North Country Trail: Exploring Maple Hill

This section of the North Country Trail brought me to Maple Hill in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. From a parking lot just off of West highway 40 I hiked through the woods to East Lake Road. This 8.2 mile out and back totaled for roughly 16.4 miles. The trail winded through the woods over the highway making its way to Bear Creek. After you cross the small stream and Little Bear Creek, you will come to a sign that is labeled "beaver dam". This is the biggest beaver dam I've ever saw. You can see in the video that the length of it stretches across the whole pond, a truly impressive structure. The wonderful unique cliffs of Maple Hill came into view shortly after crossing a two track. The back of Maple Hill has exposed limestone that reach considerable heights that gave the environment a movie scene feel. Farther ahead the trail brushes along marshy Guard Lake where another beaver dam resided.
I hope you enjoy this section of the North Country Trail and are able to enjoy these areas yourself!
(Date Recorded: November 22nd 2025)
~All music, photography, and videography in this video are produced by The Next Hill~
What's Over The Next Hill?
00:00 What's ahead on trail
1:05 Starting the hike
2:16 Bear Creek
3:22 Beaver Dam and marsh
3:38 Length of the Dam
5:21 Song: The Legends Are True
5:40 Maple Hill
7:38 Big construction equipment
8:04 Guard Lake
9:02 East Lake Road
9:10 Trail summary