North Country Trail: North Hodenpyl Dam road to Marilla Junction (The Backwaters)

For this section of the North Country Trail I hiked from North Hodenpyl Dam Road to Marilla Trail Junction. This was just a 6.3 mile out and back that totaled for around 12.6 miles. The trek started from Fletcher Creek Campground. I tip toed through the sleeping campground as I enjoyed views of the backwaters. The Hodenpyl Dam created this larger part of the Manistee River that flooded the area once known as Fletcher Valley. The backwaters are about 8 miles long and 1.5 miles at the widest. While I was walking along a boardwalk, two trumpeter swans came right up to the waters edge to feed. Not long after that I came across a Northern Map Turtle! I then passed through the outer rim of Northern Exposure Campground. A short road walk led me into my first section of the Manistee National Forest, where already, the expanse of trees felt larger. Once I reached the Marilla Trail junction I decided to swing around to the Hodenpyl dam. The Hodenpyl dam supplies power to around 5000 households in the area. After chatting with some people fishing on the backwaters, I headed back to the car.
(Filmed on 08/18/2025)
~All music, photography, and videography in this video is done by The Next Hill~
What's over the next hill?
00:00 Talking about what's ahead
1:11 Sunrise on the Backwaters
1:54 History of the Backwaters
3:56 Trumpeter Swans
4:52 Northern Map Turtle
6:25 Song: Omnipresent
7:35 Entering the Manistee National Forest
8:44 Marilla Trail Junction