7. AMASA MUSEUM

12 miles north of U.S. 2 just off Hwy-141 on Pines Street in Amasa Open Memorial Day for summer months. Tours in winter by appointment. Free Admission.

The Amasa Museum is located in the Main Street Historical District. The building, formerly the township hall, is a fine example of late 1800s balloon style architecture. The main floor has many pictorial displays of the mining and logging industries that helped build Amasa, plus Amasa School and Triangle Ranch memorabilia. An ongoing renovation of the second floor will result in a replica of "The Streets of Old Amasa." The importance of Amasa as a major hub for logging and rail transportation can be seen in the old depot that stands sturdy against time.
     

8. FORTUNE POND

The site site is a wonderful example of the many mines that have been reclaimed by nature as she heals the scars of the miner's pick.  Imagine the pumps that worked 24 hours a day to keep the open pits and tunnels dry.
This mine produced 1,316,905 tons of iron ore from 1953 to 1958. It had one shaft with two drifts used to drain the 210-foot deep pit. The pit is 1,930 feet long by 750 feet wide. What was once a major mining operation now lends itself to a scuba diver's and fisherman's paradise.       
 

9. BE-A-BIC-STATE PARK

A leisurely drive around the 315-acre state park provides an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery of the region. Interpretive signing on the upper level near the campgrounds afford the visitor a chance to see how the early settlers cleared the land for lumbering, mining, agriculture and tourism. The state park has wonderful public log buildings built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and includes fascinating stonework along the beach and parking lots. 

10. LARSON PARK

Established in 1919, imagine the trip early road engineer Herbert Larson made as he toured around the area. Noting the lack of public rest areas along his way, he became determined to provide a stop for travelers where they could relax, rest and share information before proceeding on their journey. While not the original site, which was on Stager Lake, the State Register sign commemorates Larson's efforts here as the first roadside picnic site in Michigan and perhaps in the entire US. Explore the giant trees in the old grove birch maple forest surrounding the site.       

11. APPLE BLOSSOM TRAIL

Begins on Brady Avenue in Caspian across from the Iron County Museum. This restored walking/biking trail along the banks of the Iron River was originally the major corridor for the rail lines that hauled thousands of tons of iron ore from local mines to the steel mills of Chicago and Indiana. See the site of Harvey Mellon’s discovery of iron ore along this route in 1851, when only one settler lived here. Local high school students continue to contribute and develop sites and natural history signage on this historic route.
 

12. LAKE OTTAWA RECREATION AREA
          & CAMPGROUND

A 30-minute hike to "Orville’s Bench" on the Ge-Che trail (primitive) in the Ottawa National Forest will introduce you to one of the most breathtaking natural views in the county. When you return, walk along the shore of this pristine lake which archeologists affirm contain the remnants of some of the area’s earliest residents; prehistoric Indians dating back at least 2000 years. Several site reconstructions have been created from recent archeological digs sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service.

13 MILE POST ZERO & TREATY TREE

Continue on Ottawa Lake Road 7 more miles.

Visit the site where Captain Thomas Cram placed the first marker at the survey point establishing the Wisconsin-Michigan state boundary in 1840. As part of the settlement of the "Toledo War" between Michigan and Ohio, most of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was granted to Michigan for the "Toledo Strip" which was granted to Ohio. He made a treaty for passage with Chief Ca-Sha-O-Sha and the band of Ojibwa (Chippewa) near a large tamarack tree at the headwaters of the Brule River.         

 14 CAMP GIBBS RECREATION AREA

Ten miles north of US 2, approx. 2 miles west of Iron River.

This property was purchased by the US from the Michigan Mineral Land Company in 1934. In 1935, Camp Gibbs was established as a Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp. Nineteen buildings were constructed consisting of barracks, kitchen, shower room, bakery, garages and storage for the CCC workers. It is a unique example of vernacular American architecture of the period. The materials and methods of construction represent a time when frugality was critical to the survival of society. In the 1940's the State of Michigan Social Welfare Commission used the camp to house indigent people from all over the state.