I was born and raised in a small city in southwest Michigan. Though I spent my childhood camping as a Girl Scout, I never considered myself much of an outdoors person. The longest freshwater coastline in the world was less than an hour away, but I’d only seen Lake Michigan twice in my life. The idea of being outside longer than necessary gave me skin crawling anxiety, so camping was certainly off the table, until the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic transpired.

With a high-stress job, reduced social interaction and minimal physical activity, my depression and anxiety worsened. My partner, an avid outdoors enthusiast, suggested a camping trip to unplug from everything and I apprehensively agreed. What followed was a rediscovery of the place I’d always called home. I never considered Michigan a vacation destination until the years that followed, as exploring more trails and parks took me all over the state to drastically change my perspective and open my eyes to the beauty right in front of me.

Reconnecting with nature seemed like such a simple and obvious choice, but I didn’t realize how neglecting basic needs like access to fresh air, sunlight and regular body movement was impacting my mental health. Since then, I’ve admired the sunset from the riverbanks in the woods, made coffee over a campfire on a sandy shore, felt the mist from a waterfall on my face and hiked snowy islands in the winter months.

Benefits of Hiking Research conducted by the Cleveland Clinic suggests that hiking can be beneficial for mental and physical health. Spending time in nature can trigger endorphins, or “feel good” chemicals that can leave one feeling happier and more energized after hiking. **Mental ** * Lowered stress hormones * Reduced anxiety and depression * Improved sleeping habits **Physical ** * Strengthens muscles and bones * Combats symptoms of chronic medical conditions * Prevents joint pain

**Why you should go hiking or camping in Michigan ** Did you know that Michigan boasts a diverse landscape featuring lush forests, plunging sand dunes, blue water islands, natural hot springs, caves and mountains? In fact, Isle Royale, the state’s only national park, was ranked number one in the country, ahead of giants like Yellowstone, Sequoia and the North Cascades in the Wall Street Journal.

Last year, the state welcomed more than 120 million tourists who spent over $2 billion last year. With more than 100 state parks, 4,000 miles of trails and more than 13,000 campsites, there are plenty of opportunities for you to begin exploring Michigan’s vast territory.

Interlochen camp site. Photo by Ashley Davis.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore The state’s only national lakeshore park rests on the northern shores of Lake Michigan and consists of a network of large sand dunes ranging seven miles long. The phenomenon is a result of ancient glacial deposit and weathering from wind and water. This natural beauty sees more than 1.5 million visitors yearly.

The park spans over 70,000 acres with magnificent views of crystal blue waters. Though hiking the dunes is no easy feat, the payoff is admiring the lakeshore from potentially as high as 450 feet. In the summer, the warm winds and sands give you the feeling that you stumbled into a Caribbean island instead.

Empire Bluffs, Sleeping Bear National Park. Photo by Ashley Davis.

The park offers two campgrounds (Platte River and D.H. Day) as well as camping with a permit within the park. However, I have experience staying at Interlochen State Park, which is a 45 minute drive from the national lakeshore. It rests between two small bodies of water with electrical campsite plots and beach access to nearby Duck Lake.

Sleeping Bear Dunes. Photo by Ashley Davis.

It’s understandable how the dunes themselves tend to be the main attraction, but a nearby trail gives you an even close view. The Empire Bluffs consist of sandy trails alongside the shoreline. Be cautious, as the trail is located across the top of very tall dune cliffs and gets extremely narrow at times.

**Tahquamenon State Park ** Consisting of Lower and Upper Falls, Tahquamenon is the state’s largest waterfall and located in Paradise, Michigan. It is 13-miles-long and the result of glacial melting combined with erosion between hard and soft rock material. Although it is more isolated in the Upper Peninsula, the park still manages to welcome more than 500,000 yearly guests.

Nicknamed “root beer falls,” this massive waterfall has a rusty orange color due to yellowish-brown plant sediments that come from the fall’s connecting river and swampland. The observation point puts you extremely close to the cliff’s edge where you can admire the falls in all of its glory.

The state park features three campsites: Lower Falls, Modern, and Rivermouth. The modern campsites feature access to electrical plots and shower facilities. I had the pleasure of staying in the Rivermouth Pines within the park, which sits right along the Tahquamenon River. The shower facilities were a short walk and vault toilets were nearby.

Tahquamenon Upper Falls. Photo by Ashley Davis.

While you’re in the area, it would be worth it to visit the state’s largest natural freshwater spring, Kitch-iti-kipi, which translates to “big cold spring” from the indigenous Ojibwe language. Although you cannot swim here, a hand operated raft will take you across the spring and back to view the activity and trout population. It is about an hour away from Tahquamenon.

Kitchitikipi, Michigan's largest freshwater natural spring. Photo by Ashley Davis.

Onaway State Park Onaway is a beautiful small state park situated on Black Lake in Northern Michigan. At 158 acres, it has a rocky shoreline with a singular trail and community fireplace area. It is a short distance from the largest waterfall in the lower peninsula, Ocqueoc.

Uniquely placed within driving distance from both Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, you could visit two Great Lakes in a single trip.

This small park only features one campsite, the Onaway Modern Campground, which includes access to electrical and shower facilities. It also has beach access and a communal campsite area. There are several park benches and observation decks to admire the lake. My experience in the lakeside plots was tranquil and the bathrooms were extremely clean.

Onaway camp site. Photo by Ashley Davis.

Less than 10 minutes away are Ocqueoc Falls, the largest waterfall in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. You are free to swim here and there are also nearby sites you can book nearby for gatherings. Not too far from the falls is a wooded area known as the “Underground River” where the terrain resembles a rainforest and the springs seemingly rise from the ground. Quiet and secluded, there are also edible berries in the area for you to forage.

How to book a campsite in Michigan 1. Visit midnrreservations.com/register to create a Michigan State Park & Harbor Reservations account. 2. Go to RESERVATIONS > CAMPING 3. Making sure the “CAMPSITE” and “ALL LOCATIONS” options are selected, choose your desired dates, number of guests and equipment (ex. Tent, camper) 4. Select: Upper Peninsula, Northern Lower Peninsula or Southern Lower Peninsula depending on where the state park is located a. Availability markers are as follows: i. GREEN = available for all selected dates ii. PURPLE = partially available for selected dates iii. RED = Unavailable for selected dates iv. YELLOW = usually a mistake, site does not meet requirements (ex. trying booking a boat site to camp) 5. Select desired PARK, AREA and NUMBER with GREEN availability (Be prepared to adjust your dates if PURPLE) a. Example: i. PARK: North Higgins Lake State Park ii. AREA: West, Mini Cabins iii. NUMBER: 27 6. Detailed information about the campsite will be displayed upon selecting a plot number including: reservation price per night, allowed equipment, landscape identifiers (ex. Grassy, dirt plot) and more. You can select the “Site Calendar” to see the availability for all campsites in the park. 7. Select “RESERVE”, making sure all booking information is accurate. Here you can also edit your current reservation or add another for a different date. 8. Click the “Proceed to checkout” option to add your credit or debit card information to complete. A confirmation receipt will be sent to the email you used to register.

Alternative options for booking privately owned campsites includes platforms like AirBNB, Hipcamp and individual websites. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is a secured and trusted website, so do your research before sharing your personal financial information with other websites.

Locating hiking trails in Michigan Go to michigan.gov/dnr/places/state-trails and select ‘Recreation search” for an alphabetical list or the “Nonmotorized trails map” for an interactive view of trails throughout the state.

GoogleMaps: Searching “Michigan trails” provides photos and reviews of trails. ➢ AllTrails.com: The website and app is a fairly reliable database of trails that also features reviews and photos from a community of users.

Social Media: Searching hashtags like #michiganhiking or #michigantrails on sites like Instagram, TikTok, X and Facebook can generate ideas for locations to hike and camp in Michigan and beyond.