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Riding along the AuSable River on a cool Fall day, near
South Branch trail camp
|
Riding along the AuSable River on a cool Fall day, near
South Branch trail camp |
There are 10 camps along the East - West Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail or Shore to Shore Trail as most horse people call it, breaking the trek between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan into 11 segments. The Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail also has North and South trail spurs. From the North, the trail starts near the Mackinac Bridge to the UP and connects to the East-West trail at Luzerne. The South spur extends from Shecks to just north of Cadillac. Thus the complete North - South trail uses several of the same camps as the East - West trail. Some of the segments are longer than others, all have water of some sort along the way for watering your horses. The links provide ready access to information about the individual camps. All GPS coordinates are in the form (degrees, minutes, seconds) from somewhere usually within the group camp.
First some information about the, Main Trail Camps, in order from East to West:
Driving Directions: From I-75 exit onto US 23 and go through Standish, heading towards Tawas City. Turn left (North) onto M-65 and continue until just before the road turns to go across the AuSable river where you will turn right onto River Road. Continue heading east on River road towards Oscoda approximately 7.2 miles to USFS Rd 4411, turn right (south) onto USFS 4411 and camp is on the left, less than a mile away.
About the camp: The River Road Camp is a relatively new camp. A MTRA (Michigan Trail Riders Association) work bee April 19 - 20, digging holes for picket posts, removing brush, etc., established the camp in 1997. The camp is in the middle of a bowl shaped sandy area which used to be a pine grove. Because of the bowl shape don't expect cellular phones to be able to reach a tower even though you are relatively close to the city of Oscoda. The camp is not a drop in, meaning it is a group camp which needs to be reserved through the DNR. The well at the camp requires a 5000 Watt generator. There are no hand water pumps. There are also no outhouses, porta pots are required to be arranged for groups to camp at the site. The camp is pretty basic. The trail from Oscoda enters the east end of camp and goes out the west end of camp, making camp very difficult to miss. Since the camp is a "groups only" camp there are alternatives for individuals or small groups not wishing to stay at the River Road camp. One option is riding from Lake Huron to the next camp, South Branch, skipping the River Road camp. From Lake Huron to South Branch camp is approximately 34 miles so if you skip River Road Camp be prepared for a long day of riding. An alternative is to camp at Old Orchard Park which is a commercial camp ground right on the Lake made by the Foote Dam on the AuSable River. Old Orchard Park used to be on the Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail until it was rerouted when the River Road camp was put in. Old Orchard Park used to accomodate the organized rides put on by the MTRA and Shore to Shore Trail Ride Ltd. groups and had been accomodating people camping with horses as recently as the summer of 2000. Old Orchard Park, being on a large lake has lots of recreational activities available, fishing, swimming, etc. and even has hot showers if you remember to take enough coins along. Conversely, a commercial recreational area has a lot of people, motor boats, noise and activity around which might not be what most horse campers appreciate. Old Orchard Park is ~ 9 miles west of Oscoda on River Road. Return to Camp listing.
Driving Directions: From I-75 exit onto US 23 and go through Standish, heading towards Tawas City. Turn left (North) onto M-65 and continue until you reach Rollway Road (shortly after M65 makes a turn and goes east). Turn left (north) on rollway road, camp access is 3 miles down Rollway Rd on the right and you are coming down a long hill before a bridge with crosses the South Branch
About the camp: We like this camp alot!! There are actually two camps, a drop in camp which is accessed from the same turnoff and a group camp. Both camps have outhouses and lots of shade but the drop in camp has a hand pumped well while the group camp has a pump requiring a 5000 Watt generator. There has usually been a trash dumpster near the group camp. Easy access to beautiful trails along the South Branch and AuSable Rivers has made this one of our favorite camps. We feel the segment of the Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail between South Branch and McKinley camps is one of the most beautiful as it stretches along the AuSable River for much of the way and has lots of scenic overlooks, cedar swamps, you name it. It is also one of the more challenging, lots of rocks on the trail, the trail ascends and desends many hills and there are a lot of bridges to cross. The Ausable River is a couple of miles from camp but the South Branch of the AuSable is within easy walking distance. It can afford a relaxing soak to cool off on a hot day. Access to the South Branch (no horses, since they cause erosion of the banks) by foot can be had by traveling down the hill from where you turned on the camp access road for ~ 100' or follow the trail out of the back of the drop in camp. The Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail leaves the far end of the group camp, up the hill heads east towards the River Road camp, down the hill heads west towards McKinley. The cellular phone reception in camp is poor at best. Return to Camp listing.
Driving Directions: In Mio (approached from I75 from either M72 or M33 depending upon where you are coming from) at the light go east on county road 612 to camp, ~ 9 miles from Mio.
About the camp: The group camp has a well requiring a 5000 Watt generator and outhouses. It is basically a loop cut through a plantation pine forest and one pickets their horses around the perimeter. The trail to the east towards South Branch is accessed from the back of camp. The trail to the west towards Luzerne is accessed near the front of camp. We have never ridden around the area except for folllowing the trail towards South Branch, one of our favorite stretches. Return to Camp listing.
Driving Directions: From Luzerne, take Deter Road south (the only real intersection in Luzerne, bu Ma Deter's bar). You will pass the fire station as you are heading out of town (good place to fill up water buckets and such if you plan on caming in the drop in camp, see below). After ~ 1.5 miles on Deter, turn left (south) onto Durfee road. It is approximately 0.7 miles on Durfee Rd. to the camp access.
About the camp: Another beautiful camp!! There are actually two camps, a drop in camp which is accessed from the same turnoff and a group camp. Both camps have outhouses and lots of shade but the drop in camp has a hand pumped deep well, which I don't think has ever worked in all the years we've been there, while the group camp has a pump requiring a 5000 Watt generator. If you need water, the fire station in Luzerne has a faucet usually with short hose attached for filling buckets and such. They have never minded helping out the horsecampers by providing water. Stop by on the way to camp to save a trip back to Luzerne. A ride to the nearest stream for horse watering is a couple of miles, not a good option. There has usually been a trash dumpster near the group camp. The trail to the East, towards McKinley, starts from the drop-in camp near the well. The trail to the West, towards 4-mile, starts across the road from the camp entrance. Easy access to beautiful trails has made this one of our favorite camps. In the past few years the trails have been beaten up pretty badly by strong winds, including a tornado. There was a beautiful 1/4 mile long floating bridge through a cedar swamp a few of miles east of camp, which ended at one of the more beautiful spots on the trail - tall pines, beautiful stream - the perfect place for a relaxing break. The storm uprooted all of the large trees and seriously damaged the bridge requiring a bypass for an extended period. Mother Nature will have to work for a long time to return the area to it's former beauty. The trail to the west also saw extensive damage. Just a few miles west of camp, the trail to Walsh Road Camp - the North Spur - splits off from main trail. Return to Camp listing.
Driving Directions: The easiest camp to get to from I-75!!! Just exit from I-75 onto 4 mile road and head east ~4 miles to the camp on the right.
About the camp: The camp is a drop in camp with a hand pumped well and a well requiring a 5000 Watt generator. The trail to the East, towards Luzerne, goes East down 4-mile road. The trail to the West, towards Goose Creek, starts at the northwest corner of camp. The trail to the west used to go on the 4-Mile road I-75 overpass but now heads north and goes under I-75. There can be a lot of traffic on N. Down River road and one bridge has steel decking which is slippery and loud with shod horses, use care, but overall the trail rerouting was an improvement. Yogi Bear campground is just a little east of camp on 4-mile road. For a price you can get a hot shower and do a couple of loads of laundry. Return to Camp listing.
Driving Directions: From the north, exit I-75 at the Hartwick Pines/Fredric exit and head west on county road 621. Turn left (south) on Manistee River road and camp is on the right about a mile south of 612. From the south - We tend to come up US27. From US 27 we exit at the Military road exit (just befor US27 and I 75 join), cross over I75 and head north (left) on Military road. Military road dead ends on M93 just outside of the National Guard base. Turn right from Military road onto M93 and go a couple of miles to the intersection with M72 (west of Grayling). Turn left (west) onto M72 and go ~ 6 miles to Manistee River Rd. Turn right (north) onto Manistee River road and camp access is ~ 6.5 miles away. This route gets around having to haul your horses through Grayling. For those of you who don't mind the traffic or need last minute supplies, going through Grayling after exiting From I-75 onto M72 is an option.
About the camp: The camp is right on the shore of the Manistee River, a perfect place to relax and watch the water. The camp is a drop in with a hand pumped well and a well requiring a 5000 Watt generator. Canoe liveries sometimes use the horse camp for river access so if you don't like banging on aluminum, camp a good distance from the river. The trail to the East, towards 4-Mile, starts just past the outhouses on the opposite end of camp from the river. The trail to the West, towards Kalkaska, crosses the river (there's only one place to cross and it's obvious). The trail to the east goes up a steep hill just a short distance out of camp only to drop down from the hill after just a few feet of ridge riding. Riding east from camp maybe 90 minutes brings you to the "Happy Days Diner". We like the food there and they have a high strung picket line between the trees along the road. The Fredrick Inn has a corral in back and great super wet burrito's inside. Both are an easy ride from camp. Heading straight north of camp on a dirt road from county road 612, one can follow along to the site of the former town of Deward. For a very short but scenic ride ride along the Manistee River as it heads south, very pretty as it winds along. For a good cool off, talk a friend into dropping you off where county road 612 crosses the Manistee River and float back to camp on an inner tube. There is an easy access from the road to the river. The river is slow but cold. Return to Camp listing.
Driving Directions: From the intersection of US131 and County Road 612 in Kalkaska, head north on US131 a short distance before turning left onto BeeBe Rd., go 0.7 miles to Metzgar road, turn west, go 1 mile and turn south on Rice Road. It's approximately 0.2 miles and a couple of large sand holes to camp.
About the camp: The camp is a drop in camp with a hand pumped well and a well requiring a 5000 Watt generator. The trail to the East, towards Goose Creek, goes out the camp access road before cutting into the trees. The trail to the west, towards Shecks, leaves camp past the hand pumped well near the outhouse. Return to Camp listing.
Driving Driections: From US131 north of Cadillac, take Supply road (S. Boardman Rd.) west to Brown Bridge Rd.. Turn left onto Brown Bridge road and camp access is on the left. Following the multitude of signs for Ranch Rudolf also helps as Ranch Rudolf is very near the trail camp.
About the camp: The camp is right on the shore of the Boardman River. The camp is a drop in with a hand pumped well and a well requiring a 5000 Watt generator. The best river inner tubing opportunity is at this camp! Have a friend drive you upstream a ways and float back to camp. If you've forgotten your tube, stop at Ranch Rudolph, just a short distance from the camp entrance, and rent one. Prefer not to get wet, rent a canoe. The cedar trees, swamps, high banks, etc. along the largely undeveloped stretch of the Boardman River upstream of camp are all very pretty and worth the trouble to enjoy. Ranch Rudolf also has a restaurant and for a price you can get a hot shower. The trail to the East, towards Kalkaska, leaves camp near the road exit and shortly goes up a large hill. The trail to the West, towards Mud Lake, leaves camp at the opposite end of camp. The trail towards Mud Lake has to go around the Traverse City sprawl and has a lot of traffic at places, be careful! The south spur - trail to Hopkins Creek - splits off the trail to the West a relatively short distance from camp. Return to Camp listing.
Driving Driections:From US-31 (close to Traverse City), ~ 1.5 miles west of Interlochen, turn north on Wildwood Rd (near a golf course). Go ~1 mile north before turning west for 0.5 miles, then north for 0.2 miles. Camp access is just across the Lake's dam on the right.
About the camp: The camp is right on the shore of Lake Dubonnet (Mud Lake). The camp is a well shaded drop in with a hand pumped well and a well requiring a 5000 Watt generator. Mud Lake is fairly shallow and so is a warm lake for tubing in. Many people fish and appear to catch fish. The Loons are usually very vocal and rarely disappoint people who appreciate their calls. There is horse access to the lake near the road accessing camp. The trail to the East, towards Shecks, leaves camp from the opposite end as the access road and follows along the shore of the lake for quite awhile - very pretty, as is sunrise across the lake. The trail to the West, towards Gerry Lake goes out the road access. There are cross country ski trails just west of camp marked with blue triangular markers similar to the Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail markers. Pay close attention so you don't end up on a cross country ski loop, not that it's ever been done before ;-) Return to Camp listing.
Driving Driections: Go 5 miles east of Empire on M72. Turn south on Plowman Rd., go ~ 2 miles before turning east, camp is on the south side.
About the camp: The drop in camp is right on the shore of Gerry Lake but the group camp is up the hill a little ways (past the outhouses from the drop in camp). The drop in camp has a hand pumped well and the group camp has an electric pumped well. The drop in camp is very nice. Gerry Lake is fairly warm for tubing in. The trails leave the group camp from the end opposite the road access and are marked. The trail towards the Lake Michigan access in Empire is very pretty when riding the high abandoned railroad bed ridge. There are a lot of dirt roads in the area for riding and a nearby stable as well - coupled together this means lots of tracks going in all directions so watch the trail markers. Return to Camp listing.
Some information about the, North Spur Camps, in order from North to South:
Driving Directions: From the Indian River exit off I-75 go east on M68 to the junction of M68 and M33. Turn north on M333 and go about 2 miles and just about 200 feet past Quincy street (small mobile home community) turn right (east) and go ~ 0.7 miles to camp. It's easy to miss the turnoff from M33 so watch for Quincy Street as a reference point.
About the camp: The drop in and group camps are adjacent to each other. The drop in camp has a hand pumped well and the group camp an electric pumped well requiring a generator. Prior to 2001, the Stoney Creek camp was as far North as you could ride on the North Spur of the Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail. MTRA has planned some spring 2001 work bees to extend the trail to the water's edge near the Mackinac Bridge. Most of the trail will be on old railroad right of way. There are no current plans to put in a camp North of Stoney Creek. The current plan is to either ride the whole distance as one leg or to contact the Cheboygan Fairgrounds and group camp there. More on this at a later time as the author and family (of course!!) are planning on attending a North - South ride in 2001. Return to Camp listing.
Driving Directions: From I-75 exit and drive into Vanderbilt. At the blinking light in Vanderbilt turn left onto Main street - which eventually turns into Sturgeon Valley Road. From the light in Vanderbiolt it is 11.2 miles to Twin Lakes Rd. (aka Round Lake Campground Rd.). Turn left (north) onto Twin Lakes rd and stay on this road until you reach the trail camp access road. We've never had smooth road conditions, always serious washboard, so make sure everything is securely fastened and slow down to avoid vibrating off the road. The horse riding in the area is worth enduring the washboard road, trust us!
About the camp: The drop in and group camps are on the same access road. Turn off the drop in camp road to the right to enter the group camp. The access road ends at the drop in camp a few hundred yards from the group camp. The drop in camp has a hand pumped well and the group camp an electric pumped well requiring a generator. The drop in camp is loacated on the shore of the Pigeon River. The riding in the area is very popular. It is probably our favorite place to ride in the whole state! Many times the drop in camp sites are filled, especially if you arrive on a popular weekend. The forest service has a solution, they have designated 15 "off-site" campsites in the area where horse camps are allowed. One can stop at the Forest Service Headquarters you pass on the way to camp (left hand side of the road) and pick up a map of the area which shows the remote sites. The only problem with the remote campsites are lack of water and outhouse. If these aren't a problem for you the remote spots can be a great way to experience some isolation from the crowds. As I mentioned, the riding in the area is very popular, primarily because of the Elk herds. If you know where to look, just remember Elk love to eat! We've never been disappointed when checking a series of clearings a short distance from camp. The best times to check are near sunrise or sunset, the most difficult times to take photo's. We've taken binoculars along too and then gotten within 30 feet of the Elk. Sometimes the Elk can be skittish, but usually they don't seem to mind horseback riders that don't appear threatening. The trail along the Pigeon river which starts near the horse watering area and heads down river is one of our favorite. Part of our liking of the riding in the area are all of the trails, there must be easily hundreds of miles of scenic trails in the area. Equipped with a Forest Service map and a compass it's almost impossible to get lost as there are posts with numbers spread through out the area and the post numbers are also shown on the map. Please stay off of the designated hiking trails, e.g. the north country trail runs through the area. Our family has appreciated the beauty of this area for many years. Return to Camp listing.
Driving Directions: From Gaylord - take M32 east to Gingell Rd. (~ 10-12 miles), turn left (north) and go 4 miles to Sparr Rd., turn right (east) 2 miles to Johnson's Crossing Road. Stay on Johnson's Crossing road ~ 2 miles to reach camp.
About the camp: The drop in and group camps are adjacent to each other. The drop in camp has a hand pumped well and the group camp an electric pumped well requiring a generator. Return to Camp listing.
Driving Directions: From Grayling (I-75) take M72 east to Luzerne. Turn Left (north) on county road 489 until you reach county road where you turn left (west) and go 4 miless to Walsh road. Turn right onto Walsh road (north). Camp access is ~ 4.5 miles down Walsh road.
About the camp: The drop in and group camps are adjacent to each other. The drop in camp has a hand pumped well and the group camp an electric pumped well requiring a generator. Riding south one connects with the East - West trail a few miles west of the Luzerne camp. Return to Camp listing.
Some information about the, South Spur Camps, in order from North to South:
Driving Directions: Different people prefer different routes... We prefer to exit I-75 onto M55 west to Lake City. At the intersection of M55 with M66 at the light in Lake City, turn right (north) onto M66. Stay on M66 about 2 miles before turning left onto M42 (west) towards Manton. Go about 4.5 miles, when you see the sign for Arlene slow down and turn right at the Caldwell Town Hall onto Lucas Road (heading north). Stay on Lucas Rd. for ~ 6 miles. the camp access road is at the top of a small hill after crossing a creek, by some high voltage transmission lines. Camp is about 2 miles from Lucas Road.
About the camp: The camp is a drop in with both an electric and hand pumped well. A camp host resides there during a large part of the riding season. There is some nice riding in the area, an artesian well bubbles up some sand, nomerous streams, high banks, etc. all combine to make the area enjoyable. Return to Camp listing.
Driving Directions: US 131 North of Cadillac - from the intersection of US131 and Boon Rd (Walmart on right), continue to proceed North for an additional 2 miles to 30 Rd, turn right (east) and go 1 mile to the end of pavement. The road changes names to 43 1/2 Rd, after about 0.2 miles the road curves right, continue on the dirt road for 0.8 mile going East. This is Long Lake Rd (no sign though). Camp is on the left side (north of road).
About the camp: The camp is a group camp only, very similar to the River Road camp, no facilities except a well. It was established by an MTRA wrok bee April 16 -17, 1997. Return to Camp listing.