Waterloo-Pinckney Trail

Waterloo and Pinckney Recreation Areas, Michigan DNR (near Chelsea and Pinckney)

The Waterloo-Pinckney Trail links two Michigan state recreation areas, running roughly 36 miles from Big Portage Lake in the Waterloo Recreation Area to the Pinckney Recreation Area. The DNR sets aside hike-in campsites for thru-hikers along the way.

Wikipedia says the trail, first developed in the 1960s, crosses eskers, kettle lakes, swamps, and meadows left from old farms, passing through Park Lyndon County Park between the two state parks. Michigan Trail Maps calls it a three-day hike.

The hike

Expedition Detroit’s 2023 thru-hike started at the Big Portage Lake trailhead and walked mostly northeast. Its first day, 11.57 miles to The Pines, crossed Seymour Road (the first of 28 road crossings in that writer’s count), climbed Sackrider Hill, which the writer describes as the trail’s steepest ascent, with stairs, and passed Katz and Glenn Roads before reaching Baldwin Flooding, a wetland, and the dam bridge about half a mile before camp. The writer found the trail flooded near Baldwin Flooding in April and recommends following the DNR’s signed “Alternative Dry Route” when it’s posted. Glenn Road, the writer adds, is the most exposed stretch.

Backcountry Post’s 2013 trip report describes the western half as rolling oak-hickory forest, wetlands, and small farms with “faded red barns,” with swans on Baldwin Flooding. That writer camped at The Pines in early spring and woke to temperatures in the mid-teens, colder than forecast.

The Pines, at the trail’s 10-mile marker, is the only hike-in site on the western half, according to the DNR and Backcountry Post. Farther east, Backcountry Post put the Blind Lake hike-in site about 19 miles beyond it. Blind Lake sits on the Potawatomi Trail in the Pinckney Recreation Area, and Michigan Trail Maps says backpackers often use it for the final night. For a shorter loop from the same campsite, see the Potawatomi Trail and Blind Lake page.

The two parks share the trail with other users. The DNR map says the trail is open to hunting in season and closed to bikes west of the Potawatomi Trail (at intersection No. 12). East of that point, on the Potawatomi and Crooked Lake trails, Michigan Trail Maps says bikers ride clockwise and hikers go counterclockwise, and it advises hiking those trails midweek because they are busy with mountain bikers.

Tips

Reserve the hike-in sites. Both The Pines and Blind Lake are one-night sites.
Plan water around the stables. The Pines’ water source is seasonal (May 1 to Sept. 30).
Use the Alternative Dry Route when the DNR posts it near Baldwin Flooding.
Hike counterclockwise on the Potawatomi section, against bike traffic.
Wear bright colors in hunting season. The trail is open to hunting.
Carry a Recreation Passport for parking at trailheads.

Camping

Camping is allowed only in designated areas, and permits are required, according to the DNR’s Pinckney trail map. The Pines Rustic Hike-in Campground in Waterloo has five sites with picnic tables and an outhouse, is intended for thru-hikers, and allows one night only; campfires are prohibited, check-in at the park office isn’t required, and reservations go through the DNR reservation call center (800-447-2757) or park self-registration stations. Blind Lake Rustic Hike-in Campsites in Pinckney have 10 sites with a vault toilet and hand pump, also one night only; reserve at MiDNRReservations.com or 734-426-4913 and check in at the park office on the day of your reservation. The Pinckney map also lists Crooked Lake Campground for camping.

Inside Intel: Accounts of The Pines differ. Backcountry Post’s 2013 writer found the site sheltered but said “the 5 individual camp sites were spaced much too close together for my liking.” Expedition Detroit’s 2023 writer, alone there in April, called the sites “gratuitously large.”

Trail facts

Distance: About 36 miles (35 to 38.5 by source)
Route type: Point to point
Difficulty: Moderate
Campsites: The Pines (mile 10, 5 sites); Blind Lake (Potawatomi Trail, 10 sites); Crooked Lake Campground
Water: Seasonal water near The Pines; hand pump at Blind Lake; treat other water
Permits: Required; reservations for hike-in sites
Fires: Prohibited at The Pines
Trailheads: Big Portage Lake (Waterloo); Pinckney Recreation Area
Last verified: October 7, 2026

The Lowdown

No campfire at The Pines:

Campfires are banned at Waterloo's hike-in site, so a backpacking stove is your whole kitchen. See the stoves reviewers recommend.

See what testers chose →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.