy that left me protected from the sun. There were large lakes, meandering streams I followed for miles, and dense vegetation that was well-maintained away from the trail but allowed for about 1,000 spiders to have a rude awakening when I bumbled my way through their intricate webs strewn across the path.
How to Get to the Lone Star Hiking Trail
Nearest City: Conroe, Texas (Approximately 20 miles, centrally located)
Western Terminus: LSHT Trailhead 1
Eastern Terminus: LSHT Trailhead 15
Conveniently for hikers, the trailheads for the LSHT are named just that: Lone Star Hiking Trail – Trailhead #(1-15). Wouldn’t it be nice if all trail logistics were this simple? They all technically have specific names, but Google Maps recognizes them as LSHT Trailheads.
I dropped off my car at the eastern terminus and took a 40-minute shuttle to the western one. There are plenty of shuttles and local cab companies to choose from, and this is a pretty painless part of the journey. All of the thru-hikers who I encountered took a similar approach to mine: car at one end, shuttle to begin. Traveling eastbound or westbound doesn’t really make much of a difference. If you do choose to leave your car, pack yourself a grab bag of all your favorite energy drinks, a liter or two of fresh water, and a change of clothes (including comfy shoes!). The next people you interact with and your future self will thank you!
If you do fly in, there are limited options. A one-way car rental will probably be your best bet or the Greyhound bus service runs from Houston to Conroe and you could get a shuttle from Conroe to either terminus of the trail if you wanted to.
When to Hike The Lone Star Hiking Trail
The most months to hike the Lone Star Hiking Trail are January through April. The late spring/summer months in Texas can be brutal, with temperatures routinely reaching over 90 degrees. Biting bugs can also make for an uncomfortable trip this time of year. The only reason I don’t recommend October-December is because deer-hunting spans the entirety of these months and that presents challenges I will discuss later on. This trail isn’t very popular as a thru-hike, so I wouldn’t worry about a bubble of hikers to compete with for good campsites on this trail. I hiked the weekend of spring break and only spent one night camping with another person and saw maybe three or four other thru-hikers along my journey.
The Lone Star Hiking Trail Terrain
As a born and raised East-Coaster, I had some stereotypes in my head about what kind of hiking trails I would encounter in Texas. In my head, I was surrounded by tall, wispy grasses, flat and never-ending plains filled with herds of cows, and a distinct lack of forest and tall trees. I could not have been more wrong. The trail was flat, yes, but offers a look at some incredibly diverse forests in just under 100 miles. From skinny, tall pine trees that reach toward the sky to swampy, jungle-like heat traps, every segment was like entering a completely new ecosystem with its own distinct foliage. It was almost jarring at times. But it kept my head on a swivel to appreciate the beauty of the trail. All in all, this trail is flat, there is plenty of tree cover for shade, and the insects were are unmanageably bad.
The Lone Star Hiking Trail Resupply Strategy
As mentioned, there are 15 trailheads along the LSHT. A few hikers I met had organized with shuttle drivers or partners to resupply them at one of these easily accessible stops. Others just cached water with their name on it in the bushes at a few choice trailheads before they set off, just to ensure it wouldn’t be a concern no matter the conditions.
There are 2 seasonal camp stores that are located walking distance from (but not directly on) the trail. The first is Huntsville State Park, located 1 mile from eastbound mile-marker 35.6. The second is Double Lake Recreation Area, located at eastbound mile-marker 75. There is also a large gas station/convenience store at eastbound mile-marker 90.9 located 1 mile south of LSHT Trailhead #14 parking lot.
Hikers can mail themselves a resupply package to be picked up at the Huntsville post office, but that includes either coordinating a shuttle, trekking an extra 6 miles north of LSHT Trailhead #7 parking lot (eastbound mile-marker 35), or hitching a ride.
Otherwise, your easiest option (and what I chose to do for my thru-hike) would be to carry everything with you from the beginning. I was planning on hiking the trail in four or five days so I packed five days just to be safe. Carrying the extra weight was worth the easier logistics and I’d choose this method again in a heartbeat.
Logistics: Hunting, Camping, Water, and Special Gear
Hunting and Camping: Though no special permits are needed to hike the Lone Star Hiking Trail, if you hit the trail during deer-hunting season, be prepared to camp only in designated hunting campsites and nowhere else. Generally, the deer-hunting season begins in late September and runs through early January. Hikers should wear brightly colored clothes (fluorescent orange preferred), keep dogs under control and leashed, and camp in the sites designated by USFS during deer season. There’s no shortage of designated sites along the trail and they are all clearly marked in the online and paper guides mentioned in the reference section below. There is also one 2-mile section of trail that passes through the Big Creek Scenic Area (eastbound mile-marker 78.6 – 80.6), where camping is not allowed.
Water: Water scarcity and quality can definitely be an issue on this trail. Thankfully I happened to head out immediately after a long rainstorm hung out over the region, so I didn’t have much issue finding frequent sources. What I did have a problem with was my own comfortability with these sources. While I saw other hikers gently pushing away yellow-films of pollen to collect brown, stagnant pond water, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it and held out for once-a-day fill-ups at flowing sources. Sometimes those still didn’t smell great or were definitely not clear, but no bugs flying around the surface and a flowing source was about as good as it got on this trail. I consumed about 3 liters per day between cooking and drinking and never ran out between sources. The most I carried at one time was 4 liters but I was just starting out and feeling nervous about the conditions on trail.
Both the print guide and online PDF guide (links in reference section) that I used on trail assessed sources based on a D.R.O.P.S. system from 1-5 and included notes about whether it was a seasonal source, if you shouldn’t drink from it because of unseen agricultural runoff, or any other concerns. I found these evaluations to be pretty accurate and though water in general is a concern on this trail, while I was on the thru-hike I never actually had any of those fears manifest in any way for me.
Special Gear: There are definitely biting bugs in Texas no matter the time of year. I didn’t encounter many in March, but that’s likely because I used permethrin on every piece of clothing I took with me and on my tent. I definitely recommend using bug spray and bringing sunscreen for road walks that have lots of exposure to the big ol’ Texas sun.
Know Before You Go
Hunting Season: Deer hunting season runs from late September to early January, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only time of year Texans head out into the woods to hunt. Squirrel hunting is in March, turkey hunting is typically in April, and hog hunting is year-round during daylight hours. Check Texas Parks and Wildlife for specific dates on hunting season and make sure if you’re embarking on your journey during one of those months to wear fluorescent orange, keep dogs close and under control with a leash.
Falling Tree Branches: Large branches that are trapped in the canopy present a clear and present danger to campers on the Lone Star Hiking Trail. Be sure to always check your surroundings before pitching your tent for the night and do so with the expectation that a strong wind storm will blow through (because in the Texas backcountry, it just might).
Controlled Burns: As I mentioned, I got lucky with my planning and didn’t get stopped in my tracks to wait for a prescribed burn to take place before I could pass through, but I got pretty darn close. I loved the eerie feeling of trekking through forests that had been burned just a day before I was there, but it might not be for everybody. The smoke was dense in some sections (never more than a mile or two at a time) and thankfully I had my N-95 mask to put on. But if hiking in smoke isn’t your thing or you have a preexisting condition that would make a thru-hike that much harder for you, I’d give the forest a little while to cool off (literally). You can check the schedule of prescribed burns by contacting Sam Houston National Forest.
Road Walks: If you’ve been bit by the thru-hiking bug, it’s inevitable that you’ve done your fair share of road walks and the Lone Start Hiking Trail is no exception. There are a couple of sections of road walks ranging from 0.3 miles to just over 5 miles at a time, but total mileage on the road doesn’t account for more than 15 miles total at most (including gravel forest road sections).
Unleashed Dogs: My biggest fear on trail was related to my online guide that included the blurb WATCH FOR DOGS in bold red letters next to one or two of the road walks. I had three instances on the Lone Star Hiking Trail when unleashed dogs would see me walking on the road past their house, fly through their open gate barking hysterically, and then remain close to me barking until I made it farther down the road. (They never hurt me but they certainly weren’t happy to see me and definitely terrified me and other hikers I talked to.) I don’t have a great answer on how to deal with this except that I carried a sound grenade and pepper spray as a last resort. I also got some big sticks to carry when I was warned about dogs so I could at least keep them at a distance. After my hike, I went on the LSHT Facebook Group, and dogs scaring hikers was an unfortunately common theme.
Lone Star Hiking Trail Resources
- The Lone Star Hiking Trail Facebook Group is a great place to get answers to questions you may still have about your trip and up-to-date information about conditions on trail (and you may find a trail angel or two poking around as well).
- Charlotte Tomkavitz lives a 30-minute drive to any trailhead on the LSHT and offers shuttles to hikers. I used her services for the bridge reroute (discussed below) and to shuttle me from the eastern terminus where I left my car to the western terminus.
- Texas native and experienced long-distance hiker Karen Borski’s The Lone Star Hiking Trail: The Official Guide to the Longest Wilderness Footpath in Texas 2nd edition is a printed guidebook with everything you need to know about logistics, mileage charts, section maps, designated campsites, and more. However, it does not include the bridge reroute discussed below. Otherwise, this is a wonderful resource that I used to prepare for my trip before I set off.
- Presented by Don Brewington and The Lone Star Hiking Club, The Thru-Hiker’s Guide is what I used as a resource while I was actively hiking the trail. I took screenshots of the free guide online and made sure I had enough battery to refer to it when I needed to. That way, I didn’t have to worry about service or the weight of a book on my back.
- There is currently a bridge over the East Fork of the San Jacinto River that is out. There is a reroute and all information is available here through The Lone Star Hiking Trail Club.
- Want to get to know the trail before you embark on your thru-hike? The Lone Star Hiking Trail Club invites you to join them on their group or trail-maintenance hikes on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month.
Katie “Oats” Houston (she/her) got bit by the thru-hiking bug in 2019 when she completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. But the trail gave her more than just 2,200 miles under her boots… it also gave her a family. She rescued her husky (appropriately named Thru) on trail in Virginia and met her partner two-thirds of the way through their journeys. They upgraded from tent to camper to school bus and now finally have settled on a ranch outside Austin, Texas. She has since hiked the Colorado Trail (2020) and Lone Star Hiking Trail (2021) and has a goal of hitting 10,000 miles by the time she turns 25.
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]]>The post Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon appeared first on Backpacking Routes.
]]>Region: Pacific West (Death Valley National Park, California)
Length: 16-20 miles (2 days)
Physical Difficulty: Easy
- Route gains ~250 feet per mile heading into the canyon
- Tread isn’t marked trail, but footing isn’t hard
- Short hike; water carries aren’t excessive even if spring is dry
Logistical Difficulty: Moderate
- Walk-up permit easily available for overnight camping
- Parking on the side of the road is simple
- Route-finding needed, no trail across wash into canyon
Season: Winter
Elevation (Average): ~1,000 feet
Total Elevation Gain: ~2,900 feet
Hiking Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon
This is the second route from our recent trip to Death Valley. The Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop can be found here.
The Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon hike is, for the most part, a mellow backpacking overnight. Most people will be fine leaving later in the morning and having plenty of time at camp, then enjoying just a few hours on the way out the next morning. The biggest thing with this route is figuring out where to go. The foothills of the Funeral Mountains all look very similar, and it’s easy to wind up between two massive volcanic ash features and get funneled into the wrong canyon. Stay on top of the GPS track, and you should be fine.
Keep in mind that the GPS track doesn’t have to be followed to the most minute degree: use your eyes and your brain to navigate the best direct path, but use the track as a guideline for getting to the right canyon.
The hike begins by leaving your car by the side of the road and walking out into the desert wash. It feels like the start of a post-apocalyptic movie, but you’ll be fine. There is no trail, so we just veered in the direction of the canyon entrance, picking our way over rocks and walking through the smoothest sections of the wash. Four miles later, we were at the foothills of the Funeral Mountains, and Jeff used the GPS track to guide us around the last corner and into the canyon. There are a few spots where you’ll have to circle around a dry waterfall, but overall, it’s a very straightforward hike from here on out.
About 3.5 miles later we reached a massive cairn, and from here, it was less than a mile to the spring. The section through the canyon is lovely. Some parts seem more like a trail, but mostly this is desert walking: choose the path of least resistance. Once we reached the spring we filled up on water, then set up camp on a nice ledge a bit farther on. You can continue past this point and gain more elevation toward the pass, but the out-and-back to the spring is a wonderful winter trip.
Getting to Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon
Closest Major City: Las Vegas, Nevada (151 miles)
This “trailhead” is super easy to access: you’ll just park your car on the side of US 190 at mile marker 104, a few miles from Furnace Creek Ranch. Be sure to grab an overnight permit from the Furnace Creek Visitor Center and leave it on your dashboard.
Note that our GPX track might put your vehicle parking space at the wrong mile marker up the road, so just make sure you park at Mile 104 and aim towards the GPX track and mouth of the canyon from there.
You can get to Death Valley in just two hours from Las Vegas by heading south to Pahrump, Nevada. I recommend grabbing food and gas in Pahrump, then driving 190 into the park via Death Valley Junction.
When to Hike Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon
This is a perfect winter overnight, and can also be hiked in early spring and later fall, if you don’t mind hotter temperatures. We hiked this route in the middle of February, and it was glorious. Temperatures were in the mid 60s during the day, and mid-30s overnight, at around 2,000 feet of elevation. Weather is cooler in the canyon once the sun drops out of sight, so be prepared with a warmer sleeping bag than you think you might need, and a few extra layers.
Logistics: Permits / Camping, Navigation, Water
Much like our other Death Valley route, the face-value logistics are simple: it’s an out-and-back; you literally park your car on the side of the road and walk away from it. But desert hiking takes extra planning and navigation, so come prepared.
Permits / Camping: Permits are free and available as walk-ups at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center. If you have a National Parks Annual Pass that will take care of the park fee. If not, you’ll need to pay the $30. Death Valley is odd because you don’t pay an entrance fee at the park, since US 190 is a route through this region, but for usage like this, you’ll need to pay. You don’t need to reserve anything for overnights in advance, and camping is allowed anywhere along the route, just be sure to follow all LNT guidelines.
Navigation: If anything will mess you up on this route, it’s finding the right canyon entrance. Once you start across the wash, aim yourself at the mouth of the canyon on your map or GPS tracker, and just stay vigilant. Once you enter the canyon it’s easy, but before then, the wash can be more confusing than you think. Luckily, if you get confused, you can just turn around and see your car and orient yourself from there. Getting out is easy—you’ll be able to see the salt flat from 5 miles back, and the road appears in eyesight faster than you think it will.
Water: The spring at the back of the canyon should be reliable, but as always, plan like it won’t be. With the navigational uncertainty of the route, you don’t want to run out of water if you end up hiking longer than you anticipate. We had cooler weather and carried 3 liters each, preparing to not have any at the back of the canyon.
Know Before You Go
Cell Service: There is barely any. Jeff had better luck with Verizon than I did with ATT, and there’s no wireless unless you’re staying at one of the locations. Download the GPX file before you enter the park, and make sure it’s available offline. I also recommend taking a screenshot of the hike description, and planning whatever you need in advance.
Food and Gas: You can get food and gas in the park, but it’s expensive and options are limited. Pahrump and Beatty both have food and fuel. Coming from Vegas means you hit Pahrump right in the middle of the drive. The town has an Albertsons and Walmart.
Temperature Fluctuations: While it might be 60 degrees or warmer when you start, desert nights are cold, and desert nights in the canyon are colder. Bring warmer camp clothes and a sleeping bag than you think you might need. Sun protection in the form of sunscreen, a hat, or a sun shirt is recommended for crossing the wash. I carried a 20-degree sleeping bag and a puffy and my feet got pretty cold at night.
Pack It Out: Just going to remind you all to pack out your poop.
Campfires: Fires were not permitted in the backcountry during our trip. This was noted at the visitors center and the ranger station.
Flash Floods: Flash floods can happen at any time of year, but visitors and hikers in fall and spring should use extra caution and keep tabs on the weather, especially in the canyons.
Resources
Death Valley backcountry permit
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]]>The post Florida Trail appeared first on Backpacking Routes.
]]>The Florida Trail, complete with an Eastern Corridor and a Western Corridor, is a point-to-point backpacking route spanning about 1,500 miles. Exclusive to the state of Florida, its dirt and paved paths can be hiked in 60-90 days.
Region: Southeast (Florida State Parks and National Park Service) Length: Approximately 1,500 miles (60-90 days)
Physical Difficulty: Easy
- Trail can be rocky and muddy
- Most sections are flat and uncomplicated
- Few PUDs
Logistical Difficulty: Easy
- Fees for segments crossing US national parks; hikers should consider buying annual/military passes.
- Northern Terminus (Pensacola) is simple to access
- Many road crossings and easy resupply opportunities
| Miles / Day (average) | Days to complete (rounded up) |
| 10 | 150 |
| 15 | 100 |
| 18 | 83 |
| 22 | 68 |
| 25 | 60 |
| 30 | 50 |
While hiking the route is free of charge, but you will need a permit to cross in a few segments, such as at Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Check the permits section of the Florida Trail website for more information.
Hiking the Florida Trail
There are only seven shelters on the trail, so bring your own tent. Each Corridor by itself is approximately 248 miles long. Thru-hikes on the Eastern Corridor, including road sections, total 1,287.9 miles. Thru-hikes on the Western Corridor, inclusive of road sections, total 1,286.63 miles.
Approximately one-third of the Florida Trail is under trees, winding through national forests and verdant state parks for hundreds of miles. The Panhandle is somewhat more challenging than Peninsular terrain.
Most of the trail has minimal human-made direction by intention. The system is conservative with the quantity of both signage and blazes, but there is enough to adequately point you in the right direction. You cross major streets and highways several times—useful for resupply—and you’ll appreciate Florida’s knack for balancing conservation and convenience. The system has the helpful Friends of the Florida Trail (FoFT) that works hard to care for the route and offer resources.
Our initial week (about 150 miles) had a Gulf States or “Floribama” feel. Thin layers of felled pine needles and Spanish moss obscured some portions of the course, so we were cautious at those times since this made the walk a little slippery. This was slightly awkward but not unpleasant, as traces of sand offered some traction. The trail is incredibly well-marked for the most part, with plenty of warnings for off-limits detours such as near military bases.
After the first few days (heading east), the trail is a lot easier to follow and the terrain is milder. The climbs and descents are always less than 300 feet. Because of the lack of elevation gain, switchbacks are rare.
We hit a few bushy sections around Seminole County. This was rough, since it wasn’t just overgrown, but dense with thorns and briars. But for the most part, the trail is tidy. Some sections are framed with thick ferns and Spanish moss, while others have towering oak and pine trees.
As you cross south into Orange County, the ranchlands and sky seem to expand and offer a glimpse into Florida’s pioneer history and culture. In addition to native wildlife, the quirky feral fauna, such as peacocks, make appearances throughout. The area is dramatic and vast—those who view Central Florida as a theme-park destination are treated to its agrarian and rural sides.
The final 24.6 miles in Big Cypress South stretch through a great swamp of dwarf pond cypress and traverse pine islands. This section is Florida at its “boggiest,” but there is no elevation gain. It’s worth the slogging for the bragging rights.
The route is known as “the best trail in America you’ve never heard of.” While 350,000 people enjoy piecemeal sections of the trail each year, estimates suggest that this path draws fewer than 1,000 thru-hikers annually. We encountered dozens of section hikers and a couple of hunters each day. Everyone we met was incredibly kind and friendly. This is a perfect trail for a first thru-hike or route to the Florida Keys. It’s blazed, it’s on FarOut, and it is amazingly well-maintained and enjoyable in short portions as day trips to accompany typical Florida theme-park vacations or convention-related travel. Those who wish to commit to 60 to 90 days of backpacking will also appreciate this route.
How to Get to the Florida Trail
Northern Terminus: Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands National Seashore
Closest City: Pensacola, Florida (10 minutes)
Southern Terminus: Oasis Visitor Center, Big Cypress National Preserve
Closest City: Ochopee, Florida (15 minutes)
We hiked this trail headed east from Pensacola since that’s the more challenging side to access and we had attended a Blue Angels practice at the Navy base. There is limited public transportation at either end. The popular options are a taxi, car shuttle, a ride from a friend, or arranging a private shuttle. If you hike to the southbound terminus, getting to Miami International Airport when you finish is an easy two-hour shuttle from Big Cypress National Preserve. You can post in message boards when you’re a few days from finishing and ask if any Everglades City locals happen to be headed into Miami. Floridians, who embrace tourism’s economic and cultural benefit to their state, are an especially hospitable lot. There is an active Facebook group where people post car swaps and rides.
Florida Trail Northern (Western Panhandle) Terminus
Although there are cabs available at the airport, some hikers find it more enjoyable and less expensive to arrange a ride in advance or plan it with someone else in the Facebook groups. From Pensacola International Airport (PNS), head to I-10. It’s a 25-minute drive to Gulf Islands National Seashore when both local bay bridges are open. In 2021, there is construction on one of the two three-mile bridges due to its collapse from Hurricane Sally in 2020. Plan for a 45-minute drive during reconstruction. Take Exit 22 (Garcon). For more information regarding the bridge closure, consult the Florida Department of Transportation website.
Your Sunshine State walkabout starts at Fort Pickens, approximately 14 miles past the park entrance. The trailhead is between the historic fort and ferry pier. Some thru-hikers camp for a few days in this scenic area before departing. Call the park in advance for information at 850-934-2600.
This is a superb place to spend a few days. The beaches in the Panhandle are regarded by many Floridians as their state’s finest. The atypical sand evolved from quartz remnants of the Appalachian Mountains. Eventually, those eroded crystals were naturally ground into powdery, microscopic spheres. The translucent, pastel water is usually calm and temperate. Wear sunscreen on the beach, as the paleness of the terrain, while lovely, is a powerful solar reflector.
The park rangers are especially proud of Pensacola and happy to give recommendations to campers who wish to head into town for dinner. Eddie, a lively National Park Service ranger who works weekdays at the gate, directs hikers to the fresh seafood restaurants if they wish to avoid “brownfish,” his nickname for deep-fried fare.
Save for those camping there, cars cannot be parked overnight in Fort Pickens. Anecdotally, some thru-hikers have left their cars outside the park along Pensacola Beach and in Escambia County, but it’s best to ask the municipality for the go-ahead if this is your plan. For more information, contact Santa Rosa Island Authority, 850-932-2257.
Shuttles
- PNS Lucky Cab on the west side (Pensacola). 850-607-6500
- Ztrip Cab on the west side (Pensacola). 850-433-3333
*It’s not guaranteed any shuttle will drive you from the Pensacola airport to the trailhead without prior arrangements.
Florida Trail Southern Terminus
From Miami International Airport (MIA), it’s about 20 minutes to Florida State Park. Miami-Dade County has Uber and Lyft, which are the most obvious solutions. You can also post in the Facebook group and try to share a ride with someone.
Again, while there is public transport at either end, it’s wise to plan in advance.
When to Hike the Florida Trail / Which Direction
For a winter / spring-season path, the Florida Trail is ideal. Think of it as a “snowbirder” journey compared to a “regular season” thru-hike. It never reaches higher than 272 feet, and while you might encounter cool days and nights, it’s generally pleasant throughout the winter and spring.
Late-September through mid-May is enjoyable, with many hikers embarking in January and February. We hiked it in March and April, averaging about 25 miles per day. Depending on how temperate the weather was, we hiked up to four hours after sunset. On some days we enjoyed a slower pace in order to enjoy wildlife sightings. Alligators are occasionally visible in the swamplands adjacent to the trail, particularly in Seminole County. The Florida Birding Trail, which is a speckled group of sites rather than a consistent pathway, overlaps with the Florida Trail in several locations. Bring binoculars to view the plethora of interesting avian populations.
It’s pleasant to travel this course in either direction. Hiking east across the Florida Peninsula gets the hilliest terrain out of the way first. This direction is favored by some car travelers who first take an eastbound scenic drive through the scenic Gulf states, arriving at Pensacola and the Northern Terminus.
If you are nervous about your fitness level and want to start on flatter terrain, commence on the southern end. Many treks beginning in January and February start at that side due to its warmer climate at that time of year. Those hikers reach the Panhandle in March or April when its daytime temperatures have risen to the mid-70s and 80s.
Florida Trail Terrain
The Florida Trail is a low-elevation, partially wooded route. You’ll traverse low hills for part of the hike, with much of the rising and descending in the Panhandle portions of the trail. Some sections cross through or near wetlands, but overall, you can make really good time on smooth, dry terrain. The Peninsula is almost entirely flat.
Florida Trail Resupply
Be prepared for Apalachicola National Forest’s 83-mile stretch with no resupply options. Otherwise, you generally have hundreds of options for resupply along the Florida Trail. The footpath frequently crosses forest service roads and suburban areas, and some hikers choose to cache a few days’ worth of food in deer-proof containers at these crossings. If you go this route, you’ll need to have a decent guesstimate of your hiking pace, and you’ll also have to drive the entire route twice: once to drop off the food, and once to pick up the containers. While the route generally affords superb views and weather in the winter and spring, a 2,600 round-trip is cost-prohibitive to many travelers.
The best way to do this is to pack lightly, and resupply as needed at vendors in state parks and at crossings though towns. We resupplied a few times on the trail, and also used mail drops. Restocking was quite easy. We simply walked into nearby or intersecting townships, and even received a few invitations to dinner from sociable locals.
You can also send supplies to yourself by general delivery to nearly 95 percent of Florida post offices along the route. This is my favorite option. Call 800-ASK-USPS to ask if your intended post offices participate in the program.
Resupply 1, Perry, Florida
Perry is located south of the Econfina River section. This settlement is within walking distance of the trail at the crossroads of US 98, US 27, and US 221. Perry is home to two huge timber mills and Forest Capital Museum State Park, which features a pioneer homestead. There are several stores for resupply, such as Walmart Supercenter, Dollar Tree, and Winn-Dixie. This is a town where the locals sit on their front porches and enjoy meeting hikers.
Resupply 2, Oviedo, Florida
Oviedo is in the Lake Jesup section, which winds through thick woods and along rural roads next to the Econlockhatchee River. Watch out for black bears along this section of the path. (Yes, there are bears in Florida.) There are several restaurants and small stores right off the trail on Railroad Street, which is also the location of the post office. We got a ride to an organic food store on Alafaya Trail named Sprouts. There are numerous chain stores for resupply, such as Publix and the Walmart Supercenter.
Resupply 3, Clewiston, Florida
Located on the Florida Trail on a paved arc beside the curved edge of Lake Okeechobee at the Herbert Hoover Dike, Clewiston borders US 27. Best known for its sugarcane farm tours, I also enjoy stopping here for the nearly historic Clewiston Inn. This topographically eclectic area yields marshes, grassy patches, and tall palms. There are several large grocers for resupply, such as Winn-Dixie, Publix and the Walmart Supercenter.
Logistics: Camping, Water, Hunting Season
Camping: Camping is free and common along the Florida Trail, but there are only seven shelters. There are numerous campsites with fire rings, and even if you don’t see a listed area on Gaia or FarOut, there will be a nice flat spot nearby, guaranteed.
Permits: While there is no charge for primitive camping along the trail on state-owned land, you will need a permit in a few spots, such as at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park. Check the permits section of the Florida Trail website for more information. https://www.floridatrail.org/florida-national-scenic-trail/fnst/permits/
Water: Water can be a concern on the Florida Trail, as chemical runoff from cattle and sugarcane farms have contaminated watersheds. It’s not a good idea to try to replenish from any murky streams or ponds unless you’re fond of potential encounters with large reptiles.
Keep track of park service water fountains and freshwater springs on your app or map. Visitors enjoy drinking from North Florida’s large artesian springs, which pump cool, clear water from the aquifer into the Ocala National Forest. We each carried two collapsible two-liter bottles, and never ran out. Regardless of appearance, all water should be treated before drinking. There were two potential 20-mile waterless stretches.
Local trail crew and trail angels will sometimes cache water at crossings and in the seven shelters, but entirely relying on other people’s caches is never wise. If you use the last of a gallon jug at a cache, pay it forward and strap the empty bottle to your pack and pack it out.
Hunting Season: Winter and spring are the best time to hike the FT because most of the popular hunting seasons have concluded. Some game, however, are hunted year-round. Among them are feral hogs, nutria, and rabbits. Due to its state regulations, Florida is not considered a huge hunting destination in comparison to its neighboring states of Georgia and South Carolina. Regardless, you should wear at least one piece of blaze orange during an FT thru-hike. Fortunately, orange clothes are in abundance at Florida merchants. Blue and orange are the official colors of the University of Florida Gators, and are also popular in the state because they symbolize the citrus economy as well as a sunset at the ocean.
Most Florida hunters are skilled and considerate, but I provide them with the courtesy of visual notification. I tend to wear a blaze orange baseball cap or safety vest. On cool days, I add a pair of neon yellow gloves to my outdoor ensemble.
Know Before You Go
Weather: A winter/spring thru-hike means being prepared for everything from 80 degrees and sunny to scattered days of wind and rain. Good rain gear is a necessity. Your visibility is generally high, which can be especially enjoyable when spotting a bald eagle or peregrine falcon.
Shorter Daylight: If you trek in the winter, you have fewer daylight hours to hike. Plan accordingly—if you don’t like night hiking, you may possibly hike fewer hours and your trek will last longer. If you’re night hiking, be equipped with a good headlamp (at least 300 lumens) and spare batteries, or a recharging pack. There are hundreds of independent and big-chain outdoor recreation stores throughout Florida, so you can buy a second headlamp if necessary.
Shelter and Trail Courtesy: Much of the Florida Trail has the unusual distinction of a tranquil, verdant path that’s geographically close to suburban conveniences yet burdened with exceptionally low crowding. With Florida welcoming roughly 1,000 new residents weekly, however, the foot traffic may soon rise. Be respectful of the shelters, campsites, and resources. Don’t leave snacks as trail magic in the shelters as it attracts snakes and raccoons. Take the time to appreciate the incredible pride and care that the FoFT and other organizations such as the Boy Scouts put into this corridor.
Florida Trail Resources
Florida Trail Association
Friends of the Florida Trail
Friends of the Florida Trail Facebook
Visit Florida Facebook
Sarah Wyatt is an award-winning ecotourism and sports journalist and lecturer with work appearing in diverse outlets such as Associated Press, Travel and Leisure, American Airlines’ inflight magazine, and AARP. She has held leadership and mentoring positions in the Native American Journalists Association as well as the Society of Professional Journalists.
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