North Country Trail Association - Marquette Area Chapter directory

The Marquette Area Chapter, the first chartered Chapter of the NCTA, is located in the central upper peninsula (UP) of Michigan. Marquette, an official NCTA Trail Town and largest city in the UP, serves as the Chapter’s base. For hikers heading west, Marquette is the last town the trail travels through for about 200 miles, making it an essential stopping point for resupply. Our Chapter holds three general membership meetings per year with varied topics of interest to our members. Other activities include periodic hikes and snowshoes, along with events celebrating National Trails Day in June and the North Country National Scenic Trail Day / National Public Lands Day in September. Throughout the hiking season, our Trail Crew and Trail Adopters schedule multiple days to maintain the trail each month. We welcome one and all to attend and participate in our Chapter activities! Connect with us and learn more about our upcoming events.

The Marquette Area Chapter begins at the Long Lake Outlet 1.1 miles west of Craig Lake State Park in eastern Baraga County, travels across Marquette County - the largest county in the state - and ends at Rock River Road in western Alger County for a total distance of about 110 miles. Along the way are some great attractions, some requiring the hiker to use a spur trail to access: Rock River Falls, Laughing Whitefish Falls, Lakenenland Sculpture Park (a drop-in shelter is provided for long-distance NCT hikers), Lake LaVasseur, the Lake Superior Shoreline, the City of Marquette, the Dead River Storage Basin, Hogback Mountain, Sugarloaf Mountain, more Lake Superior shoreline at Wetmore Landing and Little Presque Isle Recreation areas, the Elliott Donnelley Wilderness, the Little Garlic Falls, unnamed falls on the Little Garlic River, unnamed falls on the Dead River, the McCormick Wilderness, and Craig Lake State Park, Michigan’s most remote state park. Much of our trail is remote and rugged so if you are searching for solitude: Head southeast of Mangum Road and hike east, or head west of County Road 510 and hike west. If you prefer more traveled trail, hike between those two locations.