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Dog-Friendly Hikes in Michigan

The directory currently contains 42 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Michigan. Their average mapped distance is 4.3 km and average recorded ascent is 31 m (102 ft); the longest route in the set is 15.2 km.

This subset represents 20% of the 214 quality-checked routes in Michigan. Its average distance is 4.3 km, compared with 18.3 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 31 m (102 ft), versus 72 m (236 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

These routes either have dogs marked as allowed or meet the directory’s dog-score threshold. Current land-manager rules take precedence. Within this set, 35 routes (83%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 13 (31%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.9 km

Galien River County Park Trails

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

River Point Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

2 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Typical duration
27 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
58 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
13 m
Typical duration
28 min
  • Lake
  • River
  • Wildlife watching
Navigation Structures at South Haven Harbor, Michigan, Mouth of the Black River at Lake Michigan South Haven
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
2.5 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
13 m
Typical duration
32 min
  • Lake
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
28 min
  • Lake
Front and southern side of the Wright-Brooks House , located at 122 N. High Street in Marshall , Michigan , United States . Built in 1842, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places .
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Typical duration
30 min
  • River
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Typical duration
19 min
  • Forest
Gogebic Ridge Trail Rock bluff along the Gogebic Ridge hiking trail, between M64 and Old M64. Ottawa National Forest. Ontonagon County, ichigan. Photo taken May 8, 2005.
Moderate

Michigan · United States

Distance
14.5 km
/ 9.0 mi
Elevation gain
302 m
Typical duration
3 hr 28 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
9 min
  • River
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Typical duration
20 min
  • River
Moderate

Michigan · United States

Distance
11.1 km
/ 6.9 mi
Elevation gain
25 m
Typical duration
2 hr 21 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
7.3 km
/ 4.6 mi
Elevation gain
31 m
Typical duration
1 hr 35 min
  • Forest
Moderate

Michigan · United States

Distance
15.2 km
/ 9.5 mi
Elevation gain
150 m
Typical duration
3 hr 24 min
  • Lake
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
5.9 km
/ 3.7 mi
Elevation gain
15 m
Typical duration
1 hr 15 min
  • Lake
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Typical duration
18 min
  • Forest
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
26 m
Typical duration
53 min
  • Lake
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
6.3 km
/ 3.9 mi
Elevation gain
94 m
Typical duration
1 hr 28 min
  • Lake
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
5.0 km
/ 3.1 mi
Elevation gain
67 m
Typical duration
1 hr 8 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Michigan · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
54 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • Lake
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
8 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • River
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
6.0 km
/ 3.7 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
1 hr 17 min
  • Lake
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • Lake
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
7 min
  • Lake
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
6.7 km
/ 4.2 mi
Elevation gain
40 m
Typical duration
1 hr 27 min
  • Lake
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.8 mi
Typical duration
35 min
  • Lake
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.5 mi
Typical duration
51 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Michigan · United States

Distance
13.6 km
/ 8.5 mi
Elevation gain
36 m
Typical duration
2 hr 54 min
  • Lake
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
33 m
Typical duration
40 min
  • Lake
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
7 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Michigan · United States

Distance
8.8 km
/ 5.5 mi
Elevation gain
41 m
Typical duration
1 hr 54 min
  • River
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
20 min
  • River
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Typical duration
28 min
  • River
Easy

Michigan · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
8 m
Typical duration
14 min
  • River

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
River Point TrailMichigan2.1 km0 m27 minEasyApril to October
River TrailMichigan4.6 km6 m58 minEasyApril to October
Lake LoopMichigan2.1 km13 m28 minEasyApril to October
Otter Creek Loop (Platte Plains)Michigan7.3 km19 m1 hr 33 minEasyApril to October
Pebble Creek Ravine TrailMichigan1.9 km0 m24 minEasyApril to October
Galien River County Park TrailsMichigan0.9 km24 m14 minEasyApril to October
Harbor WalkMichigan2.5 km13 m32 minEasyApril to October
Lost Lake Loop EastMichigan2.1 km20 m28 minEasyApril to October
Marshall RiverwalkMichigan2.4 km0 m30 minEasyApril to October
Turtle Creek PreserveMichigan0.5 km0 m7 minEasyApril to October

River Point Trail, River Trail, Lake Loop currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

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