Hartwick Pines State Park

Hartwick Pines State Park, just northeast of Grayling in Crawford County, is the largest state park in Michigan's Lower Peninsula at nearly 9,700 acres — and its heart is something money can no longer buy: a 49-acre remnant of the virgin white and red pine forest that once blanketed the northern Lower Peninsula before the lumber boom cleared almost all of it.

A paved interpretive loop, the Old Growth Forest Trail, winds beneath towering pines that were already mature when Michigan became a state, including the famous Monarch. Alongside the big trees, the park's Michigan Forest Visitor Center and reconstructed logging camp tell the story of the men, rivers and railroads that turned these forests into the lumber that built Chicago and the Midwest. Add miles of hiking and biking trails, a campground, and the headwaters of the Au Sable River nearby, and Hartwick Pines rewards both a quick stop and a full day.

The star attraction is the paved, 1.25-mile Old Growth Forest Trail, an easy interpretive loop through the ancient pines that suits all abilities, including wheelchairs and strollers. Beyond it, the park offers roughly 20 miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking, from the gentle Aspen and Mertz Grade routes to the longer Weary Legs and Au Sable River trails. In winter the trails become groomed cross-country ski and snowshoe routes. A modern campground, picnic areas and the seasonal logging museum round out a visit.

Summer brings full access to the visitor center, logging camp and ranger programs, plus warm days under the pine canopy that stays noticeably cooler than the open country around it. Fall layers gold aspen and birch among the evergreens and thins the crowds. Winter transforms the trails into quiet ski and snowshoe corridors. Spring is muddy but peaceful, with returning songbirds and the first wildflowers. The old-growth loop is worth walking in any season.

The park exists because of a gift. In 1927 Karen Hartwick purchased this tract — including its rare uncut pines — and donated it to the state as a memorial to her late husband, Edward E. Hartwick, a lumberman's son and Army major who died in service during World War I. The Civilian Conservation Corps built much of the early infrastructure in the 1930s. The surviving old growth had been spared the saw partly by chance and timber economics, leaving Michigan a living window into the forest the lumbermen found when they arrived.

The park sits on the high, sandy outwash plains of the northern Lower Peninsula, ground laid down by meltwater from the retreating glaciers of the last Ice Age some 10,000–15,000 years ago. These well-drained sandy soils are exactly what white and red pine thrive in, and they are why the great pineries grew here in the first place. The nearby Au Sable River valley was carved by the same glacial drainage.

The mature pine and mixed northern hardwood forest shelters white-tailed deer, porcupine, red squirrel, snowshoe hare and the occasional black bear. Birdlife is rich: pileated woodpeckers hammer the big snags, while warblers, nuthatches, ravens and red-breasted nuthatches work the canopy. The region is also part of the breeding range of the rare Kirtland's warbler, which nests in the young jack pine stands of the surrounding Grayling area.

Old-growth pine forest is one of the rarest habitats in the Great Lakes region, and Hartwick Pines protects a precious fragment of it. The towering pines, standing dead snags and fallen, decaying logs create a layered ecosystem that young commercial forests lack — nesting cavities, fungi, and a shaded, humid understory. The forest is dynamic: a 1940s windstorm toppled many giants, a reminder that even ancient stands are shaped by storm, fire and time.

For generations of Michiganders, Hartwick Pines is the place to stand among trees that escaped the axe and grasp what was lost when the state was logged over. The reconstructed logging camp, with its bunkhouse, cook shack and big wheels, keeps alive the hard, colorful culture of the 19th-century shanty boys whose labor in these woods built a region. It is both a memorial and a classroom.

The park is off M-93, a short drive northeast of Grayling and easily reached from I-75 (exit 259). A Michigan Recreation Passport is required on every vehicle entering the park. The visitor center, old-growth trail and main facilities are well signed from the entrance. The Old Growth Forest Trail and visitor center are accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.

Protecting old growth means largely leaving it alone — letting trees fall and decay in place rather than ‘cleaning up’ the forest. The DNR manages the surrounding acreage for forest health, wildlife and the recovery of the Kirtland's warbler, whose comeback from near-extinction is one of Michigan's great conservation success stories. Visitors help most by staying on trails, which protects shallow pine roots and the fragile forest floor.

Stay on the trails: the soil over the pines' roots compacts easily, and ancient trees can drop large limbs without warning, especially in wind. Dress for biting insects in early summer and for cold that lingers under the canopy. In winter, dress in layers for skiing and tell someone your route. Carry water; the big loop is short but the longer trails are remote.

A Recreation Passport is required for entry. Pets must be leashed and are not allowed in buildings. Collecting plants, wood or artifacts is prohibited — everything stays where it lies, which is central to protecting the old growth. Camping is in designated sites only; check the DNR for current campground reservations, hours and any seasonal closures of the visitor center and logging museum.

Grayling sits at the doorstep, with the legendary Au Sable River for canoeing, fly fishing and the annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon. The Hartwick Pines and surrounding Grayling area are prime Kirtland's warbler country. To the north and east lie the vast state forests, Hartwick's own Bright and Glory lakes, and the headwaters country that feeds both the Au Sable and Manistee rivers.

Walk the Old Growth Forest Trail slowly and early or late in the day, when low light rakes through the trunks and the crowds thin. Pick up an interpretive booklet at the trailhead. Time a summer visit for when the logging camp and visitor center are staffed. Bring insect repellent June through August, and pair the park with a paddle or fly-fishing outing on the nearby Au Sable.