Michigan trails · High Country Pathway
High Country Pathway
A 53.6-mile network in Michigan, with 447 ft of climbing. Reaches Rattlesnake Hills and other lake/summit destinations. Managed by Michigan DNR.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the final third: 53% of the ascent falls between mile 61.3 and mile 92.0. It gives back about 2,415 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. 45.14418, -84.45497 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:27 a.m., the sun rises at 6:58 a.m. and sets at 8:17 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:47 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 19 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 05 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 — 2.6 mi loop, 40 ft gain
- High Country Pathway + Towerman'S Watch Pathway — 4.2 mi loop, 434 ft gain
- High Country Pathway + Towermans Watch Pathway + Towerman'S Watch Pathway — 6.2 mi loop, 497 ft gain
Nearby trails
- North Central State Trail — 23.2 mi
- Jordan Valley Pathway — 26.1 mi