AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Crooked Lake–Pickerel Lake, 8 sights

5 mi · ▲ 145 ft · 1 hr 44 min

Crooked Lake–Pickerel Lake, 8 sights is a 5-mile out-and-back near Hell, MI. The route passes Losee Lake, Pickerel Lake and Pickerel Lake before reaching Crooked Lake at the turnaround, 2.5 miles in. It is mostly level, with 145 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 56/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi879 – 961 ft5.5 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Losee - Middle Loop 42.40899, -83.95952
Nearest town Hell, MI
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Crooked Lake–Pickerel Lake, 8 sights

5 mi · ▲ 145 ft · 1 hr 44 min

Elevation 880–960 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: Losee - Middle Loop · 42.40899, -83.95952

Weather Sep 20: sunrise 7:22 AM · sunset 7:39 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Losee - Middle Loop, heading NW.
  2. 50 ftPass Losee Lake.
  3. 400 ftContinue straight onto Losee - Shortest Loop, heading NW.
  4. 0.2 miTurn right onto Losee Lake Hiking Trail, heading W.
  5. 50 ftSharp left, heading S.
  6. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Potawatomi Trail, heading W.
  7. 0.3 miBear left onto Silver Lake Trail, heading W.
  8. 0.5 miPass Pickerel Lake.
  9. 0.1 miTurn left, heading NE.
  10. 100 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  11. 0.1 miPass Pickerel Lake.
  12. 250 ftTurn left onto Crooked Lake Trail, heading W.
  13. 0.8 miContinue straight onto Potawatomi & Crooked Lake Trail, heading NW.
  14. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NE.
  15. 250 ftReach Crooked Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  16. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Crooked Lake Trail, heading SW.
  17. 0.8 miTurn right, heading SE.
  18. 0.2 miTurn right onto Silver Lake Trail, heading E.
  19. 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  20. 0.6 miBear right onto Potawatomi Trail, heading NE.
  21. 0.5 miSharp right onto Losee Lake Hiking Trail, heading SE.
  22. 50 ftTurn left onto Losee - Shortest Loop, heading SE.
  23. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Losee - Middle Loop, heading NE.
  24. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/crooked-lake-pickerel-lake-out-back-10-sights-8-km

Trail surface

94% dirt3% boardwalk3% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 7:22 AMSunset 7:39 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.5 mi in (~16 min). Leave by 7:03 PM for the 7:39 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:07 PM — 0 min before dark.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Losee - Middle Loop Trailhead

Hikes near Hell, Michigan