Nara Nature Park Trailhead

8/17/2010-8/31/2010: We have just been LOVING the Nara Nature Park Trail area. It is located on 41 South of Houghton, by the animal shelter. It is a great trail system! There have been all kinds of blackcap berries to snack on while hiking the trails this late August. Some of the best places for berries are located along the 'River Loop' by the Pilgrim River and between the base of the sledding hill and the 'River Loop' trail. YUM! There are also many thimbleberries located along the trails. We have seen lots of wildlife. By the river we saw a blue heron and have seen deer in the woods. There are lots of squirrels and birds to be enjoyed. During the spring and summer, butterflies fill the meadows and wildflowers are everywhere. The trails are well posted and are assigned difficulty ratings of easy, moderate and difficult. Some trails are wide and others are foot trails to be shared with mountain bikers. Some of the terrain is flat while other parts are quite hilly. Maps are located throughout the trail system. The Nara Nature Trails meet up with the Michigan Tech Trails creating miles and miles of trails to be enjoyed.

Central Mine

8/15/2010: Today we went to the Central Mine and hiked the Power House Loop. Central was once a mining town that offers itself as a great family area to explore. Some of the buildings are kept to period. You can tour the buildings and way of life of it's former occupants from the 1800's. Today the weather was cool for August. The trail was easy to follow and wound through the woods and by some of the old buildings. The terrain was hilly and at times could be a little steep offering some pretty views. Included is a picture of the powder building. Central is located off 41 going north of Phoenix. For more information about this area check out the site http://www.keweenawhistory.org/central.html which includes a link to a map to Central.