Rock Island State Park
Rock Island, Wisconsin
sRock Island State Park
Key Features:
-Requires two ferry rides from main land
-Easy / short trail
- Five backpack in camp sites
-Swimming beach, shallow water
-Cool historical features and buildings
Key Features:
-Requires two ferry rides from main land
-Easy / short trail
- Five backpack in camp sites
-Swimming beach, shallow water
-Cool historical features and buildings
Rocky shores, Rock Island, Wisconsin
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The Boathouse, Rock Island, Wisconsin
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Easy, wide trails, Rock Island, Wisconsin
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Beautiful lake views, Rock Island, Wisconsin
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Lake for days, Rock Island, Wisconsin
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Rock Island State Park (WI)
Drive to the tip of the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin, take a ferry across Death's Door to Washington Island, hike or drive to the far side of Washington Island, hop on a small ferry across your final passage, and you will finally reach the small state park known as Rock Island. While this is certainly not known as a backpacker destination, the climate and surroundings make it an unusual and interesting trip. It provides you an opportunity to camp on the beach and enjoy the cool waters of Lake Michigan without the crowds.
The Thorgardsen Boathouse is certainly the crown jewel of the island. You feel like you have just stepped into an old mead hall Beowulf defended. The building is crafted with local rock and the fireplace burns full logs. I'm sure in its hayday attending a party there must have been quite an event. The wealth amassed by one family is awe inspiring and frustrating at the same time. I questioned how & who had that kind of money at their disposal. The bottom of the boathouse has bays that sheltered boats from the harsh conditions of the lake. The scale and craftsmanship of the building is really worth seeing with your own eyes.
As for hiking, the trail is a simple system meant more for day visitors. We set up camp and then just day hiked to visit the lighthouse and other sites on the island. The shore line is made up of small smooth stones with a few sandy beaches. We found the water chilly, but accessible and shallow to wade out in. Maybe in August it would have been warm enough for a dip.
The Thorgardsen Boathouse is certainly the crown jewel of the island. You feel like you have just stepped into an old mead hall Beowulf defended. The building is crafted with local rock and the fireplace burns full logs. I'm sure in its hayday attending a party there must have been quite an event. The wealth amassed by one family is awe inspiring and frustrating at the same time. I questioned how & who had that kind of money at their disposal. The bottom of the boathouse has bays that sheltered boats from the harsh conditions of the lake. The scale and craftsmanship of the building is really worth seeing with your own eyes.
As for hiking, the trail is a simple system meant more for day visitors. We set up camp and then just day hiked to visit the lighthouse and other sites on the island. The shore line is made up of small smooth stones with a few sandy beaches. We found the water chilly, but accessible and shallow to wade out in. Maybe in August it would have been warm enough for a dip.
Massive fireplace in the boat house, Rock Island, Wisconsin
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The water tower, Rock Island, Wisconsin
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The Island even has some wildlife, Rock Island, Wisconsin
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Porcupine Mountains State Park (MI)
Buck Shot Cabin, Porcupine Mountains
Porcupine Mountains
Key Features:
-Lake Superior views along trail
-Shelters stock basic kitchen tools
-Wood stove for drying out gear
-Streams, rivers, waterfalls, & lakes
-Can be muddy, damp & buggy
Key Features:
-Lake Superior views along trail
-Shelters stock basic kitchen tools
-Wood stove for drying out gear
-Streams, rivers, waterfalls, & lakes
-Can be muddy, damp & buggy
Ferns along Superior, Porcupine Mountains
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Drying out our footwear, Porcupine Mountains
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Superior's southern shore, Porcupine Mountains
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Rock features along the trail, Porcupine Mountains
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Stream crossings, Porcupine Mountains
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The Porcupine Mountains State Park
The Porkies is a great place to backpack, full of unexpected highlights. The park contains miles of Lake Superior coast line with high ridges that overlook the big lake, streams, waterfalls, and smaller inland lakes. An often photographed feature of the park is Lake of the Clouds, which is the highest lake in Michigan.
Back-country camping is allowed, but only in designated sites. These sites are quality, but the real attraction in the park are the rustic cabins. The cabins get booked quickly, and booking them as far in advance as possible is highly recommended. (For example, we could not get all the cabins we wanted for a June trip when we booked them in January.)
Upon arrival at the park, you must swing by and pick up the keys from the park office before you backpack in or you will be camping next to the locked cabin instead of inside a cabin. No two cabins are the same, but we found them all dry, bug-free, and warm. We were able to cook off the top of the wood stove and heat the cabin until it became uncomfortably warm in the top bunks. One cabin has a resident mouse which forced us to hang our food from the rafters in the center of the cabin.
Each cabin was equipped with wooden bunks, a wood burning stove, table and chairs, broom and dustpan, and a variety pots, pans, and miscellaneous items the previous users choose not to pack out. You could rely on each cabin having the basic cooking setup, but the selection of odds and ends varied widely. For us, the centerpiece of each cabin was the log book left on the table for each party to log their unique experiences. This was an enjoyable way to pass the long daylight hours and entertain ourselves. Some individuals were poetic, some reported scientifically, and others shared anecdotal family memories. Someone has even a published book of Porcupine Mountain log book entries.
Much of our active time was spent wandering the rocky shore, day hiking the nearby streams, and beach combing for firewood and fishing lures. Overall, backpacking from cabin to cabin is its own adventure. Being able to leave the tent behind also allowed us to pack in a few more comfort items. Returning to the Porkies is a must for us!
Back-country camping is allowed, but only in designated sites. These sites are quality, but the real attraction in the park are the rustic cabins. The cabins get booked quickly, and booking them as far in advance as possible is highly recommended. (For example, we could not get all the cabins we wanted for a June trip when we booked them in January.)
Upon arrival at the park, you must swing by and pick up the keys from the park office before you backpack in or you will be camping next to the locked cabin instead of inside a cabin. No two cabins are the same, but we found them all dry, bug-free, and warm. We were able to cook off the top of the wood stove and heat the cabin until it became uncomfortably warm in the top bunks. One cabin has a resident mouse which forced us to hang our food from the rafters in the center of the cabin.
Each cabin was equipped with wooden bunks, a wood burning stove, table and chairs, broom and dustpan, and a variety pots, pans, and miscellaneous items the previous users choose not to pack out. You could rely on each cabin having the basic cooking setup, but the selection of odds and ends varied widely. For us, the centerpiece of each cabin was the log book left on the table for each party to log their unique experiences. This was an enjoyable way to pass the long daylight hours and entertain ourselves. Some individuals were poetic, some reported scientifically, and others shared anecdotal family memories. Someone has even a published book of Porcupine Mountain log book entries.
Much of our active time was spent wandering the rocky shore, day hiking the nearby streams, and beach combing for firewood and fishing lures. Overall, backpacking from cabin to cabin is its own adventure. Being able to leave the tent behind also allowed us to pack in a few more comfort items. Returning to the Porkies is a must for us!
Porcupine Mountains
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Wild Columbine, Porcupine Mountians
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Lake Superior, Porcupine Mountains
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Harrison Crawford State Forest (IN)
Overlooking Indian Creek, 1/2 mile from Indian Creek Shelter Harrison Crawford State Forest
Harrison Crawford State Forest
Key Features:
-Multiple cool log shelters
-Easy to follow trail
-Frequent logging operations in forest
-Many historic homesteads
-Hard wood forests
-Water can be hard to find due to karst topography
-Wild caves are common in park, but hard to find
Key Features:
-Multiple cool log shelters
-Easy to follow trail
-Frequent logging operations in forest
-Many historic homesteads
-Hard wood forests
-Water can be hard to find due to karst topography
-Wild caves are common in park, but hard to find
Overlooking Indian Creek drainage, Harrison Crawford State Forest
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Old homestead near the Blue River, Harrison Crawford State Forest
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Old homestead near Cold Friday Road, Harrison Crawford State Forest
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Wild cave exploration , Harrison Crawford State Forest
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Trout Lilly, Harrison Crawford State Forest
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Harrison-Crawford State Forest:
Adventure Hiking Trail-
24 miles
Hikers up for a multiple night adventure find the Adventure Trail a worthwhile opportunity. Planning your trip, you will find there are many starting points and variations for how you might want to attack it. Hikers not familiar with the area will want to note that while the map shows many streambeds and crossings, the karst topography of the region makes water limited and hard to find. Our worst experience had us filtering water from a small puddle while our dog rolled around in it, lapping it up. Planning affords you the ability to stash water jugs near road crossings if desired.
This is a typical hardwood forest with hilly terrain. At times hikers may wonder why the horse trails take the flat ridges while hikers slog out the hills and valleys. There are four backcountry shelters (miniature log cabins) that can be utilized as a first come-first serve basis. Be wary that the mice might keep you awake all night; stash your food or hang it accordingly. There are no doors or windows, but they have fire rings and picnic tables for use. We would consider this a typical deep wood hiking experience without many features, but the old homesteads, scenic overlooks, Ohio River views, and cabins do make this a memorable trip. The cabins are at least 1 mile away from any roads or trail heads. Horse trails can help divvy up the hiking into numerous route options; visit the park office for those additional maps.
This is a typical hardwood forest with hilly terrain. At times hikers may wonder why the horse trails take the flat ridges while hikers slog out the hills and valleys. There are four backcountry shelters (miniature log cabins) that can be utilized as a first come-first serve basis. Be wary that the mice might keep you awake all night; stash your food or hang it accordingly. There are no doors or windows, but they have fire rings and picnic tables for use. We would consider this a typical deep wood hiking experience without many features, but the old homesteads, scenic overlooks, Ohio River views, and cabins do make this a memorable trip. The cabins are at least 1 mile away from any roads or trail heads. Horse trails can help divvy up the hiking into numerous route options; visit the park office for those additional maps.
Indian Creek Shelter, Harrison Crawford State Forest
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Chimney Shelter, Harrison Crawford State Forest
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Under construction
Land Between the Lakes
Key Features:
-Back-country camping almost every where
-Great facilities/roads
-Diverse recreational opportunities
-Elk and Bison Prairie
-Best hiking seems to be on North end of LBL
- Permits are cheap and can be purchased in the visitor centers
-Back-country camping almost every where
-Great facilities/roads
-Diverse recreational opportunities
-Elk and Bison Prairie
-Best hiking seems to be on North end of LBL
- Permits are cheap and can be purchased in the visitor centers
Kildeer guarding her nest on the shores of Lake Energy
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Spring daffodils mark old homesteads
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Nightrider Springs, Land Between the lakes
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Trail spur to Nightrider Springs
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The Elk Bison Prairie
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Land Between the Lakes (LBL)
The North-South Trail is a long distance trail the runs down the west side of Land Between the Lakes (LBL). The northern section is open to mountain bikers and hikers, while the southern section allows horse back riders. The north end is well-marked, water is available for filtering, and there are metal shelters stationed approximately every 10 miles along the trail. These make great shelters, but can not be reserved in advance, so be prepared with a tent in case someone has beaten you to it. However, if you find a shelter is occupied or can't locate it before dark, remember that back country camping is allowed almost everywhere within LBL.
This trail is not a loop and requires backtracking or two vehicles to hike it. We like it because it it crossed several lightly travel forest roads and the hike can be adjusted to make it as long or short as you like. It also passes by many areas that have the remnants of old homes from before the area was cordoned off as federal land. We have always found the trail well maintained, wide, and dry. depending on the section and time of year, the lake views can be quite breathtaking as you climb and descend in and out around the fingers of the lake.
LBL is great place for back-country camping due to its size and the many options available. It seems like every avid camper near LBL has their own secret spot they claim as the best spot.
This trail is not a loop and requires backtracking or two vehicles to hike it. We like it because it it crossed several lightly travel forest roads and the hike can be adjusted to make it as long or short as you like. It also passes by many areas that have the remnants of old homes from before the area was cordoned off as federal land. We have always found the trail well maintained, wide, and dry. depending on the section and time of year, the lake views can be quite breathtaking as you climb and descend in and out around the fingers of the lake.
LBL is great place for back-country camping due to its size and the many options available. It seems like every avid camper near LBL has their own secret spot they claim as the best spot.
