huckepack

Greenstone Ridge Trail

Length

Stated
About 67.1 km, the stated length (National Park Service)
Map line
62.9 km, OpenStreetMap along the official track
Used for
The charts on this page, and comparing trails in the search

about67.1km

Ascent · descent

This trail
Estimated from the terrain model (≈): no source states them
How
Every main stage's climbs and drops between samples 100 m apart
Keep in mind
In forests the model reads the treetops, so it reads high there

estimated: 1,200m ↑1,280m ↓

Difficulty

What
How hard the trail is, in three ways: the terrain, the climate in season and the length of the days
Scale
Easy to Hard, with the same thresholds for every trail; each takes its hardest measure
Keep in mind
It describes the trail, not how it will feel to you: that depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather you get
  • Terrain: DemandingNatural ground: 100 %
  • Climate: Hard in May–SepWind: 32 km/h (September)
  • Effort: EasyLongest day: ≈ 3 h 45 (stage 4)

All measures

Terrain: Demanding; Climate: Hard in May–Sep; Effort: Easy
Suggested
5–8days

Per stage

How
The 8 main stages' totals over their number
Source
National Park Service, so the averages come from one source
Ascent
The terrain model's estimate per stage (≈): the stages state no climbs

8km· about 150 m ↑
Season

Landscape

Source
ESA WorldCover satellite land cover, along the main route
  • Forest: 88%
  • Grassland and shrubs: 13%

Landscape along the route

Mostly Forest

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons by MDuchek, Ben+Sam, Tony Webster, Anthromesimages, NPS, Wade9801 and Jhodkiewicz at English Wikipedia; each photo's licence in the gallery

Location

Country
United States
Regions
Michigan
Start
Lookout Louise
Finish
Windigo
Route type
Point to point
Permit
Required · fee charged
Travel hubs
  • Thunder Bay International Airport (YQT)88.9 km by road · 86 min
Protected areas
Isle Royale National Park
Managed by
National Park Service, Isle Royale National ParkOfficial website
GPX
GPX trackOur tracing from OpenStreetMap
  • Trail
  • Start
  • Stage start
  • Finish
  • Contour lines

Difficulty

Terrain

Rates
How hard is the ground to walk: the path, the climbing, the steep bits, the ground underfoot?
How
Rated over the whole main route.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Path grade
the trail's SAC grade, stated, converted or estimated
  1. EasyT1
  2. ModerateT2
  3. DemandingT3
  4. HardT4 to T6
Climbing
ascent of the main stages over their length
  1. Easyunder 15 m per km
  2. Moderate15–30 m
  3. Demanding30–50 m
  4. Hard50 m or more
Steep stretches
share of the route steeper than 15 %, up or down (terrain model)
  1. Easyunder 5 %
  2. Moderate5–15 %
  3. Demanding15–30 %
  4. Hard30 % or more
Natural ground
share on footpaths and trails (OpenStreetMap); never Hard on its own
  1. Easyunder a third
  2. Moderatea third to two thirds
  3. Demandingtwo thirds or more

Demanding

  • SAC hiking scale

    This trail
    T2 (our estimate)
    Basis
    The National Park Service rates the trail for intermediate backpackers: an 18-inch-wide backcountry path over rocks and roots, with plank bridges and steep inclines, along exposed ridges and through forest, where changing trail conditions call for a map, compass and navigation skills. Mountain hiking on a rough but clear trail (T2).
    Scale
    The Swiss Alpine Club's hiking scale, from T1 (easy) to T6 (very hard)
    Why
    Trails rate difficulty in many local scales, or only in words; we translate each into this one so trails compare
    Keep in mind
    An estimate: how hard a trail feels depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather
    T1 · Hiking
    Well-made paths, mostly flat or gently sloping. No risk of falling; trainers are enough.
    T2 · Mountain hiking
    A continuous path, steep in places, where a fall can't be ruled out. Be sure-footed; wear hiking boots.
    T3 · Demanding mountain hiking
    The path is not always visible; exposed spots may have chains or ropes, and you may need your hands for balance.
    T4 · Alpine hiking
    Often no path. Hands are needed in places, terrain is exposed, and there can be easy snowfields.
    T5 · Demanding alpine hiking
    Mostly pathless, with easy climbing and exposed, demanding terrain. Needs alpine experience.
    T6 · Difficult alpine hiking
    Pathless, very exposed, with climbing and glaciers. For experienced mountaineers only.

    The scale at the Swiss Alpine Club

    estimated T2
  • Climbingestimated 19 m per km
  • Steep stretches0 % of the way
  • Natural ground100 %

Climate

Rates
How hot, cold, wet and windy does it get?
How
From 30 years of daily weather (ERA5), rated per month. Without months picked: the trail's best run of at least two season months, each measure at its hardest month. Pick months in the search to rate it for yours.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Heat
mean daily high at the lowest point
  1. Easyunder 22 °C
  2. Moderate22–27 °C
  3. Demanding27–32 °C
  4. Hard32 °C or more
Cold
mean nightly low at the highest point
  1. Easy8 °C or more
  2. Moderate3–8 °C
  3. Demanding−2 to 3 °C
  4. Hardbelow −2 °C
Wet days
days a month with 1 mm of rain or more, the wetter of both points
  1. Easyunder 10
  2. Moderate10–14
  3. Demanding14–18
  4. Hard18 or more
Snow
days a month with 1 cm of snow or more at the highest point
  1. Easyunder 1 day
  2. Moderate1–3 days
  3. Demanding3–6 days
  4. Hard6 days or more
Wind
mean of the day's strongest wind (hourly mean, 10 m above ground), the windier of both points; over land: a point whose 25 km weather cell is mostly sea takes the nearest mostly-land cell's
  1. Easyunder 15 km/h
  2. Moderate15–20 km/h
  3. Demanding20–25 km/h
  4. Hard25 km/h or more

Hard in May–Sep

  • Heat · August20 °C by day
  • Cold · May2 °C at night
  • Wet days · September11 days
  • Snow · May2 days
  • Wind · September32 km/h

Effort

Rates
How long are the days?
How
Rated by the longest main stage; a time range counts its upper end.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Longest day
walking time of the longest main stage, stated or by DIN 33466
  1. Easyup to 4 h
  2. Moderate4–6 h
  3. Demanding6–8 h
  4. Hardmore than 8 h

Easy

  • Longest day · stage 4estimated 3 h 45

Climate

Days in season · lowest point
7–20°C
Nights in season · highest point
2–16°C
Wet days a month
9–11
Daylight
12.5–16.0h
SeasonDay high and night low−20 °C−10 °C0 °C10 °C20 °C30 °CWet days, at the highest point51015Daylight8.8 h10.2 h11.7 h13.6 h15.1 h16.0 h15.7 h14.3 h12.5 h10.7 h9.2 h8.4 hJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Climate by month, 1995–2024 average
MonthLowest point, day high / night low (°C)Highest point, day high / night low (°C)Wet daysSnow daysFrost nights at the highest pointDaylight (h)
January-6.3 / -11.5-7.4 / -13.18.86.530.78.8
February-6.7 / -11.9-8.1 / -13.46.75.128.110.2
March-2.2 / -6.7-3.6 / -8.17.35.630.211.7
April2.2 / -1.40.6 / -2.88.86.524.713.6
May6.8 / 3.55.1 / 2.19.81.74.915.1
June11.8 / 8.310.2 / 7.18.80016
July17.3 / 14.115.9 / 12.98.60015.7
August19.7 / 1718.3 / 15.58.60014.3
September17.3 / 14.215.7 / 12.710.70012.5
October10.6 / 7.59 / 611.90.31.610.7
November4.1 / 0.52.5 / -110.14.516.49.2
December-1.5 / -6.2-2.8 / -7.610.97.9288.4

Climate by month

Source
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, averages for 1995–2024
Places
The trail's lowest and highest point, adjusted to their height
Bars
From the mean night low to the mean day high
Wet days
At least 1 mm of rain; snow days at least 1 cm of snow
Daylight
Sunrise to sunset in the middle of the month
Shading
The trail's season

Stages

RouteDistanceAscentDescentElevation
1Lookout Louise Mount Franklin8.0 km120 m ↑50 m ↓260 → 330 m
2Mount Franklin Mount Ojibway4.5 km60 m ↑50 m ↓330 → 350 m
3Mount Ojibway Chickenbone Lake9.2 km130 m ↑240 m ↓340 → 230 m
4Chickenbone Lake Hatchet Lake11.6 km340 m ↑250 m ↓230 → 320 m
5Hatchet Lake Ishpeming Tower6.1 km170 m ↑80 m ↓330 → 420 m
6Ishpeming Tower South Desor5.6 km50 m ↑160 m ↓410 → 300 m
7South Desor Island Mine8.4 km210 m ↑130 m ↓320 → 390 m
8Island Mine Windigo10.5 km120 m ↑320 m ↓400 → 200 m

Totals and averages count the main stages only. ≈ marks our estimates where the source gives no figure: ascent and descent and heights from the terrain model (Copernicus DEM, 30 m grid, sampled every 100 m), to the nearest 10 m.

Terrain

Highest · lowest point
434m high198m low

Gradient

Steepest climb
15 % (9°), 75 m up over 500 m, stage 4
Steepest descent
−9 % (5°), 47 m down over 500 m, stage 4
Gradient
Height per distance: 20 % is 20 m up per 100 m forward; 100 % is 45°, not 90°
Keep in mind
Averages over 500 m from a 30 m terrain model: steps and ladders within them are steeper
GradientAngleFeels like
10 %6°Noticeable on a road
20 %11°A steep path, slow going
30 %17°Very steep, often steps
100 %45°Scrambling

15% ↑−9% ↓

Steep stretches

This trail
0.2 km up, 0 km down: the darkest parts of the profile
Steep
15 % or more (9°, 15 m of height per 100 m), in 200 m stretches
Why it matters
Slow going uphill, hard on the knees downhill

0.2km

Surfaces

  • Natural ground: 100%, 62.4 km. Earth, grass, rock and roots: footpaths and forest trails. Can be muddy after rain.

100% natural
200 m400 m434 mStage 12Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 6Stage 7Stage 80 km62.4 km

Terrain along the route

Heights
Copernicus terrain model, 30 m grid, every 100 m along the main route; in forests it reads the treetops
Colours
Each 200 m by its gradient in walking direction: climbs warm, descents violet, darker when steeper (to ±30 %)
Ground
The strip below, from OpenStreetMap; the 35% without a surface tag is read from the way type (footpaths natural, tracks gravel)

Landscape

Forest88%Grassland and shrubs13%Stage 12Stage 3Stage 456Stage 7Stage 80 km62.4 km

Landscape along the route

Source
ESA WorldCover 2021, a 10 m satellite map
Points
Every 100 m along the main route; each takes the most common class within 30 m, so the path itself doesn't count as bare ground
Groups
Its eleven classes, folded into the six shown
Keep in mind
What the landscape looks like, not which plants grow there

Sleeping

Wild camping is restricted. Camp in the designated campgrounds named on your permit, first come, first served; off-trail (cross-country) camping is allowed only with an additional permit addendum. Fires only in the metal rings or grills of the few campgrounds that have them.

11.3 km without a bedCamping19Huts0Hostels0Rooms0Stage 12Stage 3Stage 4Stage 56Stage 7Stage 80 km62.4 km

Places to sleep along the route

Ticks
One per place to sleep: 19 campsites, 0 huts, 0 hostels, 0 guest houses
Counted
Within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end (stage towns often lie off the trail); no hotels or day shelters
Shaded
The longest stretch without any, km 22.8–34.1
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list closed ones, so book or check locally

Water & Supply

Clean water

This trail
62.4 km without clean water, km 0–62.4, stages 1–8
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Within 500 m: 1 taps, fountains and drinking springs
Not counted
The 2 places to sleep: The campgrounds' water sources are lakes and streams; boil it, or filter and chemically treat it. They count as any water
Source
OpenStreetMap; the counts include the approach and variant, the chart shows the main route

62.4kmScarce

Any water

This trail
39.6 km without any water, km 22.8–62.4
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Clean water, plus the 0 springs within 500 m and the places to sleep whose water isn't treated
Keep in mind
Spring water's quality is unknown: filter, boil or treat it, and expect some springs to run dry in late summer

39.6kmScarce

Shops

This trail
62.4 km without a shop, km 0–62.4
Counted
0 supermarkets, convenience and general stores and petrol station shops, within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end
Keep in mind
Small village shops are often missing in OpenStreetMap, and opening hours vary: check before relying on one

62.4km
Water · 39.6 km withoutPublic drinking water · 62.4 km withoutSprings (treat before drinking) · 62.4 km withoutRefills at places to sleep (treat before drinking) · 39.6 km withoutShops · 62.4 km withoutStage 12Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 6Stage 7Stage 80 km62.4 km

Water and shops along the route

Ticks
One per place along the main route
Counted
Drinking water and springs within 500 m; refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites within 500 m; shops within 1 km, or 3 km of a stage's end
Shaded
Each lane's longest stretch without. "Water" counts every kind and opens into one lane per kind, each with its own
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list ones that have closed or run dry, so check locally

Wildlife

Wildlife

Shows
Animals that can be dangerous to hikers on this trail: large animals, venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders, ticks, and plants that harm on touch
Level
Ours, read from the official source
High
A bite of a species it calls common can be life-threatening within hours
Moderate
It warns of attacks or serious harm, or places the trail in a risk area for tick-borne encephalitis
Low
The harm is mostly minor or treatable, or avoidable by how you behave
What to do
From the official source: National Park Service
Pictures
Silhouettes from PhyloPic, not to scale, each maker named with its advice; the landscape is the trail's own, drawn by us

Gray wolf Low

Gray wolf

Low danger

Wolves live throughout the island and are usually wary of people, leaving when they hear or smell humans; they may be seen along lakeshores, open areas and hiking trails.

If you meet one

  • Stow your food properly to limit the smell
  • Dispose of fish remains in water that is at least 50 feet deep or at least 200 feet from campgrounds, water sources, and trails
  • If you meet a wolf at close range (less than 25 feet) and it does not leave or is advancing: back away or make noise, but do not run away
  • If you observe them at more than 25 feet, leave the area but do not run
  • If you come upon a dead moose, keep moving away from the carcass and let park staff know the location
  • Report a wolf that shows unusual behaviour, such as lack of fear of humans, to park staff

Don't

  • Provide food directly or indirectly
  • Leave food or garbage in campsites or picnic areas
  • Bring pets; no pets are allowed on the island

Advice: National Park Service. Level: ours. Silhouette: François-Louis Pelissier (Canis lupus italicus), PhyloPic, public domain.