Michigan trails · Porcupine Mts Big Carp River Trail
Porcupine Mts Big Carp River Trail
A 8.2-mile out-and-back in Michigan, with 807 ft of climbing. Reaches Big Carp Falls and other summit/viewpoint/waterfall destinations. Managed by Michigan DNR.
Elevation profile
The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Big Carp Falls (waterfall)
- Bathtub Falls (waterfall)
- Shining Cloud Falls (waterfall)
- LaFayette Peak (summit)
- Miscowawbic Peak (summit)
- Lake of the Clouds Scenic Overlook (viewpoint)
Heads up
Getting there
Porcupine Mountains State Park - Big Carp River Trail access. About 2 h 03 min drive (74 mi) from Houghton. 46.80421, -89.76263 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 7:44 a.m., the sun rises at 8:15 a.m. and sets at 7:14 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:44 p.m. (EDT) — 10 h 59 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 16.3-mile round trip takes roughly 6 h 51 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 3:06 p.m. — 4 h 08 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Big Carp River Trail + Porcupine Mts Big Carp River Trail + Porcupine Mountains State Park - Big Carp River Trail — 3.7 mi loop, 780 ft gain
- Big Carp River Trail + Porcupine Mts Big Carp River Trail — 9.1 mi loop, 703 ft gain