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Route: High Country Pathway (MI)

Location
Michigan, US
Distance
75.9 mi
Description

http://www.upnorthtrails.org/trails/high-country-pathway.html

The High Country Pathway is a 70+ mile trail system that runs through the heart of Pigeon River Country in Montmorency and Otsego Counties.  It is designed to provide the more enthusiastic backpacker and mountain biker with about one week of high quality outdoor adventure. The pathway connects to and is accessible by Jackson Lake State Forest Campground, Pigeon River Bridge State Forest Campground, Pine Grove State Forest Campground, Round Lake State Forest Campground, Shoepac Lake State Forest Campground, Tomahawk Creek Flooding State Forest Campground, and Town Corner Lake State Forest Campground.

GPS Track
High-Country-Pathway.gpx489 KB

FKTs

Images
High Country Pathway map

Comments

Joe Kallo
Thu, 08/27/2020 - 01:59pm

Allison Kallo and I will be doing this route unsupported starting pre-dawn August 29th.

The route is massively overgrown in places and basically turns into a bushwack. When we hit the meadows full of chest high berry bushes, type 2 fun slid into 3 and we bailed. We started at Pigeon Bridge TH and went counter clockwise, turning around after ~15mi or so. 

Conor Dietrich
Fri, 05/12/2023 - 02:04pm

Thinking about going for this FKT some weekend in June. Did you guys ever have to filter water? Or were you able to swing by campgrounds on the way enough to re-fill? Thanks for any info you're willing to share! I appreciate it! 

Rob Peters
Mon, 02/03/2025 - 09:08am

Way to go Jonathon! I'm very happy to see someone else complete this trail! Excitingly, the longstanding Michigan Outback Relay (formerly Great Lakes Relay) announced they plan to have the relay course run the entire loop this year. That would be a first for this relay, which has taken place every year since the 90's. "We've always touched on parts of the High Country Pathway in the past, but now we are going to complete the whole loop in one day! " (MOR). If you are interested in scouting this route, join an MOR team!Â