Address: Hartwick Pines State Park 4216 Ranger Rd Grayling, MI 48738
Countie(s) trail is located in: Crawford
Trail Type(s): Camping <> Cross Country Skiing <> Hiking
Trail Measurement: Trail: 2.3 Miles & Area: 9,762 Acres
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The Mertz Grade Trail winds through forest and field for approximately two miles and was named for the early logging railroad spur it shares for a portion of its distance. Sallin Hansen Lumber Company heavily logged much of the property within Hartwick Pines State Park during the 1880s and 1890s. The Civilian Conservation Corps planted many of the park’s trees in the 1930s as part of a massive restoration effort. Hence, this forest is known as “second growth.” There are four small lakes located within the State Park. Two of the lakes were originally named Bright and Star Lake. However, there were too many Star Lakes so they settled on Bright and Glory Lake. The Visitor Center has an auditorium that can seat 105 people and an extraordinary nine-projector multi-image slide show. The show is approximately 14 minutes long and shares the story of logging from the past right up until today. The Auditorium is used for presentations and programs.
References and More Info
- DNR
- Wikipedia
- Image By Guettarda – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50152732
- Compass Latitude: 44°44’58.2″N
- Compass Longitude: 84°40’32.4″W
- Numeric Latitude: 44.749499
- Numeric Longitude: ‘-84.675663
- Elevation in Feet:
- Elevation in Meters:
- Trail Measurement: Trail: 2.3 Miles & Area: 9,762 Acres
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