Michigan Trail Tuesday is our attempt to showcase a different trail or trail segment each week. The Mitten State is home to thousands of miles of trails, including the new Iron Belle Trail that runs from Detroit in the southeast to Ironwood in the western Upper Peninsula and more miles of the North Country Trail than any other state.

The Narnia Trail (Bush Bay Trail) is one of the most magical hikes in the Upper Peninsula. Those who visit are treated to stunning shoreline views, tall moss-covered rocks lining the path, dense woods, and even a lamp post waiting at the end. This is a hike that had been on our list for a few years, but previous attempts were denied due to weather. As we headed back from Sault Ste. Marie on a warmer October day this year, the idea popped into my head to make a slight detour and finally head to the Narnia Trail.

This trail begins from an unassuming parking lot/roadside park just east of the Carmeuse Port Dolomite quarry (you can also do this hike in reverse by starting at the John Arthur Woollam Preserve east of here) There are no formal signs here that point to the trail, but once you’ve found it there are red arrows posted on trees to help keep you on the right path. The trail begins in the southeast corner of the parking lot and was pretty easy to follow.

Not far in, the rocky shoreline is briefly interrupted by a sandy area that makes for some perfect landscape views. As the trail continues it maneuvers over a few rocky sections, as moss covers almost every inch of ground beneath the trees on either side of the trail. This early part of the trail was full of birds when we visited, with black capped chickadees and golden-crowned kinglets chattered as they quickly darted back and forth from tree to tree.

There are a few more spots to take in views of the bay and its rocky shoreline before the trail curves inland for a bit. Here you weave around a small wetland area (was almost completely dry when we were there) and a makeshift bridge of sticks and logs is in place to help cross an area that frequently gets wet.

After passing through a thick grove of trees you will come to another landmark – the remnants of an old cabin. A chimney still stands and enough logs are still present to give a basic idea of what kind of footprint this small cabin had in this beautiful setting. At this point you can look across the bay and get a good idea just how big of an operation the quarry is. During our visit, the freighter Herbert C. Jackson was docked and loading cargo.

The rocky shoreline continues to offer up beautiful scenery for a bit here, and there are side paths to explore so you can stand next to the larger boulders or get a close up look at the weathered, pothole-filled rocks near the water.

As the trail moves inland again, it is important to follow the red arrows. At times it was tricky to know if we were on the right path or not but these arrows never let us down. You will continue to pass large moss-covered rocks and you may even encounter trinkets that others have left behind. Just when I was starting to question how far we had hiked and if we had possibly passed the lamp post, a sign in a tree let us know we were getting close.

Roughly one mile in to our hike, we reached the lamp post. With trees on one side of the path and moss-covered rocks on the other, it definitely seems out of place in this wilderness setting. Many visitors have added painted rocks and other keepsakes here for those that come after them to see. You can either choose to continue on into the Woollam Preserve from here or return to the parking lot the same way you came in. We chose the latter and on our return hike took more time to soak in the scenery.

In total this hike took us about an hour and a half, but it could certainly be done in less time (or more). there are many great spots for breaks or picnics along the way. Since we visited in October, bugs were not an issue but in spring or summer you would definitely want to have bug spray along. While I’m sure you can do this hike in any footwear, a sturdy pair of hiking boots or shoes will definitely help when covering the uneven terrain, roots, and rocks.