East Bear Lake
East Bear Lake Trail is a 4.8-mile trail in Ottawa National Forest, Michigan. The Forest Service rates it trail class 1, minimally developed. It is open to hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. It enters Sylvania Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Ottawa National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 46.2152° N, 89.2946° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 46.2507° N, 89.2469° W · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 4.8 miles |
| Trail class | 1, minimally developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 5-8 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 60067 |
| Forest | Ottawa National Forest (unit 0907) |
| States | Michigan |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Snowshoeing | Allowed year-round |
| Cross-country skiing | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Sylvania WildernessFS · the whole line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Trails nearby
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- WildfireBlack River
35 mi from the trail midpoint · 362 acres · 90% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Guidebooks for Michigan
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
- Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes on and Around the North Country Trail - Michigan and WisconsinThomas Funke, 2016Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the East Bear Lake Trail?
The Forest Service records 4.8 miles under this name in Ottawa National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the East Bear Lake Trail?
Hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the East Bear Lake Trail start?
The line begins at 46.2152° N, 89.2946° W and ends at 46.2507° N, 89.2469° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the East Bear Lake Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Sylvania Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Sylvania Wilderness
Where can I camp near the East Bear Lake Trail?
Sylvania Campground (2.1 mi) and Sylvania Wilderness Backcountry Camping (2.1 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 2 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the East Bear Lake Trail?
Trail class 1, which the Forest Service describes as minimally developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the East Bear Lake Trail?
The typical grade is 5-8 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the East Bear Lake Trail accessible?
No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the East Bear Lake Trail?
Ottawa National Forest, Forest Service unit 0907. The trail is in Michigan.
Is there a fire near the East Bear Lake Trail?
The interagency feed shows 1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Black River at 35 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named East Bear Lake in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0907. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.