Sounds good. I want/need to go back! One problem I have run into with trying to go West for a trip or two is I totally neglect cruising Michigan. It is a gem that is under-utilized.
Closing and Opening up the Cabin (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Sandroad
- Start date
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Where in west Michigan are ya?
Sorry, slow on the uptake
I’m in Greenville
ahhh other side of town from me, ill def get a beer with you sometime though!
I think I mapped it on View Ranger once but not sure I can get it.
I remember some road names you should be able to find.
Wildcat Road out of Whitefish point is awesome and takes you along the lake and past a dune buried state forest campground. That should loop you back to the snowmobile trail 452 which heads back toward Paradise. That is a good one you can drive on. There is a steel bridge over the Betsy River that takes you to Betsy RIver Road (Vermillion road north of Paradise takes you there too). Take that west toward Little Lake at the north end of County Road 500. Then trails due west to the mouth of the Two Hearted (state forest camp ground there that is nice). West from there on the trail to Rabbit Patch road. Around Muskellunge Lake and west to Reed and Green Bridge (cross the Two Hearted again), then west to Grand Marais. You'll have to stare at a map to connect those dots but those are the main points. Great area
Caveats- Wildcat road may not be accessible anymore as it is very low and the high lake level had it closed for a while. The steel bridge at Betsy river was washed out but is supposed to be rebuilt. Should be workarounds for those anyway.
I remember some road names you should be able to find.
Wildcat Road out of Whitefish point is awesome and takes you along the lake and past a dune buried state forest campground. That should loop you back to the snowmobile trail 452 which heads back toward Paradise. That is a good one you can drive on. There is a steel bridge over the Betsy River that takes you to Betsy RIver Road (Vermillion road north of Paradise takes you there too). Take that west toward Little Lake at the north end of County Road 500. Then trails due west to the mouth of the Two Hearted (state forest camp ground there that is nice). West from there on the trail to Rabbit Patch road. Around Muskellunge Lake and west to Reed and Green Bridge (cross the Two Hearted again), then west to Grand Marais. You'll have to stare at a map to connect those dots but those are the main points. Great area
Caveats- Wildcat road may not be accessible anymore as it is very low and the high lake level had it closed for a while. The steel bridge at Betsy river was washed out but is supposed to be rebuilt. Should be workarounds for those anyway.
This is awesome thank you! I follow a guy on Instagram who Overland’s that area a lot, I’ll ask about wildcat road.
- Thread starter
- #29
A few addendums, since this area has been my stomping grounds in the summer for 30 years.
The numerous state forest campgrounds are really nice places to camp, primitive, but nice. Those between the Reed and Green state forest campground and Little Lake on CO 500 were burned out in the fire. The mouth of the Two-Hearted campground was partially burned, but some nice sites are ok. One of my favorites is Perch Lake on CO407.
The only place to cross the Big Two-Hearted River in that area is the bridge on CO 410. Right after you cross the bridge as you're going west, if you take a right and go east on CO 374 you'll end up at the Reed and Green Bridge state forest campground. If you continue east from there on the 2-track, you'll be taking the Coast Guard Road through some deep and challenging sand for a few miles. It's an out and back.
Heading west from the bridge over the Two-Hearted on CO410, you'll come to the Rabbit Patch Rd mentioned above. That will shoot you over to Deer Park and Muskellonge Lake State Park (showers or swimming!).
I'm not aware of any LC-passable road/trail between Vermilion Point and Crisp Point up near Lake Superior. You'll have to ask locally or rely on the guy you mentioned to see if there is any local intel on how to cross the creeks between those 2 points. It's not legal to drive on the beach.
Pretty much no cell coverage anywhere once you get out of range of towers at Paradise and Taquamenon Falls and Grand Marais.
If you get near Lake Superior on a day with a hot south wind in mid-July, you could run into swarms of biting stable flies. Head to the beach only on a north wind that time of year! Because of the stable flies in mid-July, I won't be at my cabin north of the Reed and Green campground to welcome you to the area.
Speaking of beaches, when you get to Little Lake at the end of CO500, go east to Crisp Point lighthouse. It's an out and back but an amazingly scenic place. I hope the tower is open. My name is on plaques at several of the facilities there because I've contributed a lot of money to the Crisp Point Lighthouse Historical Society over the years.
The main road between Deer Park and Grand Marais, H58, is very dusty gravel and folks drive very fast. There is a back way that you can get on going west from the intersection of CO407 and CO410 at Perch Lake campground. To me, it's way more fun, but to get to the intersection I mentioned you'd have to drop back south a couple miles on CO407 from Muskellonge Lake State Park if you camp there.
The numerous state forest campgrounds are really nice places to camp, primitive, but nice. Those between the Reed and Green state forest campground and Little Lake on CO 500 were burned out in the fire. The mouth of the Two-Hearted campground was partially burned, but some nice sites are ok. One of my favorites is Perch Lake on CO407.
The only place to cross the Big Two-Hearted River in that area is the bridge on CO 410. Right after you cross the bridge as you're going west, if you take a right and go east on CO 374 you'll end up at the Reed and Green Bridge state forest campground. If you continue east from there on the 2-track, you'll be taking the Coast Guard Road through some deep and challenging sand for a few miles. It's an out and back.
Heading west from the bridge over the Two-Hearted on CO410, you'll come to the Rabbit Patch Rd mentioned above. That will shoot you over to Deer Park and Muskellonge Lake State Park (showers or swimming!).
I'm not aware of any LC-passable road/trail between Vermilion Point and Crisp Point up near Lake Superior. You'll have to ask locally or rely on the guy you mentioned to see if there is any local intel on how to cross the creeks between those 2 points. It's not legal to drive on the beach.
Pretty much no cell coverage anywhere once you get out of range of towers at Paradise and Taquamenon Falls and Grand Marais.
If you get near Lake Superior on a day with a hot south wind in mid-July, you could run into swarms of biting stable flies. Head to the beach only on a north wind that time of year! Because of the stable flies in mid-July, I won't be at my cabin north of the Reed and Green campground to welcome you to the area.
Speaking of beaches, when you get to Little Lake at the end of CO500, go east to Crisp Point lighthouse. It's an out and back but an amazingly scenic place. I hope the tower is open. My name is on plaques at several of the facilities there because I've contributed a lot of money to the Crisp Point Lighthouse Historical Society over the years.
The main road between Deer Park and Grand Marais, H58, is very dusty gravel and folks drive very fast. There is a back way that you can get on going west from the intersection of CO407 and CO410 at Perch Lake campground. To me, it's way more fun, but to get to the intersection I mentioned you'd have to drop back south a couple miles on CO407 from Muskellonge Lake State Park if you camp there.
TCEd
SILVER Star
Have a great memory of 12 mile beach camping with my son one summer long ago when he was 12. It had just turned dark and we were sitting around a campfire. A person approaches carrying an old lantern and dressed in a uniform from a different era. He began telling the history of the area and the life saving stations along the Superior shore as other campers came over to listen. Later when he finished he walked off into the woods, gone. We and others in the campground never thought to ask who he was but he must have been a volunteer with the NPS or a ghost !
Lots of history in that area and across to the Keweenaw, Hemingway of course but I prefer Harrison.
Lots of history in that area and across to the Keweenaw, Hemingway of course but I prefer Harrison.
Look for trail 452 map (snowmobile trail). That is where you will find the steel bridge to take you from Vermillion road to Betsy River road IF is has been repaired. It was washed out on both ends 3 years ago but the bridge is fine. Hopefully it is all good now. The burn area around the mouth of the Two Hearted is about 1/4 mile or less to the west of the campground and it is all good. The burn area is awesome because it is all new growth and very pretty.
That pic was 2016
Here is some Betsy River Road fun from 2016 if it is wet. Hard sand bottom, not worries
You got Gaia gps that i could shoot you my planned route?
I had just happened upon wildcat road back in august while I was doing a week-long camping trip on my way up to school.
It was a nice change of pace as the trails to get to the site aren't very difficult and we were tired after driving from Manistee to Wilderness to Tahquamenon to Whitefish.
We were the only ones there, I don't know if that is the usual or if we just caught it at a good time but it was spectacular.
It lightly rained at night and we got to watch the dancing lights of a freighter doing a 360 out in the distance.
It was a nice change of pace as the trails to get to the site aren't very difficult and we were tired after driving from Manistee to Wilderness to Tahquamenon to Whitefish.
We were the only ones there, I don't know if that is the usual or if we just caught it at a good time but it was spectacular.
It lightly rained at night and we got to watch the dancing lights of a freighter doing a 360 out in the distance.
That looks amazing, i can’t wait
I think i have piece together enough info from all of y’all to get a good route. I can’t wait!
- Thread starter
- #40
Yup, heading up tomorrow (5/10) for few days. Will check on local conditions. The first trip each year we usually have to cut our way in from the winter storm tree-fall. One year we had such a big pine across the forest road I had to set up my straps and pull it off with the Land Cruiser. Frankly, my wife and I are beginning to wonder when we will be too old to continue the annual effort. By the time we make our way in, rebuild the stairs to the beach, reconnect the solar system batteries and open things up for the season, it's a couple days of hard work! Rinse and repeat. Of course it's all worth it when we see the moose tracks, hear the wolves howl, watch big storms roll in off the lake and feast on wild blueberry pancakes.
