need help planning trip!

“my 13 yr old and one of his friends want to go backpacking with me & trix. both kids are experienced campers, reasonably fit, pain-tolerant and best of all, willing to put up with me for a couple days :)


normally, i wouldn't hesitate to choose our trip destination in the usual way (kinda like throwing a dart at the map) but the friend has indicated he'd like to have some kind of swimming involved. he's never backpacked before, so i need a trail that's not toooo horrendous and has a river, waterfalls, or lake. it's gotta be within 4 or 5 hours of the border and i'd prefer something under 20 miles.

any ideas??”

“your location is what?”

“sw ontario.
i cross at buffalo or port huron/detroit.”

“so, you want to do this in the US?”

“i haven't decided yet. frontenac p.p. is at the top of my list, although it's expensive and it might be too late to make reservations for any of the backcountry sites in our parks here in ontario.
and that's reason #1 why i prefer to go to the US for my trips...it's way less regulated”

“UP of MI is withing 5-6h from Detroit/Port H.

check the threads about porkies and NTC or Pictured rocks..

not really sure what is midstate though... near Oscoda MI, there is the au sable river and Huron NF.. but i don't recall trails there but that doesn't mean there aren't any.

southern OH and southern IN are about 6 maybe 7h from Detroit too.. In offers some good terrain for first time backpackers..
last edited: 7/28/09 1:20:15 PM”

“You check to see if the Allegheny National Forest has what you're looking for.”

“i was thinking maybe part of the BFT or something in Allegheny, or a loop in Frontenac, or perhaps up in the Bruce.
has anyone here been to the Kawartha Highlands or Queen Elizabeth II p.p.?”

“Loyalsock / Link Loop sounds exactly what you are looking for. It is 17 miles and has all of the above and it is mostly easy and moderate in some areas. Lovely campsites right along the Loyalsock Creek, which is basically a river and numerous waterfalls, a lake and lovely vistas and forests.”

“thanks ENS
what's the nearest town?”

“http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Allegheny%20National%20Forest&oe=utf-8&rls=FlockInc.:en-US:official&client=firefox&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/allegheny/”

“Helinka, Tarabull and I have a trip to Pic Rocks scheduled for late August. It's kid friendly (several will be attending from age 5-15) with low miles, HUGE dunes, great beaches, and Lake Superior.”