Treks & Trail Hikes

Manistee River Trail

Enjoy this 11+ mile trail system along the Big Manistee River between Tippy Dam and Hodenpyle Dam. This out-and-back trail follows along the high banks of the Big Manistee River with many beautiful scenic overlooks. A highly sought after feature of this trail is the 245-foot-long Little Mac suspension bridge, one of the largest wooden suspension foot bridges in the Lower Peninsula.

Discover the Manistee River Trail here!

Old Baldy

Arcadia is surrounded by more than 4,000 acres of land protected by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. Spring attracts visitors to this region to bike the trails, enjoy spring wildflower hikes, and observe approximately 250 bird species at the Arcadia Marsh.

Just north of Arcadia you’ll find Arcadia Dunes with varied length trails through the woods for both hiking and biking. For a simple hike with and incredible view, we recommend Old Baldy. The Old Baldy Trail, 0.4 mile each way out and back, is a part of The Arcadia Dunes: C.S. Mott Preserve and leads to a platform high above the water’s edge for a bird’s eye view of Lake Michigan.

The St. Pierre Trailhead at the Arcadia Dunes: C.S. Mott Nature Preserve is a sought-after trail system by mountain biking enthusiasts and hikers alike. It features 20-miles of looped trails from as short as 2 miles to as long as 11 miles, depending on the scale of adventure you seek. Mountain bikers return time and again to this well-maintained, intermediate single-track trail system that flows along quick rolling hills of a steep-forested back dunes.

In mid-May, the Chestnut Loop of St. Pierre is the perfect destination for a spring wildflower hike, as the forest floor is carpeted with Trillium and other early season flowers.

Discover Arcadia Dunes here!

Lake Bluff Farms

This 76-acre sanctuary is a serene preserve located on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. Although certainly not native to our region, the sanctuary is home to the largest Giant Sequoia east of the Rockies, due to saplings that were brought from California in 1948.

Discover Lake Bluff here!

Orchard Beach

Situated on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, Orchard Beach State Park is the ideal location for a day at the beach, a short hike in the woods, and a picnic on the bluff. Short, looped trails allow you to build an adventure of just the right scale.

Learn more about Orchard Beach State Park here!

Wellston Arboretum

This is a short, but scenic trail that passes through a variety of trees planted as part of a tree-growth experiment. Educational signage along the trail identifies individual species and highlights the history of this area, dating back to the 1930’s and 40’s.

Learn more about the Wellston Arboretum here!

South Manistee Riverwalk

Follow the Downtown Riverwalk along the Manistee River to our downtown shops and restaurants. We recommended grabbing a lunch to go at The Outsider on River Street, finding a spot to perch on the Riverwalk, and watching the boats come in. You may even catch a freighter coming through the channel.

Learn more about the Riverwalk here!

Centennial Walkway

Kaleva Centennial Sculpture Walkway leads you through well-tended gardens to discover unique sculptures. Perhaps most notable is a 500 lb.,18-foot grasshopper sculpture welded of discarded metal parts by the students of the Brethren High School in 1999 to honor the legend of St. Urho chasing the grasshoppers out of Finland and to celebrate Kaleva’s Centennial Year.

Learn more about the Centennial Walkway here!

Arcadia Marsh Boardwalk

The Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve is a 470-acre rare coastal marsh property. A ¾ mile, universally accessible boardwalk spans the preserve and features interpretive signage along the way to educate visitors about the flora and fauna that inhabits the marsh. It is sure to become one of your favorite stops in your exploration of Manistee County.

Learn more about the Arcadia Marsh here!