| About Hiawatha National Forest |
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| North Country Trail - St. Ignace Segment |
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Difficulty:
Moderate
Elevation:
750 Feet
Length, One-way:
35 Miles
Reservation:
No
Season:
Year-round
From East Lake (southwest of Rudyard, MI), North Trailhead: Access is located by the lookout tower - just south of H40 along East Lake Road (FR 3323).
Location Information
The North Country Trail is a National Scenic Trail which when completed will extend across seven states from New York to North Dakota. Today, 1,700 of the 4,000-mile route are completed. Approximately 35 miles of the completed trail lies in the St. Ignace Ranger District of the Hiawatha National Forest.Passing through stands of northern white cedar, aspen, pine and northern hardwoods, the trail on the St. Ignace District is flat to rolling. Blue diamonds painted on trees mark the pathway. St. Ignace Trail Segments:
Castle Rock Road (FR 3104) to Brevoort Lake Road (H-57), 9.5 miles. For the first few miles, glacial geology produced by shorelines of receding glacial melt waters is visible in the sand ridges. South of Round Lake the hiker passes near the Pt. Aux Chenes wetlands, a favored habitat for waterfowl and some raptors. A primitive campsite is located south of the trail near Pt. Aux Chenes River. Brevoort Lake Road (H-57) to FR 3473 (Brevoort Lake Campground Road), 6.5 miles. This segment crosses the Brevoort River and heads through sand dunes to the Brevoort Lake Dam. Blueberry picking is often good in July and August. The trail then passes through hardwood and pine forests next to Brevoort Lake. Watch for pileated woodpeckers in the old-growth maple, beech and yellow birch stands. Two primitive campsites are located near Brevoort Lake. This trail segment ends near Brevoort Lake Campground, a developed camping area with 70 sites, toilets and drinking water. FR 3473 (Brevoort Lake Campground Road) to M-123, 8 miles. Sandy soils and pine plantations surround most of this segment. Much of this area was logged over in the 1800s and later planted with red and jack pine by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late 1930s. Silver Creek, located about half a mile north of CR 520 (Worth Road), is a trout stream. Traveling north, the hiker will cross an open corridor marking the location of a buried natural gas pipeline. Just north of this are natural openings where sandhill cranes may be sighted. Watch for bluebirds and kestrels near the nesting boxes in this area. M-123 to FR 3122 (Kenneth Road), 5 miles. Noted for its waterways, this segment is crossed by Taylor Creek and the North Branch of the Carp River. Both rivers are trout streams. Bedrock close to the surface in some areas causes slow drainage of precipitation. It might be advisable to wear rubber boots during wet periods. FR 3122 (Kenneth Road) to FR 3323, 7.5 miles. The trail now winds its way through maple, beech and birch forests passing south of East Lake. A primitive camping site is located about 20 feet from the trail, a quarter mile east of East Lake Road. The St. Ignace District's portion of the North Country Trail ends near Maple Hill.
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