Estivant Pines Nature Sanctuary

Date	Distance	Time	Elevation Gain	Average Moving Time	Year to Date Miles
8/21/2026	2.1 miles	1 hour 8 minutes	212'	1.8 mph	249.1

Parking: 

• Dirt parking lots at Estivant Pines Nature Sanctuary. 

Map:

• There were a few paper maps at the trailhead. Return after use.

Directions:

• Take the trail out from the parking lot. Do the two loops in a clockwise direction. Return via the trail to the parking lot.

I dropped off Glen at the ferry to Isle Royale at 7 am. I have 11 1/2 hours to kill before picking him up again. I wanted a hike without mountain bikers, so with research, came up with Estivant Pines Nature Sanctuary. I had downloaded maps on Gaia, but I had not downloaded Google Maps data. There is no cell service in this area, so navigating around Copper Harbor was a bit of a challenge. I didn't have a paper map of the town either. Fortunately, it's a tiny town. I found signs for the Sanctuary and followed them down multiple dirt roads. I wondered if I could find my way back out! 

There was only one other car in the parking area, and I didn't encounter any other hikers on the hike. It was a nice hike, yet after yesterday's hike at Isle Royale, I felt a little disappointed. It was fine - just not magical. We still had a good time. This hike is entirely in the woods, with no views of Lake Superior. The sanctuary is known for their old growth pines - some are 300 years old. The trail is a figure 8, and is extremely well marked, so I didn't have to look at my map on Gaia. They also have paper maps available at the trailhead kiosk.

Fortunately, they also had very good signage to head back to Copper Harbor. I had no problem finding my way back.