Bowman Lake
- 3.7 mi
- loop
- 171 ft
- climb
- 903 ft
- high point
- Loop
- route
- May–Oct
- best months
Is Bowman Lake open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Huron-Manistee National Forest.
USE CAUTION - KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!
Agency alert covering Huron-Manistee National Forest · USFS · Huron-Manistee National Forest
Winter Storm Impacts Huron Zone of the Forests - Know Before You Go.
Agency alert covering Huron-Manistee National Forest · USFS · Huron-Manistee National Forest
'Do Not Eat' Advisory for Deer
Agency alert covering Huron-Manistee National Forest · USFS · Huron-Manistee National Forest
'Do Not Eat' Advisory for Fish
Agency alert covering Huron-Manistee National Forest · USFS · Huron-Manistee National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Huron-Manistee National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Bowman Lake is a 3.7-mile loop hike in the Baldwin Ranger District of the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Michigan, about 3.8 miles from the town of Carr. The trail is managed by the Forest Service and rated moderate, with a total elevation gain of 171 feet. The route starts at about 791 feet and reaches a high point of 903 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 1.5 miles in, where the grade reaches 13 percent. The trail is natural-surface and allows bikes, but horses are not permitted. It is not an accessible trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 82°F with lows near 56°F, while winter highs stay in the low 30s. The Bowman Lake Backcountry Campsites sit just 0.2 miles away, and the Bowman Lake Area offers lake fishing about 1.4 miles off. Paddlers can head to the Pere Marquette River, about a mile away, and Bowman Bridge campground is roughly 1.3 miles from the trail.
- Bowman Lake Backcountry CampsitesCamping0.2 mi
Pere Marquette RiverCanoeingPhoto: en:User:Yetiwriter, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1 mi- Bowman BridgeCamping1.3 mi
- Bowman Lake AreaLake fishing1.4 mi
Gleasons LandingCampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain2.8 mi- Sulak CampgroundCamping3.1 mi
- Mcct - Little O SpurHiking3.2 mi
- Big South Branch Pere Marquette RiverCanoeing8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Bowman Lake
Best months: May–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
31° / 14°
13 wet
Feb
33° / 14°
10 wet
Mar
43° / 21°
9 wet
Apr
56° / 31°
9 wet
May
68° / 42°
10 wet
Jun
78° / 52°
9 wet
Jul
82° / 56°
8 wet
Aug
80° / 55°
8 wet
Sep
73° / 48°
8 wet
Oct
60° / 37°
10 wet
Nov
46° / 28°
10 wet
Dec
35° / 21°
13 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Hesperia 4 Wnw, MI, 22 mi away at 780 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
