Lake Michigan Water Trail

Lake Michigan photo by Chris Hammond

This article turned up on MLive today. Originally published in the Grand Rapids Press, it explores the idea of a continuous water trail around Lake Michigan. Described in the article are already-completed sections in the four states surrounding Lake Michigan. Our state of Michigan lags behind Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Visionaries see a water trail on par with foot trails like the Appalachian. One advantage to Great Lakes water trails is the possibility of combining different modes of travel. A person could do some of Lake Michigan by boat (the photo accompanying the article shows two people in a classic aluminum canoe, so don't think only kayakers can enjoy the scenery), some by bike, some by foot. In our house, we like nothing better than finding a river with a foot trail alongside. Canoe down, hike back. Or we dig out the big atlas and find a bike route from take-out back to put-in spot. The Lakes seem perfect for similar Combination Tours. Work the arms, work the legs.

Here in the Great Lakes office we often bemoan what seems an Industrial view of the Great Lakes, which is so different from the way national treasures are viewed in the rest of the country. It's good to see visions that do not include either removal of water or dumping INTO water, but rather healthy local vacations that lack the huge carbon footprint of taking our recreation elsewhere. The Lake Michigan Water Trail could be designated a National Recreation Trail. Good for us!

Posted by Sierra Club volunteer Rebecca Hammond