50 Hikes in Michigan: The Best Walks, Hikes, and Backpacks in the Lower Peninsula [Paperback]

Jim DuFresne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999 | Series: Explorer's 50 Hikes

Lifelong Michigan resident Jim DuFresne, the author of numerous books on Michigan and the outdoors, guides bikers through Michigan's unequaled system of state parks and natural and wilderness areas, where the scenery and trails are as varied as anywhere in the country.

As DuFresne notes in his introduction, "From sand dunes without even a blade of grass, to the towering monarchs of Hartwick Pines' virgin forests, from miles of beach that turn gold with every Lake Michigan sunset to one of the eleven thousand inland lakes where on a still evening bass rise to the surface like trout—all these wonders of the Midwest can be reached by hiking foot trails." The hikes in this completely revised and expanded second edition range from 1.5 to 35 miles in length. Hikers will learn where to find the best trailside fishing, birding, and wildlife watching, as well as where to go to find fall color and undisturbed backcountry camping. Each hike description includes directions to the trailhead; a detailed map; trail distance, difficulty, and hiking time; explicit trail directions, and a description of natural and historic features along the way. Black-and-white photographs and maps throughout

Editorial Reviews

Review

Jim DuFresne's "50 Hikes in Michigan" gets you out of your chair and into your hiking boots . . .The main message in this hook is: 'Get up and go hiking.' -- Jeff Rennicke, Backpacker magazine

No backpack should be without it. -- Detroit Free Press

About the Author

Jim DuFresne is an outdoor writer and columnist. His books on travel and outdoor recreation include Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes in Michigan, Michigan State Parks, Michigan: Off the Beaten Path, and Michigan's Best Outdoor Adventures with Children. He lives in Clarkston, Michigan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Countryman Press; Second Edition edition (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881504556
• ISBN-13: 978-0881504552
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,459 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I have a has deep rooted passion for two things; sunsets and shoreline, no doubt the result of living my entire life in the two states that have more coastline than any other; Alaska and Michigan.

After graduating from Michigan State University with a journalism degree, I was soon headed to Juneau, Alaska as the outdoors and sports editor of the Juneau Empire. In 1980, I became the first Alaskan sportswriter to win a national award from Associated Press. More significant than the award or even receiving a letter of congratulations from Governor Jay Hammond, I discovered my passion for the mountains and wilderness travel while living in Alaska's capital city.

Soon after that I spent a winter in New Zealand to backpack and write my first book, "Tramping in New Zealand". Six editions and 30 years later "Tramping in New Zealand" is the world's bestselling guidebook to backpacking in that country. That longevity is true with several of my books. "Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails & Water Routes" that I wrote soon after returning to Michigan has been in publication in various editions for more than 25 years.

Today I live in Clarkston, Michigan where I'm never more than an hour's drive from the shoreline of the Great Lakes. I am main contributor to www.MichiganTrailMaps.com, a resource web site devoted to trail users and the promotion of trails in my home state. I still head back to Alaska frequently to update my Lonely Planet guidebooks, only now I don't have to stay for the winter. In Michigan, I can usually be found out on the trail throughout the year, whether it is hiking, mountain biking, backpacking, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars MICHIGAN'S GREAT TREASURES, May 17, 2004

By 

NotATameLion (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 50 Hikes in Michigan: The Best Walks, Hikes, and Backpacks in the Lower Peninsula (Paperback)

I recently had a friend of my wife comment on how I knew all the good and "secret" places to go in Michigan. This is not true, but I do often wonder at how people know of some of the truly great places to go in my home state.

Any knowledge that I might have comes from owning several books written by Jim Dufresne. Dufresne is among a handful of what I consider the best writers out there when it comes to the outdoors/travel. Happily, he lives in and writes about my home state.

I not only own this 50 hikes book, but I have books written by Dufresne on hiking with children in Michigan, Michigan's State Parks, the Porcupine Mountains, and the best campgrounds in Michigan. With the exception of the Porcupine Mountains book (which is of a narrower interest) all of these books are indispensable.

50 hikes in Michigan (there are actually 60 hikes listed) really does contain most of the best hikes in the lower peninsula of Michigan. From this book I learned of the Algonquin trail in beautiful and semi-remote Negwegon State Park (you won't find any brown signs on the main roads leading you there). This hike alone is worth the price of the book.

But why stop there?

You can also explore such places as the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the Manistee River Trail and the plethora of shorter trails in Waterloo State Recreation area. These hikes and the others listed in this well-written and engaging book are some of the best to be found anywhere. I only wish there were an Upper Peninsula edition.

Jim Dufresne himself, though not homegrown, is one of Michigan's great treasures. I recommend this book and others by him.

Get a copy today.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New to Michigan or new to hiking, this is a must read!, December 13, 2001

By 

"tangofoxtrot" (Battle Creek Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 50 Hikes in Michigan: The Best Walks, Hikes, and Backpacks in the Lower Peninsula (Paperback)

If you are new to Michigan or new to hiking, hiking guru Jim Dufresne's "50 Hikes in Michigan" is required reading.

From the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to the Ohio state line, "50 hikes" lists the wildest but easiest to find, easiest to hike trails.

"Wild" usually discourages the novice, however, rest assured these are all well traversed trails and usually well marked.

This is my second copy, and I bring it with me in the field. Having hiked nearly all of the trails in his book (including all of the North Country Trail segments, and all the others not in the book), I have learned to take this book with me on my hike.

A tip: keep it in a zip lock bag. Those of you who are familiar with Michigan's weather know--it may be sunny, but wait a few minutes, it could rain!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good guide, January 28, 2008

By 

Sammy Madison (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 50 Hikes in Michigan: The Best Walks, Hikes, and Backpacks in the Lower Peninsula (Paperback)

This is a very good guide to some of the most scenic hikes in Michigan. If you want to find some good advice about finding beatiful places to hike, but don't need a huge atlas that lists every trail, this book is for you. It is a managable size and has good directions, and the trails are really well-selected. You won't be disappointed by any of them. The book is quite inexpensive. If you want a huge book that gives you every trail in Michigan, choose "Michigan Trail Atlas" by Hansen instead, but it is very big and kind of costly.