Hike Ogemaw Hills Pathways
Here is a little adventure guide for a great hiking spot, Ogemaw Hills Pathways, in my hometown of West Branch, MI. When I ran a poll with my local audience, I was surprised to see that over 70% of the respondents had never visited this spot, and guess what… I hadn’t either! I actually didn’t even know of it’s existence until recently, but I’m so glad to have learned about this little treasure we have just 5 miles from downtown. The pathways are popular cross country skiing trails in the winter, and welcome hikers and bikers during the warmer months.
Map Source: West Branch Visitors Bureau
I have to admit that I kiiindddd of went into the day thinking that the trails would be pretty flat and straight through the woods. Well, about five minutes into the hike I learned I was wrong and needed to eat my words. (Oops). We parked at the Sage Lake Road entrance (directions below), and chose to hike the “most difficult” loop, because why wouldn’t we choose that with a stroller, toddler, and infant? I guess we like a good challenge?
We hiked in about a mile and a half, and then had to turn back to get to The Highway Brewing Co. (*shameless plug*), but we look forward to going out again and accomplishing the full loop! I’m sure you would get farther if you didn’t have little ones in tow, but we had a great time taking the boys along with us.
How did the boys do? While he walked and explored bits and pieces of the trail, Soren ended up riding quite a bit of the hike in the stroller. I’m curious to try the easier paths to see if he might be able to go a bit farther on his own. The paths are very clearly marked and the path itself is groomed and obvious, so it was easy for Soren to follow along without us worrying too much about him straying off. Konrad was nestled in our Ergo carrier and fell asleep halfway through after a brief fussing moment - so MVP goes to him.
Ethan and I lived in Marquette for several years, and unlike many trails in the Upper Peninsula on a Saturday morning, we hardly saw anyone at Ogemaw Hills Pathways! In fact, we only ran into one person actually walking the trail, and then we waved (quite enthusiastically by Soren) to one bike rider that passed us.
Overall, the pathways were really beautiful, not crowded at all, and much more of a dynamic hiking spot than I initially thought they would be — sorry for prejudging you, Ogemaw Hills Pathways!
A couple things to bring when you go:
If you are bringing a stroller, I highly recommend a jogging stroller versus a traditional 4-wheeler. Oof. It was killer on the hills and uneven surfaces. I learned my lesson. That being said, we haven’t tried the easy paths yet- and those might be a breeze with a traditional stroller! (We’ll explore and report back!)
Bug. Spray. In copious amounts. We were thoroughly doused in bug spray which pretty much kept them at bay, but had we not applied it before we would have been eaten alive, I think.
A Recreation Passport. If you don’t have one with your Michigan license plate already, you can head up to the Secretary of State office to have one added. When you renew your license the cost is $11, and if you get it outside of the renewal period it’s $16 (they add a $5 convenience fee). For more details on pricing, where to purchase, and where you can use the passport, visit: DNR Recreation Passport
Directions:
Head toward downtown West Branch from exit 212, until Fairview Road (right between Rite Aid and Walgreens). Take Fairview out just over five miles. The trailhead is on the right by Clear Lake Road. If you want to head in from the Sage Lake trailhead like we did, just keep going up the road a bit to turn right onto Sage Lake Road. The trailhead is about a mile up on the right. Everything is really clearly marked, so watch for the recreation signs to guide you!
And, of course we made a highlight reel for our little Saturday morning escapade and you can see that below.