CRAWFORD COUNTY -- Hartwick Pines State Park will offer guided snowshoe hikes through the old growth forest on Jan. 8 and 22, Feb. 5 and 19, and March 5.
These hikes will give visitors a chance to try out snowshoes and hike through the Lower Peninsula’s largest stand of old-growth white pines.
The tours are guided by a park interpreter or historian.
Participants will discover the importance of winter to Michigan’s logging industry in the 1800s. It is a great learning experience and workout for those who get involved.
The hikes begin at the Michigan Forest Visitor Center with an orientation and introduction to Hartwick Pines and a short talk on winter survival and equipment. The group then departs from the auditorium of the visitor center into the woods.
The hike is approximately one mile and will head through the old growth forest of white pine and hemlock, stop at deer beds, and look for signs of porcupines and other animals that use the forest in the winter.
The group will also visit the logging museum. Folks will have a chance to warm up with a cup of hot cider around the fire pit at the logging museum. They’ll hear stories about the “shantyboys” who endured a winter in the woods.
The guided hikes will begin at 1 p.m. and last until about 3 p.m. The hikes will be limited to 20 participants for each hike. Advanced registration is required. The hikes are free, but please call the visitor center at Hartwick Pines at 989-348-2537 or stop in at the Visitor Center (normally open daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) to sign up.
