Best Hikes with Children in Michigan

This book is a must-have if you're visiting Michigan with small kids. It is better than expected. There is great variety -- different types of hikes for different ages and abilities, even backpacking. The maps are good, and each hiking adventure is well described with all the information you need. Much more than hiking -- also camping and backpacking, as well as fishing and boating options. Many of the hikes are great for adults, too, who are just beginning to hike or backpack.

Get your kids out-of-doors! Jim's books are all good - but this one fills an important niche, and does so just perfectly. It's really not comprehensive, as Michigan offers some excellent day-hiking, and much of it is appropriate for kids. But there's more than enough to keep you and young explorers busy, and Jim's excellent notes on each hike will help you decide which to try first. Kids over 9 or 10 (especially those already very out-doors oriented) might be bored with many of these. But that fact is part of what makes the book so valuable. These hikes are actually the harder ones to find - hikes that are especially appropriate for really young kids (and perhaps their weary or indoorsy parents). The trails are short, sweet, and especially entertaining.