The Pere Marquette State Forest encompasses lands in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula, on the western side of the state. Counties within the Pere Marquette are: Leelanau, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Mason, Lake, Osceola, Oceana, Newaygo and Mecosta. There are several trail-ways in the Pere Marquette, the longest of which are the Muncie Lake Pathway, at 11.5 mi in length; the VASA Pathway, at 16.7 mi; and the Cadillac Pathway, at 11.3 mi. The trails are well suited to biking, hiking and cross country skiing. The North Country Trail includes 65 mi within the Pere Marquette, and over 1500 mi in Michigan as a whole. It is named after French explorer Jacques Marquette, who founded the first European settlement of Michigan in 1668.