,
OpenStreetMap
,
park map
,
OpenStreetMap
,
park map
Photos from the Crooked Lake Trail, including views of Silver, Crooked and Pickerel Lakes:
Photos of Trail Marker 7 and points farther west near Markers 4, 5 and 6:
Overview: The Pinckney State Recreation Area offers several hikes with trailheads near the park headquarters at Silver Lake:
.
My experience has been that these are more accurate than what is posted
on the Michigan DNR website.
Beyond the hikes that originate near Silver Lake, additional options for Pinckney hikes include
Mountain bikes are not allowed on the Losee Lake Trail.
Leashed dogs are allowed throughout.
The trails pass through areas where hunting (in season) is allowed.
Update (Summer 2022):
On the Waterloo-Pinckney Trail, bikes were at one time allowed
only on the portion that overlaps with the Potawatomi Trail.
Marker
12 
near Blind Lake is where the trails separate; bikes were
forbidden on the W-P Trail beyond this point. However, the mountain
biking crowd seemed to think it unbearable that one could
not easily ride one's bike from the Potawatomi Trail to the DTE Energy
Foundation Trails west of M-52. Consequently in June 2022 the
W-P Trail was opened up to bike traffic in both directions between
Marker 12 and Embury Road.
Update (Summer 2024):
The Potawatomi Trail is undergoing
renovations ,
and this has led to some new routing in a few places.
For example, a counterclockwise hiker heading north on the segment
between the Hiland Lake access road and Patterson Lake Road will
discover that a new part of the trail now winds through
a stand
of pines
on a path that runs to the left (west) of the old route.
Also, once you cross Patterson Lake Road,
the old route followed the Gosling Lake access road to the boat launch
area before continuing northbound. Now, shortly after entering the
access road, the Potawatomi branches off to the left, and later crosses
the access road before continuing along the old route north of the
boat launch.
Update (December 2024):
The latest renovations of the Potawatomi have resulted in a
drastic re-routing
of the trail
in the area south of Patterson Lake Road
and north of Halfmoon and Hiland Lakes. In particular, Markers 10
and 11 are in new locations, and there are segments of the original
Potawatomi that still appear on maps but no longer exist. Some tips
for navigating through this changed landscape are provided below.
)
and proceed from there to Marker 2.
Mountain bikes are not allowed on this section of the trail.
The Silver Lake Trail. From Trail Marker 1,
this 2.3 mile route passes through Trail Markers 2, 3, 4, and 5
in that order, ending at Trail Marker 7 near the south parking lot.
Along the way, it traverses up and down a few steep hills
and passes through woods and wetlands. Highlights include good views
of Silver and Pickerel Lakes. Look for the
stone
fireplace and
root
cellar
roughly halfway between Markers 4 and 5.
The Crooked Lake Trail.
This 4.3 mile route passes through Trail Markers 1, 2, 9, 8, 3, and 2
before finishing back at Trail Marker 1. It includes some steep
hills in the first and last mile and crosses three streams as it winds
around Crooked Lake. Additional highlights include a scenic trek along
the north shore of
Pickerel
Lake . The OpenStreetMap reveals that
there are numerous
side trips
hanging off of this trail that you might want to explore.
In particular, since there are few good views of Crooked Lake from
the trail, you may want to take a detour down to the boat launch and
lakeside campground: after crossing Silver Hill Road, look for the
next dirt road crossing (at about the 1 mile mark) and take it west (left)
to the lake. Once there, you can either retrace your steps back to
the trail, or continue on the road as it takes you north and then
west
along the shoreline ,
ending with an uphill path heading northwest that rejoins
the trail at about the 1.6 mile mark.
I've saved a 4.4 mile route map that includes the lake shore side trip on
MapPedometer .
Roll your own hike. The trail network here is extensive and well-marked, so it is not hard to custom-build a hike of your own. A nice 5.1 mile hike that I enjoy combines the Silver Lake Trail and the southernmost part of the Potawatomi Trail by passing through Trail Markers 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 5, and 7 in that order. There is also the option to shave 1.2 miles off of this hike by taking the shortcut (shown on the trail map) leading more directly to Marker 6.
The Potawatomi Trail and abridgments thereof.
The Potawatomi Trail is a fantastic loop through hilly forested terrain interspersed with numerous lakes, streams, and wetland areas. Hikers traversing it counterclockwise will pass by Trail Markers 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 12, 4, 6, and 5, ending at Marker 7 near the south parking lot. However, at 18.6 miles long, it is not a day hike unless you are a hard core enthusiast.
For the rest of us, it is possible to use two shortcuts to create a more manageable 11 mile Mini-Potawatomi loop while still getting a full dose of what the trail has to offer.
The first shortcut is a more direct route between Markers 10 and 11
that will shave 4.7 miles off of the hike. And it is important
for map readers to understand that this route was significantly
altered in 2024 -- it is not the 1 mile 10-to-11 shortcut shown on
the original 2003 trail map. Markers 10 and 11 are now in entirely
new locations a few hundred feet
east
and
west
of Glenbrook Road, and the shortcut connecting them is
only 0.2 miles long. The OpenStreetMap does show this
new route ,
but keep in mind that it currently also shows some old segments
of the Potawatomi farther west that no longer exist.
The second opportunity to significantly shorten the hike occurs when you reach Marker 4. At this point you can trim off another 2.7 or 2.6 miles by following the tail end of either the Silver Lake Trail (4 -> 5 -> 7) or the Crooked Lake Trail (4 -> 3 -> 2 -> 1), depending on where you prefer to finish.
On MapPedometer, I've saved a
route map
for an 11.0 mile Mini-Potawatomi that ends at Marker 7.
New! If 11 miles is still too much of a good thing,
an alternative is this 9.1 mile
"Middle Potawatomi" route .
It starts and finishes at the
Pickerel Lake access site
near Marker 4 and uses a segment of the Crooked Lake Trail to pass from
Markers 4 to 8 to 9. As a result, it bypasses the Silver Lake area.
From Marker 9, it follows the Potawatomi
counterclockwise, and includes the new 10-to-11 shortcut.
Some additional options for Potawatomi hikers to consider:
* On the segment from Marker 9 to the Hiland Lake access road,
you may spot a
swing
on the other side of a narrow portion of Hiland Lake.
While you might expect the swing to be in a homeowner's back yard,
it is in fact on public land. For details about how to add a side
trip to this location, see the Micro-Potawatomi Trail below.
[Update (September 2024): While the side trip is still
of interest, the swing has, alas, vanished.]
* The shortcut that ran between the old locations of Markers 10 and 11
proceeded westbound along the Hiland Lake access road, across Glenbrook,
and then followed a second access road -- one that leads to a yurt
campsite -- before turning north and then west on the way to (old)
Marker 11. Although the last 0.35 miles of this route no longer exist,
the remaining parts can be combined with a new section of the
Potawatomi to create
an alternative shortcut
* Shortly after crossing Crescent Drive, the Potawatomi Trail merges onto
an access road that leads into a lakeside campground. While there are
excellent views
of Blind Lake
* About halfway along the 2 mile segment from Marker 12 to Hankerd Road,
you will notice a fork in the trail during a descent towards Dead Lake.
The Potawatomi follows the left branch around the north side of the lake,
while the right branch follows
a hilly route around the south side
The Micro-Potawatomi Trail.
Before the 2024 renovations of the Potawatomi Trail, there was a 1 mile
shortcut and a 5 mile long route connecting Markers 10 and 11, making
it possible to combine the two into a 6 mile Micro-Potawatomi loop.
Post-renovation, Markers
10
I've saved a route map for this 6.2 mile version of the
Micro-Potawatomi loop on
MapPedometer
All versions of the Micro-Potawatomi share highlights that include
dense woods, numerous boardwalks across wetlands, and views of
Gosling
Lake
A convenient starting point for the Micro-Potawatomi is a small
parking
area
At Marker 11, the 6.2 mile version of the Micro-Potawatomi follows the
Potawatomi southwest before
departing
southbound
A second advantage of this route is that it invites you to take a side
trip to the boat launch area at the end of the access road for a
good view of
Hiland
Lake
If instead you follow the 0.2 mile shortcut from Marker 11 to Marker 10,
you still have the option to include a Hiland Lake excursion.
It is a 0.4 mile hike south on the Potawatomi (the biker direction) from
Marker 10 to the access road and another 0.25 miles to the boat launch area.
The Losee Lake Trail.
If the other trails are overrun with mountain bikers,
a worthwhile hiker-only option in the Silver Lake area is the 3.3 mile
Losee Lake Trail.
It has its own set of trail markers (L1 through L6) and a
separate
trailhead
A nice alternative finale for the Losee Lake hike presents itself
at the point you return to Marker L2. As you head uphill there is a
short branch on your left that takes you to Silver Hill Road. Across
the road and a few yards south is a short trail that heads southwest
and joins the last mile of the Potawatomi Trail
through Markers 6, 5, and 7. I've saved a 4 mile route map for
this Losee Lake variation on
MapPedometer The Waterloo-Pinckney Trail.
Trail
Marker 7
Proceeding west from Marker 12, you will reach Goodband Road after 0.7 miles,
Hadley Road after 1.6 miles, Joslin Lake Road after 2.7 miles,
Embury Road and a no-bike zone after 3.25 miles, and Park Lyndon North
[see Hike #2] after 4.4 miles.
Thus you can set up an 8.2 mile or (without the shortcut) 11 mile
point-to-point hike between Park Lyndon and the W-P trailhead at Silver Lake.
The Bill Baker Trail and destinations nearby.
Near the spot where the W-P Trail crosses Goodband Road is a
small
parking area
During the summer, you can expect that the pond will be covered by an
aquatic
carpet
On MapPedometer, I've saved a route map for
a 4.85 mile hike
Note that the
map
Update 1: The Boy Scout camp was sold in 2022 and is now
The
Woodlands at Bruin Lake
Update 2: As a consequence of the recent renovations of the
Potawatomi Trail, and more particularly, the reconfiguration of the trail
west of Blind Lake discussed earlier,
the point where the above route appears to join the Potawatomi is
in fact no longer part of that trail. Nevertheless, I am happy to report
that as of January 2025, this orphaned trail segment is still open
and easy to follow. It should also be free of mountain bike traffic up
to the point where it joins the reconfigured Potawatomi 0.2 miles later
at Crescent Drive.
The trail renovations in this area now provide a scenic route
that runs along the edge of a steep hillside above Halfmoon and Blind
Lakes. To include it as a side trip on your Bill Baker loop, you should
turn left at the junction with the orphaned Potawatomi segment,
and follow the trail north to the
junction On mileage discrepancies and the rules of the road for
hikers and bikers:
The discrepancy between the posted mileage for
the Crooked Lake Trail and the length reported by MapPedometer
(5.1 miles vs. 4.3) suggests that the trail route has been
altered at some point in its history. A possibly related conundrum is
that if you examine the official trail map, you'll notice that
the Crooked Lake and Silver Lake Trails overlap from Marker 2
to Marker 3, but biking clockwise on these two loops would result in
two-way traffic on this segment.
A simple way to improve the situation would be to re-route
the Crooked Lake Trail (for hikers) so that it runs through Trail
Markers 1, 2, 9, 8, 3, 4, 5, and 7 in that order. This results
in a hike that MapPedometer reports as about 5 miles long, or 5.1 miles
if you add the walk across the parking lots back to Marker 1. It also
makes the rules of the road more sensible: for hikers, the Silver Lake,
Crooked Lake, and Potawatomi Trails would all start at Marker 1 and
finish at Marker 7, whereas bikers would all start at Marker 7 and
finish on Silver Hill Road near Marker 2.
I've saved the route for this "corrected" Crooked Lake Trail on
MapPedometer Directions:
Take I-94 west to Baker Road (Exit 167). Head north on Baker to
downtown Dexter, turning left onto Main Street. After passing
through downtown Dexter, continue straight through the one-lane
underpass below the railroad. You are now on Island Lake Road.
Follow it another 3 miles as it heads west-northwest, then turn right
(north) onto Dexter Townhall Road. After 3 miles you will cross North
Territorial Road. One mile beyond that intersection, turn left onto
Silver Hill Road and you will enter the Pinckney Recreation Area.
A Michigan
recreation passport
After passing through the entry gate you will see the park headquarters
on your left. Head for either of the two large adjacent parking lots
at Silver Lake. The near one is more convenient for the Waterloo-Pinckney
and Losee Lake trailheads, while the far one is closer to the
Silver Lake, Crooked Lake, and Potawatomi trailheads.
If you are headed for the Bill Baker Trail, follow the above directions
to the intersection of North Territorial and Dexter Townhall Roads.
Once there, proceed west on North Territorial for 2.9 miles to Hadley
Road. Turn right (north) onto Hadley. After 0.7 miles turn right again
onto (unpaved) Goodband Road. Continue north on Goodband and look for
the small
parking
area
For hiking the Middle or Micro-Potawatomi loop, head
west on North Territorial Road from Dexter Townhall Road as above.
After 1.5 miles, turn right (north) onto Hankerd Road.
The access road for Pickerel Lake and the Middle Potawatomi will
be on your right after 1.2 miles. For the Micro-Potawatomi,
continue on Hankerd as it twists and turns and eventually becomes
Glenbrook Road. After 3.5 miles, Glenbrook ends at a T-intersection
with Patterson Lake Road. Turn left (west) on Patterson and look for
the small
parking
area Excerpt from the website:
[The] Pinckney Recreation Area is a paradise for backpackers, mountain bikers,
anglers and other recreation enthusiasts. Pinckney is known for its
extensive trail system and chain of excellent fishing lakes. Over forty
miles of multi-use trail with remote campsites afford a backcountry
experience.
.
It will trim 0.2 miles off of a Middle or Mini-Potawatomi loop.
* Another new section of the trail is located
west of Blind Lake on the way to Marker 12
.
You will encounter it after passing the over the spot where
Watson Lake feeds
into Halfmoon Lake ,
climbing a hill, and arriving at a
fork in
the trail .
The reconfigured Potawatomi continues on the left branch, following a
twisty route along the edge of a steep hillside above Halfmoon and
Blind Lakes, eventually descending to Crescent Drive after 0.7 miles.
The right branch (the original routing of the Potawatomi) takes a more
direct 0.5 mile route to Crescent Drive and the two trails merge there.
While the new route is more scenic, you might prefer the old route as a
momentary respite from bike traffic. Note that the 11.0 mile
Mini-Potawatomi route posted above follows the right branch;
the 9.1 mile Middle Potawatomi follows the new left branch.
and
gorgeous
woods
along this route, there is
another path to Marker 12
-- probably part of a very old routing of the Potawatomi -- for those
interested in a
steep
climb
up to a ridge that sits high above the lake. The entry point is a narrow
trail heading uphill right at the spot where the Potawatomi merges onto
the campground access road. After the initial climb, the trail follows
the ridge and eventually descends to
Marker
12
where the Potawatomi and W-P Trails diverge. The hiker direction of the
Potawatomi continues straight ahead; a left turn leads back to Blind Lake
(the biker direction of the Potawatomi), and a right turn leads west along
the W-P Trail.
,
rejoining the Potawatomi about 0.5 miles later. You might prefer the
southern route for its lack of mountain bike traffic as well as for its
view
of the lake from
a higher elevation with fewer obstructions.
and
11
are in new locations, and the
two routes on the Potawatomi that connect them are now 0.2 miles and
4.9 miles long. However, it is also possible to piece together a 1.3 mile
route that is similar to the old shortcut; combining it with the 4.9 mile
route results in a 6.2 mile loop with certain advantages.
(Details to follow.)
.
.
You will also surely notice that the
northernmost stretch of the trail runs alongside a 12 foot high
fence topped with
barbed wire .
No, there isn't a state prison on the other side of that fence;
rather, it is the
Edwin S. George Reserve ,
a University of Michigan property used for biological field research.
on Patterson Lake Road about 200 yards west of the intersection with
Glenbrook. Counterclockwise hikers starting from there should cross the
road and follow the trail southbound. A short distance beyond that,
the trail turns to the southeast along a new route -- part of the 2024
trail renovations -- across an
open
field
on the way to Marker 11.
Map readers need to be aware that the old route as shown on the 2003
trail map did not have this southeastern turn; it continued in a
southwesterly direction. The OpenStreetMap currently shows both the
old and new routes
,
but beware that the old route no longer exists. The trail renovaters have
been very deliberate about tearing up the old route and burying it
underneath tree and shrub debris.
toward the yurt campsite, then east across Glenbrook Road to the
Hiland Lake
access road ,
finally rejoining the Potawatomi northbound on the way to Marker 10.
One advantage of this route is that it opens up a few more parking options
for staging your hike -- look for two small parking areas (such as
this
one )
along the first 0.2 miles of the access road.
.
This excursion will add 0.5 miles to your hike.
Once there, you may find it difficult to resist
the urge to extend your excursion by following a short trail leading
southwest from the adjacent parking area. Portions of this trail are
shown on the
OpenStreetMap .
Not shown on the map are two branches leading to small fingers of
land that jut out into the lake, offering additional
great
views
and a
swing .
[Update (September 2024): Alas, the swing has vanished.]
at the eastern edge of the south parking lot. The trail winds through
hilly hardwood and pine forests, interspersed with grasslands,
wetlands, and views of
Losee
Lake . For the best lake view,
venture about 100 yards northwest along the shoulder of Dexter Townhall
Road when you cross it on the way from Marker L5 to L6.
.
is where the 35-mile Waterloo-Pinckney Trail comes to an end.
The last 6.6 miles, running eastbound through Trail Markers 12, 4, 6, 5,
and 7, is shared with the Potawatomi Trail. For a westbound hike
starting at Marker 7, you may prefer the shorter 3.8 mile route to
Marker
12
that goes directly from Marker 5 to 4, bypassing Marker 6.
Whether you take the long or the short route, you will be traveling in
the same direction as the bikers. Once you venture beyond Marker 12,
you will be in a zone with two-way bike traffic.
that can serve as a launching point for hikes deep in
the interior of the Pinckney Recreation Area. In particular,
a short distance north from there is a
trailhead for
the Bill Baker Trail ,
a 3.25 mile loop that winds around a
large
pond ,
passes by a former
Boy Scout
camp
(permanently closed as of January 2020), and merges onto the
Potawatomi Trail [or rather, what was once part of the Potawatomi
Trail -- see Update 2 below] near
Blind
Lake .
Once you reach the crossing where the Potawatomi and W-P Trails diverge
at Marker 12, you should then switch to the W-P Trail for your return
to the parking area on Goodband Road.
(This assumes you are traversing the Bill Baker loop clockwise,
and therefore hiking against the flow of mountain bike traffic
on the portion that overlaps with the Potawatomi.)
.
that includes this loop as well as an out-and-back segment west to
Hadley Road on the W-P Trail. One of the rewards of this segment is a
hilltop
view
of the woods on the other side of Hadley. You may find it
difficult to resist the urge to continue hiking all the way to
Park Lyndon North.
posted at the trailhead for the Bill Baker Trail suggests that
it originally passed north through the Boy Scout camp
to Bruin Lake before turning east and merging onto the Potawatomi Trail.
However, whether closed or open, this camp is on private property and
hiking through it may be considered trespassing. The route map I've
posted turns east at Bartell Road and avoids the issue.
.
where the new route begins. On MapPedometer, I've saved a route map for
a 4.1 mile hike
that includes this side trip.
.
is required for vehicle entry.
on your left after 1.2 miles.
on your right (north) after 200 yards.
(A right turn on Patterson leads straight to
Hell .)
If the parking area is full, another option is to return to Glenbrook
Road -- 1/2 mile south of Patterson Lake Road on your left (the east side)
is the
access
road
for Hiland Lake. Look for two small parking areas a short distance down
this road, and initiate your hike by heading north from the second one.
If those spots are taken, there are several more parking spots near the
end of the road next to the boat launch.