Non-Motorized Areas

Gratiot River North, a North Woods Conservancy site, contains 212 acres of north woods and 500 feet of isolated shoreline. No fees. Fishing permitted; fires, camping, hunting, trapping and motor vehicles are prohibited; horses welcome. Visit the website for information and a printable map. DIRECTIONS: From Hancock drive north on US-41 to Ahmeek. Turn left onto Five Mile Point Road, drive approximately 1 mile and turn left onto the Gratiot River Shortcut Road. Follow it 3.9 miles to the Gratiot River County Park. Walk up the beach to Gratiot River North.Open daily during daylight hours.

Merganser Pond, a North Woods Conservancy site, contains 400 acres, about half of which is rich, botanically diverse coastal wetland including a ridge-swale system and the pond itself.  You may spot trumpeter swans, sandhill cranes, bald eagle, otter, mink, muskrat, beaver, or perhaps a common or hooded merganser.  No fee.  Fire, camping, hunting, fishing, trapping and motor vehicles are prohibited west of Five Mile Point Road. Bow and crossbow deer hunting and motor vehicles (on established roadways only) are permitted in the uplands east of Five Mile Point Road.  Visit the website for information and a printable map. Directions: The Merganser Pond property is bisected by Five Mile Point Road (7 miles from Ahmeek on US-41) and the first .6 miles of Sunset Bay Road traverses this natural area.  You can also access the property from several other small unnamed roads off Five Mile Point Road and from the Copper Country State Forest land on the south side of the west half of this property.  Open daily during daylight hours.

Seven Mile Point, a North Woods Conservancy site, contains 32 acres and 1,854' of Lake Superior sand, bedrock and cobble shoreline including 950 feet of sand beach, 700 feet of 1.1 billion-year-old bedrock shore and 200 feet of cobble beach.  Fishing permitted.  Fires, camping, hunting, trapping and motor vehicles (except on the entry road) are prohibited.  No lifeguard on duty:  Swim at your own risk!  Open to the public from noon to sunset on weekends from May 15 to October 15. Visit the website for directions and a printable map.Directions: From US-41 in Ahmeek, follow Five Mile Point Road 7 miles and turn west onto the Sunset Bay Road.  After .8 miles turn left onto Seven Mile Point Road and travel 1.2 miles to the NWC gate.  The parking area is located about 300 yards beyond the gate.  These are private roads so please use only during open hours, drive slowly and be cautious and courteous to lot owners. 

Bete Grise South is a wetland area stretching along Lake Superior from Lac La Belle to Point Isabelle along the Gay-Lac La Belle Road on the Keweenaw's south shore. Bete Grise is recognized as the single most important lake plain marsh community remaining in the Upper Great Lakes. The area features two miles of premier Lake Superior shoreline and contains roughly 1,500 acres of diverse wetland types. Hikers, photographers, bird watchers and other nature enthusiasts will likely spot bald eagles and sandhill cranes, both of which actively nest here, and enjoy breathtaking views of the entire southern shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula. There is a small undeveloped parking area on the north side of the Gay-Lac La Belle Road at the boundary between Sections 2 & 3 with a clearly defined trail that leads to the beach. Motorized vehicles, camping or overnight use, fires and removal or collection of any vegetation or nature feature (except blueberry and cranberry picking for personal use) are prohibited.  Pets are welcome on leash.  Open 365 days a year to foot travel and other types of passive recreational use such as hiking, fishing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and the like.  Hunting is allowed by written permit through the Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District.

A Michigan Nature Conservancy Site, the Mary Macdonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor is arguably the most beautiful Conservancy site in the state of Michigan. The preserve encompasses 1,276 acres of high-quality bedrock beaches and glade communities. To access the site, follow US-41 to the end of the pavement east of Copper Harbor. Continue east on the dirt road for .89 miles. There is a narrow two-track trail heading left (north), follow this for 1.2 miles. Park on the right (south) side and ealk east to Lake Superior. There is a sign at the head of the trail. Motorized vehicles, off-road vehicles, bicycles, pets, smoking, camping and fires are prohibited.  The site is open to the public year round.  Late summer and early fall are the best times to visit this site.

The 24-acre preserve, with its stunning sunsets and crashing waves, features boreal and mixed hardwood forests, lowland swamp, bedrock glade, and a bedrock and cobble beach along 630 feet of undeveloped shoreline on Lake Superior.  Several small islands just off shore are included.  It is open to the public for non-motorized recreation.  The preserve is located on M-26 about four miles west of Copper Harbor.  (Photo courtesy of the Keweenaw Land Trust)

The Eagle Harbor Township Recreation Area includes well-defined sand channels and sandy defiles with red & white pine mixed with red oak and boreal forest. There are small, shallow lakes surrounded by dunes with diverse plant communities. Easy hiking is available along historic two track road grades related to logging and copper mining operations at Copper Falls. The dunes and marshes lie at the base of the Keweenaw escarpment where prehistoric copper miners are known to have mined native copper. The area includes the Eagle Harbor Red Pine Dunes & Cy Clark Memorial Nature Sanctuaries. Parking is available off M-26 at the end of Pine Street, for the approximately 9 mile long trail, with several loop options. Motorized vehicles, camping and fires are prohibited. Foot traffic only is allowed in Michigan Nature Association sanctuaries.Open year round for hiking and cross country skiing.

The 360 acre preserve includes about 40 acres of Lake Superior coastal dunes and protects ancient bedrock, two small lakes, forested ridges, numberous ponds, swales, and marshes, and Owl Creek, which empties into Lake Superior.  The preserve is open to the public for non-motorized recreation, including the enjoyment of nature, hiking and cross country skiing.  The preserve is located about 2.5 miles southwest of Eagle Harbor near Great Sand Bay and is adjacent to other land protected by Eagle Harbor Township and the Michigan Nature Association's Redwyn Dunes Nature Sanctuary.  (Photo courtesy of the Keweenaw Land Trust)

A Nature Conservancy site, the Helmut & Candis Stern Preserve includes 1,371 acres that encompass several thousand feet of frontage along Lake Bailey, a 200+ acre glacial lake and steep wooded slopes with a mix of hardwood and conifer forests and offers spectacular views of Lake Superior and the Keweenaw from atop Mt. Lookout, nearly 700 feet above the shoreline.  Motorized vehicles, off-road vehicles, bicycles, pets, smoking, camping and fires are prohibited.  Open year round 7 days a week for hiking, skiing, showshoeing, nature study, research projects and environmental education programs. From Hancock take US-41 north to Phoenix.  Turn left at Phoenix and follow M-26 to Eagle Harbor.  Turn south in Eagle Harbor on the Cut-off Road and drive to the first two-track on the left.  Follow the 2-track under a telephone line to where parking is available at the base of a large sand dune.  Proceed on foot to the 2-track Nicole Bloom Trail that leads to the top, a 2 to 3 hour hike of under 3 miles that has a steep beginning but changes to a gradual incline.

The Gratiot Lake Conservancy, located in Keweenaw County, is a 307 acre nature preserve at Gratiot Lake that includes over 10,000 feet of shoreline and the Bear Paw Path. The Bear Paw Path Trailhead is located at the Noblet Field Station at 5173 Noblet Lane and is an easy to moderate 3.6 miles in length.  The Beaver Dam overlook trail is .5 mile round trip and the Beaver Dam Loop is 1.3 miles round trip.Directions: On US-41 travel north to Central and turn south onto the Gratiot Lake Road.  Follow this approximately 4.6 miles to Gratiot Lake and turn right onto the Iron Gate Road.  Follow this old logging road around to the south side of the lake - stay on the main dirt road - do not take any forks.  After approximately 4.8 miles, turn left onto Conservancy Road.

The Paavola Preserve, established in 1999 and expanded in 2007, is home to frogs and turtles, wild irises and cattails, where the call of red-winged blackbirds can be heard.  A 15-acre pond is surrounded by sedges, grasses, rushes, sweet gale and willow. Upland species include leatherwood, birch, pine, spruce and aspen. The central location of this preserve, along with its natural diversity and historic features, makes it a perfect outdoor classroom for both nature and cultural studies and exploration. The Preserve was established through the generosity of the Copper Country Masonic Lodge. No. 135 in Hancock, which donated 40 acres to the Keweenaw Land Trust.  The Trust expanded the Preserve to 115 acres in 2006.  The original walking trail was developed by a Boy Scout (he earned his Eagle Scout badge as a result of the project) who coordinated the work of volunteers from his troop.  The trail system was expanded in 2007, passing through a diversity of wetland and upland habitats, offering views of a large pond central to the preserve and abundant bird life.  Remnants of a traditional Finnish family farmstead are found in a meadow clearing that is now a great spot for a picnic lunch.  The 2.6 miles of looped trails are an easy hike, but you may get your feet wet. A trail map is available on the website.  Please practice a leave no trace ethic and respect adjacent private property.DIRECTIONS: From Hancock take US-41 north of Quincy Hill to No. 9 Road.  Turn right and travel 0.6 miles to the trailhead parking on left side of road.Phone: 906-482-0820

The Michigan Tech Recreational Forest, located off US-41 or M-26 along Sharon Avenue, has two distinct trail areas of moderate difficulty with rolling hills of up to 18 miles in distance. Some ski trails are closed to biking, please obey signage.   A daily and/or annual pass is required for non-students. Open year round for non-motorized traffic including hiking, biking and cross country skiing.