Michigan Shore-to-Shore Trail: McKinley to Rollways Campground

November 4-6, 2016

Michigan's Shore-to-Shore Trail is ~220 miles and goes from Lake Huron (Oscoda) to Lake Michigan (Empire). The trail also has a North Spur and South Spur. The trail is primarily for horses which makes it quite sandy in places, but is open to hiking as well.  I had previously hiked a portion of the trail near Kalkaska as part of it is shared with the North Country Trail.

I'm not sure if I'll ever try to complete the entire trail from shore to shore, but decided to try out a short section as my most recent job brought me near the Huron National Forest.  I looked over the Trails Illustrated Map and decided on an ~25 mile section that stays near the Au Sable River most of the way hiking east from McKinley ORV Trailhead to Rollways Campground. Being in the National Forest, dispersed camping is allowed nearly everywhere except where it's posted "No Camping" or near a campground.

Given the shortening amount of daylight per day I decided I would drop my bike off at Rollways and bike back after the hike.  I parked my car at the McKinley ORV Trailhead on a pleasant Friday afternoon.

It was a short walk on the sandy trail to connect with the Shore-to-Shore Trail.

The trail was well-marked with the traditional Shore-to-Shore blue trail marker.

Many of the leaves had recently fallen from above.

There were signs that horses had been on the trail recently, but I didn't see any the entire hike.

The trail is marked with posts painted blue at road intersections.

I went by a pine plantation.

The evening light shown through the trees.

The trail crossed several wide bridges.

I went under some large power lines.  I startled a man out for a short evening stroll.

I watched as the yellow leaves floated down from above.

I could see my first glimpse of the Au Sable River through the trees and wandered over for a better view.

Continuing on, the trail brought me to an overlooking bluff.

I began to look for a place to camp near the river.  Through the trees I could see a flat area.  I made my way to the river and had to cross a small stream on the way. Near the river I found a perfect campsite with a bench already constructed.

Campsite by the Au Sable River

There was some nice evening light and a great view where the small stream entered the river.

I was in my sleeping bag by 7 pm and it was a long night of darkness.  I slept reasonably well, awakening occasionally as I think a deer was making some noise.  I took the time to gaze up at the stars on a beautifully clear night.  I awoke in the morning to chilly temperatures and fog coming off the river.

It was probably one of the best campsites that I can remember in the Lower Peninsula, but I imagine it would be busier in the summer.  There is a forest road on the other side of the river and people may camp over there as well.

There were some nice morning reflections.

There were even signs to indicate where horses could get water.

The trail went beside another campsite near the river.

The trail paralleled the river with it visible through the trees.

I made sure I was wearing some blaze orange as I'm sure there were hunters around.

The trail went away from the river on the way to Gabions Campground.

I came to an interesting swampy area.

I reached the Gabions Campground and took a short break at a campsite.

There were a couple vehicles parked nearby, but I didn't see anyone camping.

There was a fine stretch of trail east of Gabions right next to the river.

I could see up to the Au Sable Scenic River Highbanks Overlook.  It took me a little while to recall that I had actually been up there before after finishing the Hoist Lakes Loop.

I reached the point where the trail turns away from the river for quite some time so I ventured down for a final view. There were many swans in the river and I recognized the swooshing sound of an eagle flying overhead before I saw it.

Soon a second eagle also flew overhead.

I returned to the forest.

There were a few distant views through the trees if I looked carefully.

I reached the road to Alcona Park and decided to go take a look at Alcona Dam Pond.

The park was empty, but I took the time to relax and enjoy the view.

There were many swans in the pond.

Back in the forest, I hiked past a colorful tree.

I reached a scenic overlook of Alcona Dam Pond.

There was a nice bridge over the creek on the southwestern end of the pond.

The trail came out to Bamfield Road and there was an old sign indicating McKinley.

The trail quickly went back in the forest, but I heard many loud gun shots and decided it would be safer to just walk the road as the trail parallels it anyway. I found a couple guys doing target practice into a small sand dune so staying on the trail would have been safe, but there was no way of knowing.

I rejoined the trail as it was a two-track.

Then the trail headed off as an actual trail.

I went across another bridge at Smith Creek.

A pair of boats hanging from a tree

As I neared the river again, I could see a distant view through the trees.

Then I came to a great overlooking view of the Au Sable River. There was a railing near the viewpoint and much of it was overgrown so I descended a little on the side and found an unobstructed view.

Soon I was back at the river's edge.

I believe this is Stewart Creek.  It was moving quite rapidly and even had a few small waterfalls over logs. Near the creek I saw a couple hikers, the first hikers I had seen all day.

I went past another prime campsite beside the river.

I reached a parking area and descended the stairs to the river.

I was at Thompson's Landing.

Back up the stairs.

The trail followed an old road near where I planned to camp.  On the map the trail looked like it went near several big bends in the river.

I reached a point where the map said I was right next to the river, but the forest was quite thick.  I decided to bushwhack to the river and see if there was anywhere to camp.

The bushwhack was short and soon I was rewarded with great views of the Au Sable River.  Most trail users would probably journey right by without knowing what they were missing.

There weren't many places to camp and the bank was steep, but I found a suitable spot overlooking the river.

 View from my campsite

It was another pleasant evening by the Au Sable River.

I wandered over to a nearby bend on the river.

On the way back I watched as a fisherman floated by.

Soon it was dark and I prepared for another long night.  I studied the map for the bike ride back the next day. The time would change as well. The next morning was probably colder than the day before.

I could barely see the sun rise over the trees.

There was some nice colorful morning light.

Returning to the trail, the bushwhack felt even shorter. Soon I reached an open area that was covered in frost.

There was another colorful morning view.

Au Sable River

I crossed the South Branch of the Au Sable River.

I left the river and continued on a straight section of trail.

I reached a campground.

Soon I was back at Rollways Campground and my bike.

The campground was closed but I decided to ride my bike around. One of the campsites had a decent view.

I discovered a short trail that went to the nearby picnic area.

From the picnic area there were stairs down to Loud Dam Pond.

Loud Dam Pond

I returned to my bike and had a great ride back to the McKinley ORV Trailhead on lightly traveled roads.

Overall, this hike on the Michigan Shore-to-Shore Trail is a worthy hike, probably some of the finest hiking along the Au Sable River and by looking at the map probably one of the best sections of Shore-to-Shore Trail. I haven't hiked the whole trail, so I can't really say though.  With two vehicles this would make a great weekend backpacking adventure for those who have already done many of the popular hikes in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

On the drive back home, I stopped at the Au Sable Scenic River Highbanks Overlook that I had seen from the other side of the river.