21 FALL 2020 ISSUE 01 / VOL . 02
SNOWGOER . COM 22
Photo : John Kehoe
MUNISING TO MANISTIQUE
Because the U . P . is a long drive from pretty much any major population center , many visitors are tempted to get out of the tow vehicle on its far eastern or western edges , depending on which way they ’ re coming from . Missing out on the center of the U . P ., though , would be a mistake .
Connecting the cities of Munising up on Lake Superior and Manistique down on Lake Michigan is easy by trail , and here ’ s one route that combines a mix of trail conditions and a great adventure , all in one day .
Out of Munising , leave to the west , taking Trail 418 out of town to catch a fresh glimpse of Superior before dropping south toward Chatham on Trail 417 , and then back east on Trail 8 , coming back in underneath Munising .
Next , drop straight south of Trail 7 , entering the Hiawatha National Forest for a scenic cruise down toward Lake Michigan . After a couple of pleasurable riding hours in the twisties , you ’ ll come to Palm Book State Park , home to a truly unique experience only found in the U . P . That ’ s where you ’ ll find and be able to experience Big Spring ( also known as Kitch-iti-kipi ), an active spring that features 45 degree F water year-round .
More than 10,000 gallons a minute gush up through the underlying limestone . Better yet , visitors can climb aboard a large wooden observation raft that runs on a cable for self-guided tours . By turning a wheel to the left , users can pull the raft over the spring and watch the water bubble up beneath them . Once they ’ ve seen enough , they can turn that same wheel to the right and return to shore to continue their snowmobile adventure .
Next , jump back on Trail 7 to Trail 2 to complete the run to Manistique and along Lake Michigan . Those seeking a shortcut home can go north off of Trail 2 onto Trail 41 and then 8 and they ’ ll be coming upon Munising before they know it . Those seeking further adventure can add a loop to the east through Murphy Creek and Shingleton to round out a 130-mile day .