Gogebic county on Michigan-Wisconsin border
By Jay Haven Keweenaw Trailblazer
Photos courtesy of Gogebic Trail Range Authority
Summer is waning to a close and fall’s transformative touch is beginning to shift leaves to red and yellow in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Bordering Upper Michigan from Wisconsin laying east to west is Gogebic County. Travelers passing through Duluth, Ashland and into Ironwood will immediately be immersed in the great outdoors as they enter Michigan. Stick around and find great trails in this hidden gem section of the Western Upper Peninsula. It’s a straight shot north from Wisconsin cities like Milwaukee, Green Bay or Madison. Ride as far west as you can in Michigan’s iron range in Gogebic County and get those late season miles in before it’s time to fire up the snowmobiles.
IRONWOOD MUST SEES
The Gogebic Range Trail Authority runs a cool set of trails from Ironwood to Wakefield and east to Marenisco, Michigan. Jerry Nezworski, president of the club and trail boss says there’s a few good spots to see in his neck of the woods. Ironwood, the most western point of Gogebic County is home to the iconic Stormy Kormer factory, which offers tours. Stormy Kromers are the wildly popular, all-season hats with a pull-down flap that covers your ears. They’re perfect for keeping your head warm on the trails during chilly Michigan falls. The trail is paved up to their building for riders to make an easy entrance.
ORVS in Ironwood can hop right on Trail 2 to get into Wakefield. Bessemer and Wakefield are the social hubs of Gogebic County, offering downtowns and places to fuel up your ride.
“The SL Trail is 14 miles from Wakefield to Marensico,” said Nezworski. “In Gogebic County you can ride on any county roads. You ride the road from Wakefield to Ramsey to get back on the trail. If you’re in Ironwood and you get on Trail 2 west we have signs that say Bald Mountain Trail in black and orange. That points you out to the Powers area, it’s a snowmobile and ATV area. We have a structure on top of Trail 2, our Trail 160 out there. It’s 19 feet high and 16 feet in circumference. It’s got a fire ring in the center, three benches and a door on it. It’s made of metal.”
Nezworski says people stop by all the time on the trail and start fires if it’s cold to warm up. It’s off Trail 160, or Bald Mountain Trail. Another sight up that way is signed as “Lookout Mountain” and both offer views of Lake Superior. Don’t miss the world’s largest Native American statue “Hiawatha” in Ironwood. Hiawatha was the leader who brought together the Iroquois Confederacy. The statue stands for unity and peace among the nations that came together under this alliance.
NORTH TO SHORE
Another popular stop in town is Mt. Zion Ski Hill which has a beautiful scenic overlook with sights of Canada on a clear day. You can take a seasonal chair lift ride for a break from ORV trails. North of Bessemer, you can take Black River Road for some impressive waterfalls.
“Out on Black River Road there’s six or seven falls that can be ridden by side by side,” said Nezworski. “They can take in all the waterfalls on the Black River. It runs into Lake Superior in Black River Harbor. They can walk over the extension bridge to the other side of the river where the lake is.”
Black River Road has a few more hidden stops the further north you go. Hang a right onto Copper Peak Road to see Copper Peak, the world’s largest artificial ski jump. According to its website, “the Copper Peak upper observation platform provides views at 1,782 feet above sea level and 1,180 feet above Lake Superior, and the trails feature a 600-foot elevation gain over 5.5 miles.” Gogebic County is home to big views at remarkable heights and holds part of the largest inland lake in the Upper Peninsula, Lake Gogebic.
ON THE TRAILS
“Once they’re out there on that 160 trail,” said Nezworski. “There’s the Montreal Gorge which is about 200 feet down to the bottom of the Montreal River. We have a picnic table and an outdoor cooker set up there. Some people get married there! Then there’s Superior Falls, which is toward the end of the trail on the Montreal River and you walk down over to view the falls. If they want to ride from there into Wisconsin, Saxon Harbor is pretty unique with all the boats out there.”
If you want to get out of town and into more wilderness, head east on the SL trail into more of the Upper Peninsula. Much of the “U.P.” is connected by trails making for some unique opportunities to do some extended ORV travel. Plug the following spots into Google to park before you ride off from Ironwood: Red’s Auto or Stemphiar, as well as the Wakefield, Ramsay MDOT park and rides.
CALVIN KANGAS RIDE
Want to really connect with the Gogebic Community? Drive north for the Calvin Kangas Memorial ride on Sept. 28. Calvin Kangas is a man from Ewen, Michigan who was heavily involved in trail development in Gogebic County.
“He’s one of our guys that died but he died working on a walking trail,” said Nezworski. “He was my right hand man when I was working. He was with me all the time. We usually leave the groomer barn in Bessemer and ride the trail to Hiawatha and we’ll go up to Mount Saints.”
The event requires an RSVP – go to the Range Authority website and shoot them a message if you’re interested.
FOOD & LODGING
Riding the trails all day works up an appetite and makes you tired! Stick around for a couple routes and explore the region to your heart’s content. Check out travelironwood.com for lodging recommendations like the AmericInn which is right on the ORV trail. Hotels often have ample parking for trailers and make a great home base, with many having free breakfasts you can’t go wrong. Nezworski says his favorite place to eat in the area is the Pit Stop in Bessemer.
“It’s an excellent place to stop next to the Kwip Trip you can park on the main street if you want with a side-by-side,” said Nezworski. “A lot of times with the snowmobiles they’ll park in the Kwik Trip. They put the trail right through their parking lot just for us. They blacktopped the trail. The Pit Stop food is great.”
If you’re looking for a hot bite to eat, you can come to the Pit Stop for fish fry Fridays or taco Tuesdays. You can order tasty pizzas, wraps, sandwiches and many other classic American items.
Before the snow starts flying and the trails transform into winter wonderlands, now is the perfect time to explore Gogebic County’s vast ORV routes and scenic gems. Whether you’re drawn to the towering views at Copper Peak, the peaceful waterfalls along Black River Road or the iconic sights in Ironwood, there’s something for every ORV adventurer to see in Gogebic County. Don’t miss out on connecting with the local community and paying homage to Michigan trailblazers like Calvin Kangas on the memorial ride Sept. 28. Plan your trip, gear up and hit the trails to experience the natural beauty and outdoor thrills found in the Gogebic area. Visit travelironwood.com and the Gogebic Range Authority Website for maps, things to do and more information. •