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Mary Macdonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor
4.8 ★★★★★ 197 Google reviews · Running trail in Copper Harbor, Michigan · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- 5 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Mary Macdonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Mary Macdonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor
“This had a wonderful trail across varied terrain complete with magical tree root steps and came out to the most beautiful little beach and rocky area.”
What a great find! A random trip up to the Keweenaw Peninsula, stayed the night in Copper Harbor and decided to explore the next morning before heading back south and east. We drove to the end of the road.
Wow, a geological wonder with the copper harbor conglomerate and interbedded stromatolites on lake superior. What could be better? Well, how about a chance to find yooperlite or just have a stone skipping championship or a cool swim! All this and more at the end of US41 only 1991 miles from Miami.
A short walk to a rock and pebble beach with few people and a beautiful view. Plan on swimming if it's hot. It doesn't make sense to have handicapped parking there, but there are 2 spots. Even the most able bodies need to watch close to navigate the rocky, root-filled trail out to the beach.
A hidden gem as the saying goes. Kind of a long way 4-7 miles down dirt road to get to park. Once parked it is about a 1/3 mile trail walk, lots of tree roots but doable. Once you get to the beach, the rocks are pretty cool purples browns.
Trail conditions & character
“This had a wonderful trail across varied terrain complete with magical tree root steps and came out to the most beautiful little beach and rocky area.”
“I have been coming to this place for almost 20 years and remember the days when it was basically 2 track and really needed a pretty good vehicle to get to the parking area.”
“This had a wonderful trail across varied terrain complete with magical tree root steps and came out to the most beautiful little beach and rocky area.”
“Important notes: vehicles can go down the gravel road where there is a sign that states "road ends".”
“The stone beach is remarkable and the large stone is awesome to climb up to get an amazing view!”
“Kind of a long way 4-7 miles down dirt road to get to park.”
Plan your run at Mary Macdonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Distance5 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitenature.org
- Phone(517) 316-0300
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 6 AM–8 PM |
| Tuesday | 6 AM–8 PM |
| Wednesday | 6 AM–8 PM |
| Thursday | 6 AM–8 PM |
| Friday | 6 AM–8 PM |
| Saturday | 6 AM–8 PM |
| Sunday | 6 AM–8 PM |
Running trails near Copper Harbor
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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