The trail begins in a field as a mowed lane and paralleling M-109 before climbing the moraine left from when the last glaciers melted 10,000 years ago. Today part of the hill is a beech-maple forest and within a half mile of the hike you arrive at post No. 5, pointing out the ancient maple tree. In fall, this 200-year-old giant is an astounding sight, a blaze of red that rivals any lakeshore view. At least in October, the reason, no doubt, a bench was placed here.

So large and full of color, this maple makes the red pine plantation that follows next look sterile and lifeless. So take a break and sit and soak in its beauty.

In less than a mile, you reach post No. 7, the Windy Moraine overlook. In the summer the view can be disappointing as foliage obscures much of it. But the view changes from season to season and in October it’s at its best. Some leaves have already fallen and what remains paints the foreground of this scenic panorama that includes Little Glen Lake, Sleeping Bear Dune and even North and South Manitou Islands on a clear day.

The rest of the hike is a quick descent down the moraine through an open hillside, whose sandy soil and afternoon sun make it an outstanding berry patch in July and August. Eventually you re-enter the old farm field and return to the trailhead.