Michigan trails · High Country Pathway
High Country Pathway
A 53.6-mile network in Michigan, with 359 ft of climbing. Reaches Rattlesnake Hills and other lake/summit destinations. Managed by Michigan DNR.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the final third: 49% of the ascent falls between mile 35.8 and mile 53.6. It gives back about 2,143 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Rattlesnake Hills (summit)
- Round Lake (lake)
- Town Corner Lake (lake)
- McLavey Lake (lake)
- Paul Bunyan Punch Bowl (lake)
Getting there
High Country Pathway junction. About 1 h 25 min drive (45 mi, 2 of them unpaved) from Petoskey. 45.14418, -84.45497 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 7:22 a.m., the sun rises at 7:52 a.m. and sets at 6:54 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:24 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 03 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 53.6-mile route works out to roughly 20 h 03 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Loop options
- Shingle Mill Pathway + High Country Pathway — 1.2 mi loop, 33 ft gain
- Shingle Mill Pathway + High Country Pathway — 1.6 mi loop, 53 ft gain
- High Country Pathway — 2.2 mi loop, 131 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Pigeon River Equestrian Trail — 3.6 mi
- North Central State Trail — 23.2 mi
- Jordan Valley Pathway — 26.1 mi