NCT > Manistee River Trail

So I did as I planned and did an overnighter through the Manistee National Forest. I started on the epic North Country Trail and zigzagged north for a ways (the NCT actually runs all the way from New York to North Dakota). I eventually split off and connected to the north end of the Manistee River Trail, and hiked back south until it ended conveniently exactly where I started. I've done this exact loop a couple times now, it's good for a random weekend. Minor elevation changes, maybe 20-25 miles in all.


This portion of the NCT is well-maintained and is a basic hike through a hilly forest. Pictured Rocks, where I hiked with Nick last month (1, 2), is actually part of the NCT too. Anyway, it had rained the prior night and the day was cool and overcast, so conditions were...damp and grayish, I guess. It made for a peaceful hike.


A massive collective of shelf fungus on the NCT. The NCT segment was relatively uneventful, as expected. It's "close" to the Manistee River, but it's not riverside, making it not as popular as the MRT segment which hugs the river closely. So even though I didn't run into anyone yet, I knew that would change. Thankfully, I wasn't in any particular rush, so I scoped out a nice isolated campsite immediately after finding the river and relaxed for the rest of the day.


The forecast predicted a big cold front would be pushing through all weekend, so I was prepared for a chilly night. It ended up dropping down to around 35 degrees overnight, accompanied by a steady breeze. It was fine though, since generally I'd rather be a bit cold than a bit hot.


Woke up early the next morning to major fog, which I figured would be the case. You can see the footpath which connected my campsite to the river, which was totally obscured. I was glad I didn't have to wade around in the river that morning, having filtered extra water the day before. Also, I just noticed this photo was taken in the same spot as the above photo, except looking towards the ground a bit more.


All this talk about the river, and not one photo of it yet. So here you go. After an hour or so of hiking, the fog started to lift and the sun was trying to break through.


I think the MRT is a great Lower Peninsula trail and offers some really pleasant scenery. Views of the river and surrounding forest, while standing high on a cut bank, are common. It has gotten a bit more popular, which is understandable, but overall it's still chock full of good times. I'll be back for sure.