Michigan Trail Tuesday: Seven Bridges Natural Area, Kalkaska County

Michigan Trail Tuesday is our attempt to showcase a different trail or trail segment each week. The Mitten State is home to thousands of miles of trails, including the new Iron Belle Trail that runs from Detroit in the southeast to Ironwood in the western Upper Peninsula and more miles of the North Country Trail than any other state.

The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy is responsible for protecting nearly 50,000 acres of land in the northern Lower Peninsula, and over the past few years we’ve been fortunate to visit some of their amazing properties like Arcadia Dunes, Arcadia Marsh, Turtle Cove Nature Preserve, Wilcox-Palmer-Shah Nature Preserve, and Yuba Creek Natural Area. This year we were able to visit Seven Bridges Natural Area in Kalkaska County, another great GTRLC property that was a perfect fit for our 2026 quest to hike a “new to us” trail in every county in Michigan. While this natural area doesn’t have a long trail, it does offer plenty of scenic views alongside the Rapid River.

Despite its name, you will not find seven bridges at the Seven Bridges Natural Area. The trail begins from the corner of the parking lot, and within a few feet you will cross the first bridge. After crossing this bridge you can take a dirt path downhill to get a better view of the bridge, a small waterfall, and some remnants of a sawmill that existed here many decades ago.

The trail continues and then crosses another bridge that crosses a tributary of the river. This was a pretty scenic spot, with cedars angling over the water as it flows over rocks.

A boardwalk helps the trail continue on, before a third bridge crossed what looked to be the main part of the Rapid River. This is a popular spot for trout fishing.

A very small waterfall can be seen from this bridge, where another tributary joins the river.

The fourth bridge leads away from the main trail and onto a short spur trail with some great views of the river. We loved seeing water just about everywhere we looked in this natural area and it provided some great background noise for a peaceful hike.

We rejoined the main trail and followed it for a tenth of a mile until it reached the meadow loop. This 0.4 mile loop passes through an open area that had a few wildflowers adding to the colorful landscape. After taking the loop trail we followed the main trail back over the bridges and to the parking lot. This was easily one of the most scenic hikes of a mile or less we’ve been on in northern Michigan, and one we look forward to visiting again in other seasons.

The Seven Bridges Natural Area can be found on Valley Rd., a little under six miles from M-72. IT is a great place for quiet hiking, birdwatching, fishing, or just sitting and enjoying the sounds of nature.