Possessing a nostalgic charm and an unhurried way of life, Michigan’s “other shore” offers a glimpse of shore life that has been slow to change.
Following the graceful curve of the Lake Huron shore along U.S. Highway 23 from Standish to Cheboygan, it’s an intriguing land of endless inland forests, scenic rivers, 19th Century lumber towns, fishing villages and a handful of historic lighthouses.
The word “sunrise” takes on a new meaning here. Dawn bathes secluded beaches in golden hues as gentle waves lap the sandy shoreline, the silence broken by the cry of swooping gulls. Offshore fishing boats chug slowly through the water hoping to beat the gulls to the “fresh catch of the day.”
What you won’t find is the trendy, upscale mega-resort atmosphere that seems to prevail on the Lake Michigan side of the state . . . no Saugatucks or Petoskeys, no Grand Traverse Resorts or Bay Harbors.
“We’re about 20 to 25 years behind the development of the west side of the state, but maybe that’s not bad,” said Tom Ferguson, executive director for the Sunrise Side Tourism Council. “Visitors seem to enjoy our more relaxed carefree atmosphere. Casual is the byword on the east coast.”
It was less than 50 years ago that paved U.S. 23 was extended to Cheboygan. Before that rail travel was the only way to get north of Tawas.
“Tourism in this part of the state is relatively new when compared to other areas of the country,” said Ferguson.
The French explorers led by Samuel de Champlain were the first white men to explore the area. Arriving at Lake Huron in 1615, they named it La Mar Douce (Sweet or Freshwater Sea). It was a half-century before they understood the lake’s size when LaSalle finally landed on the east coast of Michigan in 1679.
The late 1800s brought a lumbering boom to northern Michigan as more than 700 logging camps and 2,000 logging mills sprang up overnight along the region’s rivers. One of the more famous rivers, the Au Sable, stretches 120 miles from Grayling to Oscoda.
In the spirit of the French voyageurs who were the first white men to explore the area, the grueling Au Sable River Canoe Marathon is held annually the last Saturday of July. Two-man teams from all over the world paddle for 15 straight hours to be the first to finish. It’s the second leg of the North American Triple Crown of canoe racing. (The first and third legs are held in New York and Quebec.)
Traveling north on U.S. 23 where it splits from Interstate Highway 75, the road travels 179 miles north from Standish to Cheboygan. The landscape is a constant blur of water, forests and small little coastline communities with bustling marinas. Restaurants serving fresh lake fish are nestled in between modest cabins and “mom and pop” motels.
The first large port you come to is Tawas City and East Tawas, twin cities nestled along the wide, blue expanse of Tawas Bay. Beach lovers delight in the rolling sand and dune grass that borders the long boardwalk stretching along the bay between the two towns.
On a witchlike finger of sand and trees that curls around the northeast corner of the bay, Tawas Point Lighthouse towers above Tawas Point State Park. Along sugar-fine sand, still warm from the afternoon sun, beach campers spread blankets and settle in for the evening show, one of the best sunsets on the “sunrise side.” The setting sun slowly flames into an orange orb as the skyline slowly turns from gold to a deep purple. On the opposite shore, town lights start blinking on, one by one.
The 183-acre state park has more than 200 camping sites, all just a short walk to the waters edge. The Sandy Hook Nature Trail, a wood-chip path lined with wildflowers, ventures through small, rolling dunes, wetlands and past the white-brick lighthouse tower that has marked the entrance to the bay since 1876. Along the way you may spot some of the more than 220 bird species that stop at the park from spring through fall during annual migrations. It’s nationally known for its bird-watching opportunities.
Just up the road another pair of neighboring communities, Au Sable and Oscoda, reside on opposite banks of the Au Sable River as it spills into Lake Huron.
One of the attractions of this area is the 22-mile-long River Road National Forest Scenic Byway, which parallels the high south banks of the famed Au Sable and offers many great overlooks.
The 22-mile corridor follows River Road west from Oscoda and ends up on a four-mile stretch of Michigan Highway 65. You can rent a canoe and paddle lazy backwaters, take a paddle-wheel riverboat ride or relax on observation decks high above the river and watch nearby nesting eagles float on thermal currents.
In a quiet glen high above the river, Lumbermen’s Monument honors these early woodsmen who played a vital role in opening up northern Michigan. Around the turn-of-the-century, their stories spread as legends when Oscoda native James MacGillivry first brought Paul Bunyan and his blue ox Babe to the attention of the nation. Take the time to hike a portion of the High Banks Trail, which runs along the bluff. The views are magnificent.
Three miles west of this burnished bronze monument, you can descend 292 steps to the bubbling waters of Iargo Springs. A labyrinth of boardwalks leads you past crystal clear springs right down to the river’s edge. This tranquil spot tucked away at the bottom of a moss-laden bluff beneath a canopy of cedar and hemlock was considered mystical by local Indians who used to hold tribal powwows here.
Five miles north of Oscoda, the Great Lakes Marine Art Gallery features a wonderful collection of local artists’ paintings of Lake Huron landmarks.
Heading north on U.S. 23 it’s just a short hop to Harrisville and a beautiful harbor full of brightly colored sails fluttering in the lake breeze. Founded in 1853, the town looks much today as it did then. Just north of town is the Sturgeon Point Lighthouse, which has been guiding ships offshore since 1870.
Negwegon State Park, considered by many to be the crown jewel of Michigan state parks, is just a few miles north of the lighthouse. It’s isolated and difficult to find, but well worth the effort. Located north of Black River, it’s an 1,800-acre wilderness tract with more than six miles of Lake Huron shoreline still as wild as when Chippewa Indians were the only travelers along the lake.
Pine, cedar and birch line sugar-sand beaches tucked along remote bays punctuated by rocky points. On a clear day you can look across Thunder Bay and see the water towers of Alpena.
About halfway between Harrisville and Alpena, turn east on Black River Road and follow it to Sand Hill Trail, an unmarked, sandy road just past a cemetery. Follow the dirt road north for roughly 2 1/2 miles until you see a state park sign and a gravel road heading east. Take the gravel road, and it’s a little over a mile on back to the parking lot for Negwegon.
Alpena, located just a few miles farther north, is the largest city–population 11,354–on the northeastern side of the state. It’s a treasure trove of Victorian architecture and area historical artifacts.
Elaborate homes, built by prominent businessmen in the late 1800s and early 1900s, grace U.S. 23 as it winds through downtown. Many are fine examples of Queen Anne Victorian architecture.
One of the homes, listed in the Michigan Register of Historic Sites, is now the elegant Besser House Bed and Breakfast. It’s within walking distance of Alpena’s Old Town historic district where specialty and antique shops line the streets.
At the Jesse Besser Museum, you can view an 1890s avenue of shops and copper plates and utensils more than 7,000 years old.
Thunder Bay, a treacherous piece of water that has claimed more than 80 ships during the last century, has protected status. Set aside as a marine sanctuary, the Thunder Bay Underwater Preserve is popular with scuba divers.
As you continue north, take the time to travel up Cape Cod-like Presque Isle and visit Lighthouse Park. The gleaming white-brick tower, established in 1871 and still operational, stands 113 feet high. It’s the tallest lighthouse on the Great Lakes.
This was actually the second lighthouse constructed on Presque Isle. The first, built in 1840, is also open to the public.
The 41 miles to Cheboygan yields lots of lake views as U.S. 23 hugs the lakeshore most of the way.
Cheboygan straddles what is known as Michigan’s Inland Waterway. Native Americans and early voyageurs once paddled this chain of rivers and lakes, which links Lake Huron with Lake Michigan. Today the waterway is filled with pleasure boaters and fishermen.
You can dock along well-known area restaurants such as the Boat House on the Cheboygan River, or the Hack-Ma-Tack Inn at the mouth to Mullett Lake.
The Hack-Ma-Tack is one of the area’s most unusual restaurants. Housed in an 1894 hunting and fishing lodge, the establishment has been serving the public for more than a century. Specializing in whitefish and steaks, diners can watch boaters cruising the Inland Waterway, or watch raccoons and deer cavort around the strategically placed feeders outside the lodge.
Cheboygan State Park offers a bevy of campsites along a sandy stretch of Lake Huron shoreline. It even has a couple of cabins for rent along deserted beaches, a very private setting completely away from the campground. And, if you would like to experience a night in an honest-to-goodness Indian tepee, the state park has one for rent. Somewhat modernized with wooden flooring and bunk beds, the canvas structure is still in the traditional shape and the only element between you and the weather.
If you’re looking for a more traditional motel room, the River Terrace Motel is right on the Cheboygan River. Many of the rooms have balconies looking over the Inland Waterway and its stream of colorful boat traffic.
For those that want to get a glimpse of Great Lakes island life, Bois Blanc Island is about a 15-minute ferry ride offshore. There are cottages, a grocery store, a couple of restaurants and an inn offering overnight accommodations on the island. You can take a car over, but the best way to explore the island is to rent a mountain bike from Wheels ‘n Motion and spend the day exploring the dirt roads along the exterior. Bike reservations are a must during the summer season. Island maps are available from the ferry operators or the little grocery store just down the road from the docks.
As you depart the Cheboygan area, follow Michigan Highway 27 south along the Inland Waterway. It connects with I-75, which cuts through the heart of Michigan’s highlands heading south . . . away from the timeless beauty of Michigan’s “Sunrise Side.”
