Historic Trails Presented at Huron Trails Roundtable

August 2015

Agenda

Why scouts hike historic trails?

Historic Trails award vs. 50-Miler Award

Sources for historic trails

Organize/lead a hike safely

Create a historic trail

Why Hike Historic Trails?

1)Physical fitness and citizenship

development

2)Exciting component out outdoor program

3)Go towards advancement

4)Greater purpose

5)Help commemorate

an event

Histroic Trails vs 50-Miler

Historic Trails Award

To earn the award, members of your unit must plan and

participate in a historic activity. A unit historic activity

requires members to:

1) Locate a historic trail or site and study information relating to it.

2) Hike or camp two days and one night along the trail or in the vicinity of the site.

3) Cooperate with an adult group such as a historic society to restore and mark all or part of this trail or site.

Historic Trails Program Application

50-Miler Award

In order to qualify for the award the group of which the

individual is a member must fulfill all of the following

requirements.

1) Make complete plans for the trip, including possible advancement.

2) Cover 50 consecutive miles in a minimum of five consecutive days

3) During the time complete a 10 hour service project

50-Miler Application

Differences in Awards

2-nights on trail

no mileage limit

“Large scale” service

project

5-nights on trail

50 consecutive miles

10hr service project/youth

Historic Trail Sources

National Park Service, Michigan State Parks

and More...

National Park Service

MotorCities National Heritage Area:

1) Focus on Automotive history and labor history

2) Location: Sites across Southeast Michigan

3) Information: Call 313-259-3425 to request a visitors guide

4) Interactive map available on the MotorCities National Heritage Area

website

5) Could be tied to hiking the Iron Bell Trail if camping opportunities are not

available.

What is a National Heritage Area

National Park Service

River Raisin National Battlefield:

1) River Raisin National Battlefield Park preserves, commemorates, and

interprets the January 1813 battles of the War of 1812 and their aftermath

in Monroe and Wayne counties in SE Michigan.

2) Location: Monroe, MI

3) Information: Open year round 9-5. Call 734-243-7136 for a visitors guide.

4) Location of several Eagle Projects

River Raisin Battlefield

River Raisin Battlefield Facebook

National Park Service

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore:

1) Sand dunes and lush forests

2) Location: Empire, MI

3) Information: Camping, hiking trails, $5.00/person for 7-days access for

organized groups. Call 231-326-4700, ext. 5010 for visitors guide.

Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes

National Park Service

Isle Royale National Park:

1) Rugged, isolated island

2) Location: Off coast of Houghton, MI

3) Information: Greater fees due to ferry cost; peak season is late-July

through mid-August; Call (906) 482-0984 for information.

Isle Royale Info

National Park Service

Keweenaw National Historic Park

1) Michigan’s rich copper mining history plus mine tours at Quincy Mine

2) Location: Calumet, MI

3) Information: mid-May through August, 7 days/week; Call (906) 337-3168

Keweenaw Heritage Site

National Park Service

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

1) Sandstone cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, lakes, forest, and

shoreline

2) Location: Munising to Grand Marais, MI

3) Information: Challenging hike, rugged/remote areas for scouts. Call 906-

387-3700 for information.

Pictured Rocks Visitors Centers

National Park Service

North Country Trail

1) National Scenic Trail: Longest continuous hiking trail in the United States through seven states

2) Location: MI,MN,ND,NY,OH,PA,WI

3) Information: Website allows troops to explore by state. For Michigan Information. Interactive web map and downloadable GPS information.

North Country Trail

NPS Centennial Celebration

1) The National Park Service turns 100 on August 25,

2016.

2) Find Your Park Experiences allow your troop to identify

an opportunity that matches interests.

3) A Call to Action remains the foundation for the 2016

centennial preparations.

State of Michigan

Iron Belle Trail

1) Links existing trails to travel from Belle Isle to Iron Mountain.

2) Location: Trails throughout Michigan

3) Information: hiking route (1,259 miles), bicycling route (774 miles);

Interactive map available

Iron Belle Trail

DNR Iron Belle site

State of Michigan

Michigan Historical Museum

1) Celebrate Michigan's rich past, from the time of the state's earliest peoples

to the late 20th century through exhibits and reenactors.

2) Location: Lansing, MI

Michigan Historical Museum

Michigan Historical Museum Facebook

State of Michigan

Hartwick Pines Logging Museum

1) Museum exhibits and forest trail.

2) Location: Grayling, MI

3) For information call (989) 348-2537; The park offers camping, picnicking,

biking and seasonal activities.

Hartwick Pines Logging Museum

State of Michigan

Fayette Historic Townsite

1) Iron ore ghost town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

2) Location: Garden, MI

3) Information: Fayette Information; Camping at State Park; Rich cultural

lessons

Fayette Historic Townsite

State of Michigan

Find historical landmarks near your location

visit the Historical Marker page 1) Marker spotlight

2) Stories

3) Traveling Through Time - The Markers Guidebook

State of Michigan

Silver Lake Sand Dunes

1) State park location with sand dunes, lighthouse and camping.

2) Location: Mears, MI

3) Information: The BSA planted the dune grass to prevent erosion,

Reasonable prices, opportunities for hikes. Swim Safer would be

necessary if doing water activities.

Silver Lake State Park

State of Michigan

Informative Newsletters from Michigan DNR, historic sites

and state parks: Email Signup

Local

Wolcott Mill Metropark

1) Four parks in one with historic center, farm center, trails, mill and more

2) Location: Romeo, MI

3) Information: Programming often offered. Call 586-749-5997 for information.

Wolcott Mill Metropark

Local

St. Clair Metropark -

Voyageur Encampment

1) Historic re-enactment/interpretive programming

2) Location: Harrison Township, MI

3) Information: Aug 29-30, 2015 however yearly/ongoing programming

St. Clair Metropark

Local

Parker Mill Park

1) A well-preserved example of a small-scale grist mill that was once

common in Michigan.

2) Location: Ann Arbor, MI

3) Information: Frequent interpretive programs available; Located along part

of the Iron Belle Trail

Parker Mill County Park

Other Resources

1) Archeology in Michigan - http://www.miarch.org/michigan.html

2) Michigan’s Top 11 Water Trails - http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/08/07/best-water-trails-michigan/31285485/

3) Some councils sponsor an annual heritage hike as part of a local heritage celebration.

4) Your city hall or local historical society may have a list of historic trails created by members of the society for civic pride. Feel free to use these resources even if they don’t have a commemorative patch, or create a patch if you want.

Ohio

Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort MiamisNational Historical Site - Toledo, OH

(1 hour)

Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial - Put-in-Bay, OH (2.5 hours)

Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Cleveland and Akron, OH (3 hour drive)

Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument - Xenia, OH (3.5 hour

drive)

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park - Dayton, OH (3.5 hours)

National Aviation National Heritage Area - Dayton, OH (3.5 hours)

Hopewell Culture National Historic Siite - Chillicothe, OH (4+ hours)

Indiana

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore - Porter, IN (3 hours)

Also parts of the Trail of Tears & Lewis & Clark Trails

Other Ideas for Historic Trails

Organizing a Hike

Safety and Fun

Hike Safely

1) Follow the Guide to Safe Scouting

2) File a Tour and Activity Plan (if needed)

3) Plan ahead

4)Practice hike safety at all times. a) Wear proper footwear

b) Proper hydration

c) Match trail difficulty/length to scout abilities

d) Scheduled rest stops

Leave No Trace

Practice Leave No Trace and

Tread Lightly! principles. 1) Make sure not to litter.

2) Leave artifacts where they are

3) Avoid all forms of vandalism.

Create a Historic Trail

Perfect Troop or Eagle Project

Tips for Creating a New Historic Trail

There are four primary considerations in making a

successful historic trail: 1) Geography

2) Content

3) Safety

4) Property rights

Geography

In order to have a manageable

trail, the sites must be close

enough to each other that they can be walked

or biked for the Hiking or Cycling merit badges,

and so that visitors will not spend an

unreasonable length of time getting from one to

the other.

Content

In addition to selecting sites

that are close, the site needs

significant content to make the transit time

worthwhile.

Safety

The safety of Scouts (or other)

hiking or biking a historic trail

should be the first concern.

Property Rights

Scouts and those hiking the trail

should never trespass on anyone’s land!

Questions?

Huron Trails Boy Scout Roundtable

Presented by:

Tammy Mayrend

Roundtable Commissioner

Jeffrey Kennedy

Roundtable Staff