A Trail Stretching From North Dakota to Vermont

There is a trail in the U.S. that stretches almost 5,000 miles long. That's more than twice the length of the Appalachian Trail. How come we haven't heard of this place? Well, I guess because it's so long it's more than one place. Meet the North Country Trail. It stretches all the way from North Dakota, through northern Michigan, all the way to Vermont. If you have been looking for the perfect hiking or bike trail in the north woods of the U.S. for a late summer or fall road trip, you just found the perfect place.

Similar to a long skinny national park, the north trail is managed by a series of nonprofits that partner with the national forestry service and local park systems to create a volunteer program to manage this system of interstate trails. It's a massive endeavor to clear roots and rocks and trees from this many miles of forested trails across thousands of miles, similar to the Appalachian Trail, which is about 2,200 miles long. The North Country Trail is the longest of the National Trails System hiking trails, more than doubling the full AT at 4,800 miles long.

Wisconsin's North Country Trail

In Wisconsin, the trail borders the Chuamegon National Forest and features waterfalls, old growth northern forest hardwood trees, bridges and shady treed hiking paths. Rushing rivers run alongside the trail through thickly wooded acreage. The trail joins the Mellen Hike and Bike Trail between Mellen and Copper Falls, which is in the extreme northern edge of Wisconsin bordering on the western U.P. of Michigan.

Michigan's Scenic North Trail

Starting in the upper peninsula where 8.8 million acres of forests, or 84 percent of the land mass, are preserved between a dozen small towns, the North Country Trail crosses west to east along the entire width of the beautiful and serene U.P. of Michigan, then crosses the Mackinac Bridge (itself 5 miles long, bordering Lake Michigan and Lake Huron) before plunging down scenic routes in the western side of northern lower Michigan. The trail is often marked with blue paint marks on trees, to reassure people they're on the right path. This system of trail marking works even in winter, when trail marker signs might be deeply buried in feet of snow beneath your snow shoes.

The trail connects near Petoskey's lovely biking trail around the bay, then moves inland through the Manistee National Forest.

Ohio Through Upstate New York

If you love scenic countryside in Ohio, you're in luck, because the North Trail winds all the way down the west side of the state of Ohio and then all the way back up the Appalachian southeast side of the state into western Pennsylvania near the Poconos. Then the trail passes across all of New York State through beautiful finger lakes country and the Adirondacks, a low and very old mountain range with stunning views from every hill climb, before ending in quaint Vermont.

You can visit the North Country Trail Association to learn more and plan your route and camping/Airbnb spots to stop along the trail.