Michigan trails · Ottawa National Forest
Ottawa National Forest
A 21.5-mile network in Michigan, with 681 ft of climbing. Reaches Trap Hills. Managed by Volunteer.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the final third: 50% of the ascent falls between mile 14.4 and mile 21.6. It gives back about 3,309 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Trap Hills (summit)
Getting there
NCT TH NORWICH RD — parking nearby. About 1 h 45 min drive (65 mi) from Houghton. 46.68167, -89.38917 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 7:43 a.m., the sun rises at 8:13 a.m. and sets at 7:12 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:43 p.m. (EDT) — 10 h 59 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 21.5-mile route takes roughly 8 h 19 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 4:32 p.m. — 2 h 40 min before sunset.
Loop options
- North Country Trail + Ottawa National Forest — 5.4 mi loop, 1,698 ft gain
- North Country Trail + Ottawa National Forest — 4.0 mi loop, 1,093 ft gain
- Unnamed trail + North Country Trail + Ottawa National Forest — 9.2 mi loop, 950 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Bill Nicholls Route — 16.1 mi
- Porcupine Mts Big Carp River Trail — 19.6 mi
- Big Carp River Trail — 19.6 mi
- North Country Trail_Iron Belle Trail — 20.8 mi