We’re Not in Kansas Any More Toto

Posted on July 1st, 2020

Jim DuFresne is a lifelong Michigander and loves his home state. But his son and daughter-in-law live in Colorado and during a recent trip to the Rocky Mountain State, he tries to figure out if they will ever return to the Great Lakes State. You can read the answer in his latest Trail Talk blog for Mich… read more

A True Wilderness Experience on Isle Royale

Posted on June 2nd, 2020

In this coronavirus summer, Isle Royale National Park will either be closed or partially closed with no ferry transportation to it. In this Trail Talk blog from MichiganTrailMaps.com Jim DuFresne writes about the impact of whatever decision the National Park Service makes in regards to this spec… read more

Freeze-Dried Is Forever!

Posted on May 12th, 2020

We’re all longing not to just get outdoors but to resume adventuring again. Hang in there; we’re almost free from our stay-home, stay safe edicts. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore opens July 1, Pictured Rocks June 25, Isle Royale National Park June 15. Check our eshop if you need guideboo… read more

In Times Like These; Go Outdoors & Go Solo

Posted on March 20th, 2020

Joining other park systems, the Michigan DNR just announced that entry fees for state parks and trails will be suspended during the coronavirus pandemic. And to be totally safe from getting CODIV-19 the DNR recommended going solo. In the latest MichiganTrailMaps.com Trail Talk blog, Jim DuFresn… read more

Drive-in or Walk-in? In Michigan We Need Both

Posted on February 14th, 2020

Walk-in or drive-in? In Michigan there is a need for both types of access but not on the same lake. That’s the debate they’re having in the Upper Peninsula over the future of Silver Lake Basin. The latest Trail Talk blog looks at the issue and how a proposal to change access to walk-in would alter the… read more

The Right of a Coyote to Live Next Door

Posted on December 27th, 2019

Who’s your neighbor? Five whitetail deer that ravish your tomato plants or your expensive landscaping? A squirrel that empties your bird feeder? A coyote eyeing your cat from behind a tree? In this Trail Talk blog for MichiganTrailMaps.com, Jim DuFresne looks at the issue of when people butt hea… read more

A Moose hunt on Isle Royale? Bad Idea

Posted on November 20th, 2019

The moose population on Isle Royale has exceeded 2,000 and some Michigan lawmakers are pushing a resolution urging the National Park Service to stage a lottery hunt as a way to control the herd. In this latest Trail Talk blog from MichiganTrailMaps.com, Jim DuFresne argues that while such hunts wor… read more

The High Cost of a Backcountry Rescue – Who Pays?

Posted on July 12th, 2019

High water levels on Lake Michigan have doubled the cost of retrieving injured visitors along the shoreline dunes of Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore this summer. In this Trail Talk blog, Jim DuFresne wonders why are the rescued so shocked at the cost with many refusing to pay the $2,800 tab. If they… read more

Georeferencing, Smartphones and the Future of Trail Maps

Posted on June 10th, 2019

MichiganTrailMaps.com is proud to announce the addition of georeferenced maps for smartphones to its stable of trail maps. Following is a Trail Talk blog by Jim DuFresne on why we did it and how to download the new maps. But DuFresne also wondered if hikers and backpackers need or even want all this te… read more

Backcountry Camping in Sleeping Bear Dunes? Good Luck

Posted on April 24th, 2019

A prescribed burn at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will temporarily close the only place in April and early May where you can enjoy backcountry camping in Michigan’s most popular national park unit. And that’s a shame, writes Jim DuFresne in the latest Trail Talk Blog from MichiganTr… read more

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