Spring is beautiful everywhere, but it hits different in the Midwest. After months of snow and bitter cold, temperate, sunny days in March and April are a true godsend. And thankfully, if you’re a hiker who’s been cooped up all winter in Minnesota, Michigan, or Indiana, the weather is finally good enough to hit the trails.
I’ve been living in the Midwest for a decade. In that time, I’ve gathered up the best hikes in the region from my experiences and from friends and family. There’s something for everyone here, from the casual dayhikers who want a chance to swim to the diehard mountain climbers.
With stunning waterfalls, rock features, rivers, and mountains, these trails showcase the best of the Midwest.
South Dakota: Black Elk Peak Trail
People who say that the Midwest is all flat haven’t been to Custer State Park in eastern South Dakota. At an elevation of 7,244 feet, Black Elk Peak is the highest point east of the Rockies and west of the Pyrenees in Europe.
This 7.1-mile loop starts at Sylvan Lake. It climbs about 1,500 feet to an old fire tower on top of the peak. Your hard work will be rewarded with impressive vistas of the vast Black Hills National Forest. When you finish, take a dip in the lake to cool off and cap off a beautiful day.
Minnesota: Fifth Falls Trail
While a stroll through the woods is a fine excuse to go for a hike, sometimes you want the trail to really pack a punch and take you somewhere spectacular. That’s just what the Fifth Falls Trail in Gooseberry State Park in northern Minnesota offers.
Along this 3.1-mile loop, follow along the Gooseberry River until you reach the Fifth Falls, followed by the Upper, Middle, and Lower Gooseberry Falls. Four waterfalls for a 3.1-mile hike is a pretty stellar ratio. Leashed dogs are welcome, and there are plenty of picnic areas in the park.
Illinois: Little Grand Canyon Trail
Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois is a true hidden gem. It contains nearly 300,000 acres of near-unpopulated, undeveloped, vast greenery.
The area has several great day hikes, but the 3-mile Little Grand Canyon loop might take the cake. The trail includes two scenic overlooks over this majestic canyon with towering bluffs, which was made a National Natural Landmark in 1980. During spring, it’s also a haven for migrating songbirds. So be sure to bring along the birding binoculars.
Michigan: Chapel Rock Trail
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is home to a stellar 42-mile backpacking trail, the Lakeshore Trail. If you don’t have time to hike the whole trail, though, the Chapel Rock Trail is the next best thing.
This 6.2-mile trail takes you past some of the area’s most unique sites, including Chapel Rock. This unusual, keyhole rock arch has a tree on top. Take in the views and spend an hour or two on Chapel Beach. Then, take a dip in Lake Superior, and have a picnic at Chapel Falls on the way back.
Wisconsin: Lakeshore Trail
If you haven’t heard of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, add it to your to-do list now. It might become a national park soon.
You could easily spend a week exploring this series of 21 islands and the accompanying shoreline along Lake Superior. Get started with the Lakeshore Trail, a 12-mile trail that has everything: hardwood forests, sea caves, a natural stone amphitheater, and beaches. Take in the unusual “wave chorus,” a series of smashes and booms caused by waves crashing into irregularly shaped sea caves.
If the entire 12 miles isn’t in the cards, the first five are the most scenic.
North Dakota: Caprock Coulee Trail
In North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park, coulees — steep, narrow valleys formed by glaciers melting — are home to many of the park’s highlights, and you’ll find them on the 4.2-mile Caprock Coulee Trail.
The striking striped buttes of the badlands and the patterns on the hillsides, shaped by rain, are gorgeous sights to behold. Potential wildlife you might spot in the area include bison and deer. Be on the lookout for native plants like chokeberries, green ash, and prickly pear cacti.
Missouri: Shut-In Trail
Johnson Shut-Ins, where rock outcroppings transform a river into a series of pools and rapids, is immensely popular with Missouri folks in the summer, so visit in the spring to beat the crowds.
This state park has a 2.3-mile loop, the aptly named Shut-In Trail, that takes hikers through oak-hickory forests to several scenic overlooks of the water. It’s important to note that no dogs are allowed on this trail or throughout much of the park.
Arkansas: Hemmed-In Hollow Trail
With 1,400 feet of elevation change one-way, this hike in Buffalo National River is not for the faint of heart. However, it certainly rewards your efforts.
After hiking along the bluffs of the river, you’ll reach the middle of this 5-mile point-to-point and the star of the show: Hemmed-In Hollow Falls. At 210 feet, it’s the highest waterfall between the Rockies and the Appalachians.
For a full-value experience, wait until after a major spring rain to do the hike so you can see the falls at their peak.
Indiana: Paul H. Douglas Trail
You might not immediately associate Indiana with national parks, but the state got one in 2019, and it’s quickly becoming a regional icon.
Folks visit Indiana Dunes National Park for swimming, fishing, hunting, camping, and, of course, hiking. A stand-out route is the Paul H. Douglas Trail. It takes hikers through wetlands, globally rare black oak savanna, open dunes, and beaches. If intense hikes with hard ascents aren’t your style, check out this flat 3.4-mile trail that has just 46 feet of elevation gain.
Ohio: Whispering Cave Trail
Hocking Hills State Park is just an hour away from Columbus, Ohio, but its cliffs, gorges, and forests are another world. The 4.5-mile Whispering Cave Trail has got it all: a 105-foot waterfall, hemlock groves, a swinging bridge, and the second-largest cave in the region.
Spring is the time to visit. The park is renowned for its wildflowers, including the yellow lady slipper, violet wood sorrel, bloodroot, and fire pink.
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