During my pre-trip research I knew we had to stop at a trail nicknamed the “Narnia Trail”.
Several years ago we took an incredible trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and I was hooked. The beauty of Lake Superior was like nothing I’d ever seen before. We spent the majority of our time between Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Au Train, and I knew that we couldn’t just pass through on our way north without stopping to see a single sight in the UP. We were on a schedule and had to make it to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario by late evening, but we had time to make a stop to hike the beautiful Bush Bay Trail.
Ohio is far from an adventurer’s paradise but we do have some very beautiful hiking, particularly in the Hocking Hills region of the state. From my online searching Bush Bay Trail brought to mind some of the beautiful hikes we’ve experienced there, but with the addition of the crystal clear, boulder-filled shoreline of Lake Michigan.
But after crossing the impressive Mackinaw Bridge we made a quick stop before the trail to stretch our legs at Castle Rock. The admission fee was only $1 per person, and after being in the car for a solid 8 hours we were ready for a break. It was a climb of just under 200 stairs to the top and gave us quite an expansive view of Lake Huron and the surrounding area (although it you’re very near the highway so it’s not exactly peaceful). Since it was a rather busy day we had to wait our turn to step out to the end of the viewing area and take a quick family selfie. Once we returned to the ground we took the opportunity to use the restrooms there and check out the gift shop. It was worth the stop, as long as you don’t mind the stairs.
We departed Castle Rock and traveled just under an hour to the north and east to reach an unassuming parking lot along the Lake Michigan shore which was the starting point for the Bush Bay Trail. At first it didn’t look like an out of the ordinary hike, but it didn’t take long to realize that this trail was truly something special. The trail as you can see in the image below, with a wide cushiony bed of pine needles under foot, but as we continued along we had to be much more mindful of where we stepped due to uneven terrain, rocks, and roots.
The trail is a child’s dream – complete with curiously shaped trees, dump truck sized boulders and varied plant life. There were times when we needed to squeeze through rocky passageways and hop from one boulder to the next.
I’m continually in awe of the beauty of the Great Lakes. I used to be an ocean-loving person, but over the past 10 years with countless trips to the lakes I have come to appreciate the wonder that they are. The proximity of the Bush Bay trail to Lake Michigan is part of its charm – you never know if the water will be peeking through the trees around the next corner, hidden completely from view, or if you will find yourself on a rocky outcropping, completely surrounded by water.
The start of our trip had been chaotic, beginning with the death of our refrigerator as we were getting ready to go to bed the night before. Our plan had been to leave around 4:30 am, but since we were cleaning out warm food until midnight we decided to postpone our departure a few hours so that we could sleep. As we were driving we were making arrangements for a repairman to come out and take a look, and miraculously he was able to come out that day. Unfortunately his determination was that our fridge was done, and that meant we either needed to order a new one and arrange for delivery while we were away, or be without one for an undetermined length of time when we returned a week later. We also knew that due to having a built in set up that was not a standard size it was going to be challenging and expensive to replace. I was beyond thankful to get out of the car and soak up the scenery at the Bush Bay Trail, to shake off the stress of the past 24 hours and watch the boys enjoy some time in nature too.
