Backpack The North Country Trail, MI
October 20th - October 22nd, 2023
Hike along a scenic section of the historic North Country trail that stretches from Vermont to North Dakota. Witness the vibrant, changing leaves of Michigan’s spectacular autumn as you walk through the forest and along the river banks. This section of trail is lightly trafficked and will give hikers a true back-country experience. With moderate terrain, we will walk on hiker-maintained trails, giving us a good opportunity to work on route finding and navigational skills. We will be dispersed camping through the Huron-Manistee National Forest and learn how to find good campsites. We will practice and teach leave-no-trace ethics, leaving only footprints, taking only photos. This fall NCT adventure will have a maximum of 8 hikers and 2 guides and we will hike approximately 15 miles over 3 days. Come hike into Fall with us and enjoy walking through the crunchy leaves, breathing in the crisp fresh air, and smelling the winds of change.
Land Acknowledgement
We would like to acknowledge that PackRatz Adventures’ Adventures in the Huron-Manistee National forest meets on indigenous land that was once Anishinabek and Odawaa Land. The Odawaa tribe is said to be derived from the Anishinaabe people. Odawaa meaning ‘trade’ or ‘sell’ and ‘Anishinaabe’ referring to ‘the good humans’. These tribes were often located around rivers or lakes and used those resources for trade and travel. By taking the time to learn and understand the livelihood of these tribes on these lands we recognize, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigan’s twelve federally recognized Indian nations, for the historic indigenous communities in Michigan, for indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those who were forcibly removed from their Homelands. By offering this Land Acknowledgement, we support indigenous sovereignty.
View all of our Land Acknowledgements HERE
Logistics
A brief history
The North Country Scenic Trail, known as the NCT, is a nearly 5,000mi long trail that begins in in the town of Middlebury, in central Vermont and travels through 8 states, 10 National Forest, connects with Appalachian Trail, and eventually ends at Lake Sakakawea State Park in central North Dakota. A large portion of this trail travels through Michigan and into the upper peninsula, over the Mackinac Bridge. Fun fact: In order to complete this section of the trail hikers need to plan their route so that you cross the Mackinac bridge on memorial day, the ONLY day of the year pedestrians are allowed to cross! The NCT provides a wide variety of hiking and terrain and can be easily accessible to lots of folks. The trail was officially established in 1980 with an amendment to the National Trails system. It was originally designed to connect Finger Lakes in New York, Baker Trail in Pennsylvania and the Buckeye Trail in Ohio. Over the years other trail organizations linked up and agreed to maintain their sections of trail, thus further extending the path of the NCT. With its continued growth through more states and into Canada on March 12, 2019, the North Country Trail reroute and extension was signed into law as part of the omnibus Conservation Management and Recreation Act. The NCT was built and is maintained mostly by avid hikers and volunteers of the North Country Trail Association to this day. We are thankful for their diligent and hard work so we can play on the trail and keep it wild.