Greenstone Ridge Trail

The Greenstone Ridge Trail is a 40-mile-long (64 km) hiking trail on Isle Royale, in Lake Superior, northern Michigan. The island is within Isle Royale National Park.

Greenstone Ridge Trail
Length40 miles (64 kilometres)[citation needed]
LocationMichigan
UseHiking
Elevation gain/loss1,555 m (5,102 ft)
DifficultyMedium
Trail in woodlands.

There are no roads on the island, a wilderness area and national park, so the trail doubles as the primary means of land transportation across the island. [1][2]

Route

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The trail extends from Windigo Harbor and the Windigo Ranger Station on the island's western end, east across Isle Royale, to Rock Harbor and the Rock Harbor Lodge. [1]

The Greenstone Ridge Trail generally follows the top of Greenstone Ridge, a low ridge that forms the east/west spine of the island and surmounts Mount Desor, the highest point of Isle Royale.[1] Hikers may appreciate the higher elevations as they can reduce biting mosquitoes, which are found in great numbers in the lower elevation wetlands.

Natural history

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Hikers may see signs of the wolves and moose on Isle Royale; although scarce and shy, the woodlands that adjoin the trail are their habitat.[2] The Greenstone Ridge and its Trail are both named after Chlorastrolite (Greenstone), a local semiprecious stone that is the state gem of the U.S. state of Michigan. Greenstone can be seen in various locations on Isle Royale, including shoreline pebbles.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Michigan Atlas and Gazetteer (10th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2002. pp. 114–115.
  2. ^ a b "Across Isle Royale by Foot". gorp.com. Archived from the original on 2010-05-13. Retrieved 2010-01-09.

48°02′07″N 88°48′31″W / 48.03528°N 88.80861°W / 48.03528; -88.80861