I have a great “Off-The-Beaten-Path” adventure for you. My family and I decided to go trail exploring at the Yankee Spring Recreation Area near Middleville, Michigan. We had been there before but in other parts of the park. I had read up on a trail called Long Lake Trail and searched on Google for maps and directions. Well, it was harder to find once we were in the area. At first it brought us to the Long Lake boat launch which was not what we wanted but good to know where it is. The trails were further down the road and the entrance is very small and hard to see the sign. When you’re on Gun Lake Road, you’ll want to look for the area where you can see a lake on both sides of the road. Then slow down because the entrance is on the left right after Duffy Road (almost right across from Duffy Road.) The trails are somewhat marked and they have maps available at the sign. We drove up the dirt road to Graves Hill Overlook and then started with the red trail marked E. That brought us directly to Devil’s Soup Bowl. The trail follows the ridge line of the bowl and you can look way down into the bowl. Hard to see much down in there during the summer since there are lots of trees. The trails are rugged but easily walk-able. There are different trails to follow, so be sure you know which one you’re on and the direction your heading. One could get lost if you’re not paying attention. Most of the trails seem to lead you back to a road, so you’ll be able to figure out where you are or ask for help. There is also a mountain biking trail which would be fun to try. We had a great time as a family hiking there and we hope to go back again soon. I highly recommend you make a point to stop there and have your own adventure.
