Porcupine Tower is fairly easily claimed as a distinct summit from Porcupine Ridge. The trail has many switchbacks, but they help maintain a wonderful grade up the entire mountain. Trail Description: From the trailhead, cross over a small fork of Porcupine Creek and pass an old cabin on the left side of the trail. A Parks sign is found along the road near the start of the hike. The hike from Tranquille Lake up to Porcupine Ridge is a hike that is listed in many sources – in hiking books, on websites, on recreational maps, and in regional literature. Offers great views of the surrounding area. With each step, more mountains become visible and your view up the Valentine Creek drainage gets better. The seemingly forested ridge between the two forks of Porcupine Creek is a fun trip for experienced off-trail hikers. The Porcupine Creek Trail starts 5.5 km along the Jesmond Road. After losing height from Porcupine Ridge, we were pleasantly surprised to find some moderate (exposed) scrambling along the ridge towards the tower. As you get higher, the trees gradually give way to low growing alpine plants and subalpine fir. The hike is tough, going straight uphill for a significant portion, with some ups and downs right before reaching the peak. The area around North Dome is very exposed with few trees, so make sure you have plenty of water and sunscreen. The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park offers some of the region’s best backcountry trails, and the day hiking options are almost endless. Choose any trail, and you’ll be astounded by the natural beauty of the area, whether you’re cresting a ridge to take in the spectacular views at Lake of the Clouds or stopping to rest by a bubbling waterfall. It covers 60,000 acres and is Michigan's largest state park. 40 (Kananaskis Trail) at Porcupine Creek bridge. Our lodging properties surround the park and make the perfect base camp for exploring backcountry lakes and waterfalls. Porcupine Peak (also known as Goat Peak) is a little known trail that begins beside the popular Lindeman and Greendrop Lakes trailhead. Via #12 Porcupine … Cross Porcupine Creek and travel parallel to the creek for a short distance until you begin to cross a hillside on an old dirt road directly above the creek. Day Hikes, Short Scenic Hikes & Backpacking. While the ridge is essentially a hike or easy scramble, the tower is much more engaging and demanding. Porcupine Lookout Difficult. It is the first leg of the Masters Sub-Alpine Trek, a route all the way across the Bonaparte Plateau to Bonaparte Lake. The world famous Porcupine Rim ride is a must-do on any mountain bike bucket list and is a classic Moab ride. The trailhead is a bit tricky to find. At 15.6 miles, requiring expert technical skills, this ride is for advanced bikers who are in good shape. The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park offers some of the best hiking and backpacking trails in the upper Midwest (ranked #2 by Silent Sports Magazine). The Porcupine Rim Trail is the "other" famous classic ride at Moab. Porcupine Rim Trail. Lost Lake Trail. Take the Indian Rock Trail spur either on your way to or back from North Dome to view the only granite Arch in Yosemite, and the whole High Sierras. Edwards Rating: II (III) M M - for the complete traversePorcupine Ridge's official trail ends at about 4.5 km and is pretty much a hike with some easy to moderate (if you stick to the ridge all the way) scramble on the ridge where you can avoid some exposed sections if you want. A signed backroad winds up past the powerline and into the Two Mile Creek valley, then over to Porcupine Creek. View a map or read descriptions of trails in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The actual hiking trail is found 740m farther along this road (close to N51 05.048 W121 48.806). 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