Jim DuFresne – författare

With 65 photographs and 77 detailed maps, this indispensable guide to the state's hiking trails gives beginners to advanced hikers all the information they need to plan their next Michigan overnight or weekend backpacking trip. Featuring 50 trails---27 in the Lower Peninsula---ranging from one-hour to multiple-day treks in both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Backpacking in Michigan has something for every hiker.Information on hike length and difficulty, elevation gain, the amount of time needed to complete the hike, camping facilities, and nearby towns accompanies each of the trail listings. The author also provides extensive reference maps along with a description of scenic highlights. In addition to backcountry explorations of remote trails, Backpacking in Michigan includes classic Michigan adventures such as the Lakeshore Trail in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the Greenstone Ridge Trail in Isle Royale National Park, North Manitou Island in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Jordan River Pathway in the Mackinaw State Forest.While Backpacking in Michigan focuses primarily on the trails themselves, it also makes planning your Michigan adventure as easy as possible by providing important information on routes to and from the trailhead, as well as park fees and reservation information for shelters, walk-in cabins, rental yurts, and overnight camping.Jim DuFresne is a Michigan native and author of more than a dozen wilderness, travel, and hiking guidebooks. He is author of Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails and Water Routes; 50 Hikes in Michigan: The Best Walks, Hikes, and Backpacks in the Lower Peninsula; Best Hikes with Children: Michigan; Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park: A Backcountry Guide for Hikers, Campers, Backpackers, and Skiers; as well as The Complete Guide to Michigan Sand Dunes, copublished by the University of Michigan Press and Petoskey Publishing.

Michigan’s Lower Peninsula offers extremely diverse terrain, from beaches that are home to shipwrecks and lighthouses, streams populated with trout, and wildflower and orchid fields to spaces with unusual geological formations, sand dunes, and steep climbs, and beech forests perfect for birding.Each chapter begins with an overview of each hike—the type of hike, total distance, time, difficulty, highlights, maps, and trailhead GPS coordinates. Readers will learn the best way to access the trail, tips and suggestions, and key features to look out for along the way (scenic views, drinking water, rest stops, waterfalls, and old growth trees). Whether readers are setting out in the Sleeping Bear region to observe shipwrecks, open dunes, and beach walking on the South Manitou Island trail, 50 Hikes in Michigan (with 10 bonus hikes!) is the perfect companion.