The pandemic might have kiboshed many of our traditional summer events and festivals, but the hiking season is still on in northern Michigan.

With more than 12,000 miles of hiking trails throughout the state, and some of the prettiest of the multitude up here, there are hundreds of options to explore. If you’re not yet familiar with what’s out there or simply looking to expand your usual circle of strolls this season, land conservancies are a great place to start; they maintain dozens of natural areas and preserves with miles of well-marked trails throughout northern Michigan.

Best of all, these pristine properties are open to the public, require no entrance fee, and are often under the radar of many parkgoers, meaning you’ve got a good chance of having a chunk of the trail — or at least six feet of it — all to yourself. To keep your adventures feeling fresh all summer long, the Northern Express — sister publication of The Ticker — tapped the Little Traverse Conservancy and the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy to help compile a 2020 hot list of quick and easy hikes: a few old favorites, plus several new and coming-soon spots you simply must experience. For the complete list, read the Northern Express online or pick up a free copy at newsstand locations (including grocery stores) in 14 counties across northern Michigan.