Stunning views along the Iron Belle Trail

Within the deep emerald twilight of the north woods, as the smell of pine and moss gives way to the lake-crisp air and the windblown expanse of Lake Superior washing up against the sandstone cliffs and rocky beaches, it’s easy to forget all of the stresses of civilization. On the North Country Trail — the longest and one of the wildest trails in the U.S. — you can.

If Gov. Rick Snyder’s plans come to fruition, the North Country Trail will form 1,069 miles of the proposed Iron Belle Trail, traversing forest, wetlands, Lake Superior shoreline and picturesque northern towns from Ironwood in the western U.P. to Detroit’s Belle Isle.

Lorana Jinkerson, president of the Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan chapter of the North Country Trail Hikers based in Marquette, hopes the excitement surrounding the proposed Iron Belle will bring increased funding, support and hikers to Michigan’s sections of the North Country Trail. The more people hiking the trail, the more volunteers, donations, grants and sponsorships can be secured to maintain it, she said.

More hikers such as Dawn Bower, a resident of Grand Rapids who hiked 100 miles of the trail near Pictured Rocks and Marquette this spring. She plans to hike through the rest of the U.P. in two sections over the next year. “When you start hiking the trail, you start noticing all of the beauty that is in front of you.” Bower said. “It’s just phenomenal how simply gorgeous it is.”

Much of that beauty is accessible because of volunteers like Jinkerson and her group, who keep the trail open to hikers by keeping it clearly marked and cleared of overgrowth, and by working with local landowners to keep the proper easements in place.

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