A Dangerous Trip to the Manitou Islands

Posted on July 20th, 2020

And so our coronavirus summer continues. In the latest Trail Talk blog from MichiganTrailMaps.com, Jim DuFresne writes about the Manitou Islands being open but for most people no place they can visit. For the first time in more than a century, there is no ferry service from Leland this summer. It’… read more

The Overcrowded Wilderness

Posted on October 3rd, 2018

Have you hiked Nordhouse Dunes lately? Our favorite trails and wilderness areas are getting crowded and not just on the weekends. What’s the solution to overrun campsites and the growing amount of trash left in the woods? Are reservations or strict permit systems to the backcountry a permanent p… read more

The famous sand dunes of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

In Search of Wilderness Solitude

Posted on June 12th, 2014

Recently the new Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness was officially designated but Jim DuFresne wonders in the latest MichiganTrailMaps.com Trail Talk blog; can a place that has been extensively logged and farmed, that is crisscrossed with new roads and old two-tracks, that was once the site o… read more

Missouri Top Trails State! Show Me Why

Posted on December 2nd, 2013

North Mantiou Island Map Back by popular demand MichiganTrailMaps.com is staging its holiday sale again. Order a book and we’ll throw in one our trail maps, a $4.95 value! Order any book from our e-shop — maybe Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails & Water Routes, Backpacking In Michigan o… read more

A Trusted Friend: My Dana Backpack

Posted on January 30th, 2013

Editor’s Note: In the latest Trail Talk, Jim DuFresne writes about the Dana Design backpack he used for 25 years. The final adventure with it was while researching our new map of North Manitou Island last summer. The map is now out and available from our e-shop. The large format map measures 11 b… read more

Thoughts on a Wilderness Island

Posted on October 29th, 2012

Editor’s Note: Jim DuFresne has long since departed the Manitou Islands of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore but he filed one more blog entry for MichiganTrailMaps.com since his return to the mainland. Mark your calendar for a pair of Jim DuFresne presentations in November. DuF… read more

Chipmunks & Ticks on North Manitou Island

Posted on September 22nd, 2012

Editor’s Note: This is Jim DuFresne’s third Trail Talk blog in a series from the Manitou Islands in Lake Michigan, where he was working recently on a mapping project for MichiganTrailMaps.com. By Jim DuFresne Chipmunks I have no fear of. These small, striped rodents are so numerous on… read more

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