The joke about the seasons in Thailand is that there are three: hot, hotter and hottest. Truthfully, there are still three seasons, hot, rainy and cool, which leaves much to be desired by people who are accustomed to places that are truly four season wonders, such as Michigan.
While summers in the Midwest get the glory for the outdoor activities and the winters are hailed for the glorious snowscapes and spring brings out a multitude of flowers, nothing quite compares to the autumnal foliage colors.
After two years in Thailand, two years in the coniferous Pacific Northwest and four years in the concrete jungle of Chicago, taking a couple days to truly take in the magic of fall color was definitely on my list of things to do in Michigan. I didn’t want anything too strenuous (I feel like I did that on Isle Royale), but I did want to spend some time on the trail and get away from the roads, and the Hoist Lakes area proved to be the perfect place.
Hoist Lakes in the Huron National Forest
The Hoist Lakes area is in the Huron section of the Huron-Manistee National Forest, in the northeastern part of Michigan’s lower peninsula. The area includes 10,000 acres of pine, aspen and hardwood forests and more than 20 miles of trails. There are three designated campsites on the trail, two locations on the Hoist Lakes are about two miles from the eastern trailhead and one on Byron Lake about a mile and a half from the western trailhead. The trails themselves loop through the parcel of land in various connections, making short day hikes also a possibility here.
But I came up here with the intent to enjoy an evening out in the woods and to take in all the color I could. I waited and watched the forecast and kept an eye on fall foliage tracking Web sites each week, and when the daytime highs dipped to be in the mid-50s, I knew that it was time to gather my gear and get out there. And the maples, aspens, ashes, elms and birches did not disappoint me.
Hiking and Backpacking, Trails and Campsites
The trails are for the most part very well marked with blue diamonds affixed to the trees along the way and numbered posts at various points, particularly intersections, with maps. However, the post at intersection 5 was rather confusing, lacking the directions of the other posts and the only trail marked with the blue blazes led back to intersection 11, which was not where I had planned to go. I ended up retracing my same path back out as I had taken in, when I had intended to loop around through intersection 4 and 3. In any event, it leaves more trails for me to explore next time.
The campsites all seem very well maintained as well; though be warned that if you are not used to doing backcountry camping , there are no privies or bathroom facilities at these sites. There are hand pumps marked on the map at intersections near the trailheads, but the water was turned off when I went, so I cannot speak to the viability of using those. The lakes, however, are easy to fill up from, just make sure to filter or purify; I’ve also read that there is good fishing to be had in these waters.
You can download a .pdf map of the trails here. The eastern trailhead is about 55 miles north of Standish on M-65 and there is a $5/day fee, payable at the trailhead.