Valley of the Giants
- At January 30, 2013
- By Nate
- In Places
30
Valley of the Giants: If your inner child is even remotely still with you, a mystical title like that should evoke imagery from the worlds of Harry Potter, Narnia, Lord of the Rings, King Arthur’s Camelot, or perhaps the vacant lot in your childhood neighborhood. The local realm of these mythically-large fellows is a deep dark forest valley with a babbling brook and a secret entrance that only the most intrepid can find and enter. Our giants are massive White Pines who have observed and recorded the passage of time in this area for centuries. Their size, silence, and amazing home cast an air of reverence over most everyone who enters.
The path through the Valley is a piece of The North Country Trail maintained locally by the Grand Traverse Hiking Club. The footway is well maintained and respectfully wanders through sensitive wetland and riparian areas associated with 22 Mile Creek, an amazingly beautiful tributary to the Boardman River.
Is the Valley entrance really secret? Well, the Valley is close to home (located in the Traverse City State Forest Area southeast of Traverse City), but it isn’t super easy to get to using information available on the web. But there is no mistaking the entrance once discovered, it is conspicuously marked by a hand-painted sign which hangs, in what seems to be, the middle of nowhere. It’s remote enough that whoever took the time to make, schlep, and hang the sign is definitely on your mind. Over the holidays I spent three consecutive days attempting to get to the Valley of the Giants: one day I didn’t make it, the next I just barely made it, and the last, made it there in about 15 minutes. So I’m torn. I feel as though maybe the giants are telling me something. I want to share this place and could easily drop a pin on a map and post it so anyone could make it a quick afternoon hike. But should I rob folks of the hours of “backyard” exploration, the conversations had along the way, the euphoria felt upon finding it at long last? Here’s the deal I cut with the giants – if you wish to visit the Valley and care enough to leave a comment I’ll send you the map!
Kim
Giant gatekeeper, I want the map please.
Nate
It has been sent!
Karen
Send me a map or I will post “the rest of the story” j/k
Awesome pictures
Michele LeMieux
Ooo! Where is this magical place! Map pretty please?!
Nate
Your map has been sent!
Mike Delp
Hi Nate…..
I wonder if it would be possible not to distribute maps….this place won’t last long.
yrs,
Mike Delp
Mike Delp
Thanks for the email note, Nate.
yrs,
Mike
Nate
Of course.
Don't Salt the Ham
Keeper of the Map, I humbly request the knowledge of the secret location of the Valley of the Giants. If you grant my request I will leave all chain saws in town. Thank you.
Don't Salt the Ham
Dear Nate,
Since you did not quit, but took as many trips as needed to accomplish your quest to enter the Valley of the Giants, and since I have read your bio under “Contributors”, I have a mission, if you choose to accept it.
That mission would be to send me the map with the location of the famed, yet still unfound, “Pan Fish Lake” in the Sleeping Bear Dunes. This would be the infamous Pan Fish Lake that local fathers have taken their young children to on their first fishing trip, to lure (intended) their children into a false sense of fishing success for generations.
According to lore, the small lake was stocked by a group of Germen immigrants in the late 1880’s who planned to settle and build a town. Not sure what happened but the town never got built while the little lake stayed stocked while time and anyone else who knew forgot.
Those who have been speak of a lake where your hook barely hits the water before the shout of “Fish ON! is heard, time and time again.
If you do find a map and send it to me, I promise I will not use gill nets.
PS Thanks for all the information. LOVE Northern Swag and ALL the post from everyone.
Nate
I love a challenge & a mission… Pan Fish Lake hmmm, is there any way to know this is not a fools errand?
John
This looks great and I would love to hike it, however, I need direction lol, or a map!
Nate
Your Map has been sent!
Ben
I could use a map. Is it snowshoe friendly?
Mike Delp
Okay, Nate…..
I give, please send me a map.
yrs,
Mike
Don't Salt the Ham
Pan Fish Lake was written / reported in Traverse the Magazine or The Express or some other local publication back before the Internet and Archive made every fact ever stated retrievable.
In 2007, I was able to locate Pan Fish Lake on Goggle Maps by following the directions in the article. Pan Fish Lake was unnamed and unmarked, but was at the end of a series of two tracks, exactly where the author said it would be found.
I was unable to follow up and have lost the article and the location.
Good luck Nate. And Thank you.
Mike
I would love to visit this place without the experience of getting lost. Please send a map.
Thank you.
Heath Fall
Hey, This seem redundant given the other comments, but can i get a map?
Mike
Just heard of this place and was looking for info. Looks like a great place to hike. I’ll go the first time in warmer weather though. Please send map.
Mary Ellen
Please send me the map. Thanks
Kathy Smith
Please send a map!
Brian C
was told about this trail by a butcher at Burrett’s. I looked online and thought I found the right location when I hiked on the NCT east of Scheck’s place….apparently I was wrong. Please pleaee send me a map
Brian C
was told about this trail by a butcher at Burrett’s. I looked online and thought I found the right location when I hiked on the NCT just east of Scheck’s place….apparently I was wrong. Please please send me a map
Steve
My wife and I would like to see the giants and enjoy the quiet. 🙂
Marci Scheck Blankenship
Please send me a map too!
Brian
Hi Marci,
Here’s the map, but we do disclaim that some people have struggled to find the trailhead even using this as an aid!
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=205230458178376894569.0004d484fc2ae48698cc8&msa=0&ll=44.642552,-85.43606&spn=0.00884,0.01899&iwloc=0004d4850354f3fb3cb43
Joannie
Please send the map
Kim
Hi Joannie,
Here is the link. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=44.642552168373214%2C-85.43606&spn=0.00884%2C0.01899&msa=0&iwloc=0004d4850354f3fb3cb43&mid=16CWxkSx7At_2nSLHgz8EEMG9jv4&z=16
Melanie
I would love the map please 🙂
Kim
Hi Melanie,
Here is the link. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=44.642552168373214%2C-85.43606&spn=0.00884%2C0.01899&msa=0&iwloc=0004d4850354f3fb3cb43&mid=16CWxkSx7At_2nSLHgz8EEMG9jv4&z=16
Good luck!