By Paul Wade
Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie, Ontario: each of these lakes is vast, like an inland sea. Together, they hold one-fifth of the Earth’s surface freshwater. So, no wonder they are known as the Great Lakes – and as a great base for outdoor adventures.
Since the shoreline of the eight surrounding American states interconnects and runs for 5,000 miles, it might even be considered America’s ‘Third Coast’. Along its length are sandy beaches, towering dunes, numerous water-sports opportunities, small harbours and such vibrant cities as Chicago, Detroit and Buffalo.
But there are also more opportunities inland for clean, green outdoor adventures. You can hike, bike and ride ATVs on well-signposted trails, sleep under the stars, marvel at the Northern Lights, play some of America’s finest golf courses, and – in winter – enjoy everything from snowmobiling, dog-sledding and ice skating to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Here are some of the regional highlights, outdoor activity by activity:
ON YOUR BIKE
Americans are into cycling and the variety of trails is huge. Explore lakeside villages or up the adrenaline ante on mountain-bike trails through unspoiled forests. For easy, traffic-free pedalling, try one of the converted railroad tracks, such as the 61-mile-long Illinois Prairie Path. Opened west of Chicago 60 years ago as the USA’s first ever rail-to-trail conversion, the Y-shaped scenic byway meanders through meadows, woodland and historic towns, such as Batavia and Wheaton. A longer test is the 267-mile Michigan Great Lake-to-Lake Trail linking Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. To cover more ground, you can hop on and off the modern Amtrak train service with your bike. And Minnesota’s Mississippi River Trail starts in Itasca State Park, where a gurgling stream begins its journey, slowly broadening into the mighty Mississippi, along which you can cycle on rural roads to the buzzing Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the state capital.
CAMPING, GLAMPING, AND MORE
Immerse yourself in the Great Outdoors by staying somewhere fun, such as posh tents, yurts and tree houses. Or skipper your own houseboat in Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park. There, wilderness adventures combine with creature comforts: proper bedrooms, loos and kitchens. Go where you want to; moor where you fancy. South of Chicago, near Starved Rock State Park, Illinois’ Camp Aramoni was the state’s first boutique campground. Book one of the 11 stylish safari tents with loos, fridges and air-conditioning; enjoy healthy breakfasts and dinners. They even supply firewood and marshmallows for your campfire. Other funky getaways include the Little Cabin in the Vineyard at Wisconsin’s Trout Springs Winery and an Airbnb treehouse in Winfield, Pennsylvania. In Adamsville, Ohio, the KD Guest Ranch brings ‘the West to the East’, while in Michigan, Ellsworth’s Rocky Top working fruit farm has yurts, boho tents and cabins.
PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD
The USA is criss-crossed with hiking trails. Many are centuries-old, following paths once used by Native Americans. Now tended by rangers and local enthusiasts, they are often in state and national parks. For instance, the Shawnee National Forest, wedged between the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, is home to southern Illinois’ River to River Trail. A highlight of the 160-mile hike is the craggy Garden of the Gods. By contrast, Ohio’s Buckeye Trail, following a 1,444-mile-long, roughly circular path, takes in old pioneer trails and canal towpaths, lake shores and rivers as well as providing the option of short hikes from such cities as Cleveland and Cincinnati. Particularly glorious in the autumn is the Scioto Trail section, which passes through the foothills of the Appalachians.
My tip: Looking for a real challenge? Then consider backpacking along some of the 165 miles of rugged trail in Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park, the least-visited National Park in the lower 48 states. Located 18 miles offshore in Lake Superior and reached by boat or seaplane, it offers few opportunities to see other human beings, but every chance to spot eagles, moose and wolves.
GLORIOUS GOLF
Golfing legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Weiskopf were all from the golf-mad Great Lakes states. Nowadays, several courses host major tournaments and many are public. Book in to stay and play Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits resort on Lake Michigan. The par 72, 7,790-yard Straits course hosted the 2021 Ryder Cup. Notably tough, it comes with testing bunkers and distracting lake views. In Michigan’s Forest Dunes resort, set in the Lower Peninsula’s Huron National Forest, there’s a reversible course: The Loop Black is played clockwise on odd-numbered days; The Loop Red runs counter-clockwise on even-numbered days. Either way, it’s par 70, 6,704 yards.
My tip: The Penn Ohio Golf Trail website (pennohiogolftrail.com) features 60 courses in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, with suggested accommodation along the way.
PADDLING YOUR OWN CANOE
As well as the Great Lakes, locals love to paddle the region’s thousands of inland lakes and ponds, where you can experience pristine landscapes, camp on uninhabited islands, and watch sunsets over a campfire. To explore Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, start in Ely, where outfitters do everything from renting canoes and teaching you how to have fun on the water to offering guided canoe-camping tours with experts. In Michigan, Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior was America’s first designated National Lakeshore. The highlight is towering sandstone cliffs, where minerals have stained the rock with a palette of red, orange, brown, blue and green. Trips to see the cliffs, as well as sea caves and waterfalls, are offered by outfitters, such as Pictured Rocks Kayaking.
My tip: When planning a canoe or camping trip, do as Americans do and use ‘outfitters’. They can organise everything, from qualified guides to outdoor equipment rentals.
CAST AWAY
The region boasts 160 native species of fish, with walleye the best known … and, perhaps, the most delicious! But it is the outstanding fly fishing that attracts foreign anglers. With 13,000 miles of trout streams, Wisconsin is one of the USA’s best fly-fishing destinations. In September and October, salmon leave Lake Superior and Michigan and head up rivers to spawn. These feisty fish can weigh in at 15 or 20 pounds. In Pennsylvania, some 10,000 miles of fishing waters include Penn’s Creek, the state’s longest limestone stream, which flows between mountains and forests. According to Go Fishing Worldwide (gofishingworldwide.co.uk), you can fish for wild brown and brook trout year-round, and Penns Creek Angler in Weikert offers great guiding.
INTO THE SWIM OF IT
As summers are warm and often humid, lakes provide refreshing dips and bucket-and-spade beach holidays. On the shores of Lake Michigan and rated among the best beaches in the world, Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore features awesome 400ft-high sand dunes guarding beaches that slope down to sparkling blue water. Youngsters love the challenge of the Dune Climb, scrambling up a 284ft-high slippy-slidey mound of dazzling white sand. Pennsylvania’s Presque Isle State Park on Lake Erie has a dozen beaches where you can swim, kayak, fish and boat. Certified as a Blue Wave clean beach on Lake Michigan, Wisconsin’s North Beach at Racine is rated one of the USA’s best family beaches. As well as swimming, kids enjoy their own Kids Cove playground.
STRICTLY FOR THE BIRDS
The Great Lakes watershed is rich with wildlife, such as moose, deer, wolves, lynx – and birds. During migration season, birders wanting to boost their life lists head to south-eastern Pennsylvania’s Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. This was the world’s first refuge for birds of prey, and autumn is best for seeing bald eagles, hawks, falcons and vultures soaring high above. Near Toledo and right on Lake Erie, Ohio’s Magee Marsh Wildlife Area is rated as one of America’s top-ten bird-watching sites, featuring among some 300 species scarlet tanagers and various rare warblers. To the west, in Minnesota’s 13 national wildlife refuges, you can spot more unusual birds, such as prairie chickens, buffleheads and sandhill cranes.
SPECIAL PLACES: MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THESE
Each state has its own special characteristics, from geology and landscape to native plants and wildlife. And each has one-of-a-kind destinations.
Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Lake Superior is only accessible by boat. The 21 islands have historic lighthouses, empty beaches, sea caves and 240 species of birds. For overnight adventures or guided sea kayaking trips, check out outfitters Lost Creek Adventures.
One of the Great Lakes’ most elegant holiday destinations has long been Michigan’s Mackinac Island, with Victorian architecture, yacht-filled marinas – and car-free streets! Explore by bike or on foot; join a fishing charter and catch your first whitefish; take kayak lessons or try parasailing. My tip: Pronounce it MACK-in-awe.
The Northern Lights are magical in the Great Lakes. Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park is an International Dark Sky Park. With no light pollution, you can watch the pulsating array of colours ranging from pink, red and violet to pale green, blue and yellow.
South of Joliet on Route 66, Illinois’ Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie has revived the flora and fauna that once sustained herds of bison and Native American communities. Today, hiking and biking trails criss-cross the 9,000 acres, where bison still roam.
My tip: Pronounce it Mi-DAY-win.
Ohio’s Ash Cave is a natural wonder. Horseshoe-shaped, 700 feet long and 90 feet high, it is sited on a popular hiking trail in Hocking Hills State Park where the surrounding valley is known for its gorgeous wildflowers, such as trout lily, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, jewelweed, trillium and Dutchman’s breeches.
Until a tornado struck in 2003, the Kinzua Viaduct was one of the USA’s longest and tallest railroad viaducts. Today, north-western Pennsylvania’s Kinzua Bridge State Park pays tribute to it with a breathtaking Sky Walk, set on recycled trestles, stretching out 624 feet over the Kinzua Gorge. Its glass floor offers views of the valley floor 225 feet below.
ADRENALINE RUSH — One of North America’s longest and fastest ziplines is at Camelback Resort in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Stretching eight stories above the ground, the 4,000ft-long Zip Flyer is exhilarating – and provides great views! For white-water thrills, Wisconsin’s rugged Upper Wolf River, north-west of Green Bay, guarantees rapids and riffles, eddies and natural surf waves.
BIG CITIES; OUTDOOR FUN — In the Great Lakes, even the biggest cities offer outstanding recreational adventures.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — In Chicago, a great way to enjoy the outdoors is with Kayak Chicago. On their themed guided tours, you paddle along the Chicago River for unusual views of the Windy City. Take architecture tours in the birthplace of the skyscraper, dreamy sunset trips or even an exciting paddle through the city by night!
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Columbus is known for its hip Short North Arts District scene, but for the more daring, Ohio’s state capital boasts the USA’s first urban via ferrata (climbing route), set in an old quarry. Harnessed and helmeted, you follow guides on the 1,040ft-long Quarry Trails Metro Parks Via Ferrata using metal rungs, ladders and safety wire to cross a limestone cliff that reaches heights of more than 100 feet.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK — At the eastern tip of Lake Erie, Buffalo is the ideal base for visiting thundering Niagara Falls, particularly memorable when seen from the deck of an excursion boat. But there is also outdoor fun in Canalside, the heart of Buffalo’s waterfront revival. Rent kayaks, paddle boards and, more unusually, water bikes, a combo of bicycle and catamaran. Perfect for pedalling along the Erie Canal!
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN — The residents of Marquette are bike mad. Located on Lake Superior in the state’s Upper Peninsula, this working port has a fun 12-mile-long, self-guided trail through the city, as well a 150-mile-long network of well-maintained mountain bike paths on the outskirts. As these are graded, you can find the route to suit your level and experience.
USEFUL WEBSITES: Great Lakes: greatlakesusa.co.uk, llinois: enjoyillinois.com, Michigan: michigan.org, Minnesota: exploreminnesota.com, Ohio: facebook.com/ohiotheheartofitall, Pennsylvania: visitpa.com, Wisconsin: travelwisconsin.com
