🏕️National Park Data
Hiking on trail
Fall colors along the trail
Hiking on the North Country Trail
North Country trail sign
Bulletin board at a trailhead in a forest that features a map and brochures.
National Scenic Trail

North Country National Scenic Trail

Michigan · Minnesota · North Dakota · New York · Ohio · Pennsylvania · Vermont · Wisconsin

💰
Entrance Fee
Free
🕐
Hours
All Day
📍
Location
Lowell, MI
📞
Visitor Center
(616) 330-2456

Come to the North Country. Trek the hills and valleys. Stand on the shores of lakes & streams from glaciers 10,000 years before. Clear-flowing water, red/gold of autumn, a fairyland of snow, open prairies, and distant horizons paint the land. Historic sites along the way tell how America settled and grew as a nation. From North Dakota to Vermont, adventure is never far away.

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About North Country National Scenic Trail

North Country National Scenic Trail is a national scenic trail located in Michigan and Minnesota and North Dakota and New York and Ohio and Pennsylvania and Vermont and Wisconsin. With the trail going through more than 4,800 miles through eight states from the Northeast to the Great Plains, weather along the trail can be highly variable. You could be subject to any kind of weather or temperature related emergency depending on your location and the season. Be careful to protect yourself from heat-related illnesses and hypothermia while out on the trail. Be mindful of lightning, severe storms, and other environmental hazards common to the “North Country.”

There are numerous trailheads to access the trail. Find North Country Trail Association's Maps and Trails Data to help you get there at https://northcountrytrail.org/trail/maps.

💰 Entrance Fees & Passes

Entry to North Country is completely free. There are no general entrance fees or vehicle passes required to access this park unit.

🥾 Things to Do

North Country National Scenic Trail offers visitors a diverse selection of outdoor experiences. You can participate in a wide array of activities, most notably Biking, Mountain Biking, Camping, Backcountry Camping, and 14 other recreational activities, depending on the season and weather conditions. Path options exist for both casual strollers and expert backcountry adventurers.

✅ Biking
✅ Mountain Biking
✅ Camping
✅ Backcountry Camping
✅ Guided Tours
✅ Self-Guided Tours - Walking
✅ Hiking
✅ Backcountry Hiking
✅ Front-Country Hiking
✅ Horse Trekking
✅ Horseback Riding
✅ Skiing
✅ Cross-Country Skiing
✅ Snowshoeing
✅ Wildlife Watching
✅ Birdwatching
✅ Shopping
✅ Gift Shop and Souvenirs

📦 Recommended Gear & Packing Checklist

Custom items selected for activities at North Country

0 of 11 packed

🎒 Trail Essentials

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🥾 Activity-Specific Gear

🛒 Shop
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🧥 Apparel & Layers

🛒 Shop
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💡 Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

📋 Visitor Planning Tips for North Country

  • →Beat the Crowds: Arrive at the main gates or trailheads of North Country before 8:00 AM. Parking spaces at popular locations fill up extremely fast, especially during warm peak season weekends.
  • →Monitor Active Alerts: There are currently 1 active alerts for North Country. Keep an eye on the alert notifications at the top of this guide for crucial information regarding closures or safety issues.
  • →Secure Campsites Early: Lodging and developed campgrounds within and surrounding North Country get booked out months in advance. Make reservations on recreation.gov as early as the window opens.
  • →Leave No Trace: Help protect the delicate ecosystems of North Country. Stay on marked trails, pack out all of your waste, and keep a respectful distance from wildlife.
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Come to the North Country. Trek the hills and valleys. Stand on the shores of lakes & streams from glaciers 10,000 years before. Clear-flowing water, red/gold of autumn, a fairyland of snow, open prairies, and distant horizons paint the land. Historic sites along the way tell how America settled and grew as a nation. From North Dakota to Vermont, adventure is never far away.

Frequently Asked Questions about North Country

The entrance fee for North Country National Scenic Trail is Free per vehicle. The America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all 474+ NPS sites and pays for itself after just 2-3 park visits.

About the Author

🧗

James R. Mitchell

Founder & Lead Writer — National Park Data

James has visited all 63 designated US national parks and has been writing about outdoor travel for over 12 years. He spent 8 years as a wilderness guide in the Rocky Mountains before founding National Park Data to help visitors plan better, safer, and more enjoyable park trips.

🏔️ 63 Parks Visited✍️ 12 Years Writing🧭 Wilderness GuideFull Bio →
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