Lower Long Lake & Square Lake via Great Horned Trail
5 mi · ▲ 82 ft · 1 hr 42 min
Lower Long Lake & Square Lake via Great Horned Trail is a 5-mile out-and-back in E.L. Johnson Nature Center near Sylvan Lake, MI. The route passes Square Lake before reaching Lower Long Lake at the turnaround, 2.3 miles in. It is mostly level, with 82 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Lower Long Lake & Square Lake via Great Horned Trail
5 mi · ▲ 82 ft · 1 hr 42 min
Elevation 910–976 ft
Out & Back · E.L. Johnson Nature Center
Trailhead: 42.61720, -83.32184
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 7:19 AM · sunset 7:36 PM
Transit-accessible: Telegraph / Sylvan Lake (NB) stop 633 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 0.6 miPass Square Lake.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 250 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 0.7 miPass Lower Long Lake.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Great Horned Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftReach Lower Long Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 1 miBear left, heading N.
- 300 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.7 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.4 mi in (~10 min). Leave by 7:06 PM for the 7:36 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:00 PM — 4 min before dark.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: Telegraph / Sylvan Lake (NB) stop 633 m from the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
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