This fall, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources ordered the decimation of one of Michigan’s most unique off-roading trails, without much warning. Using heavy machinery, most of the beautiful limestone steps at Marblehead were flattened. No longer the crown jewel of the island, the steps are now a tiny fraction of what they used to be. The work was done during the last week of August, noticed and shared online on the 29th, and by the weekend, the entire Michigan off-roading community was in uproar.
Off the U.P.’s eastern shore lies Drummond Island, one of the largest freshwater islands in the world. The island, full of fossil ledges, limestone cliffs, hardwood forests, and rocky shores, served as the last British outpost on American soil after the War of 1812. Formed by millions of years of erosion, this speck of land is part of a massive geological formation called the Niagara Escarpment. Canada may have swiped the most commercial site of the escarpment with Niagara Falls, but America’s bit is thoroughly enjoyed year-round by those who know how to get there.
Drummond Island is also home to a very rare natural environment referred to as alvar, found only in Canada, Sweden, and the U.S. Drummond Island’s alvar hosts rare plants, prairie habitat, and arctic species, making this already uncommon landscape even more unique.
The naturally rocky landscape on Drummond makes for some of the hardest off-roading trails in our state. The island also boasts Michigan’s largest closed-loop off-road trail system. The off-roading community that loves and respects these rocky trails was shocked, upset, and unsure of why the DNR destroyed the hardest section of these public trails.
One seasoned rider, Whitney Hanna, who has spent 21 years visiting the island, emailed me to say she’s never seen this kind of destruction, and that while she understands the need to protect against erosion, this work seemed needless. Other dedicated riders, such as Becca Spaulding, reached out to the DNR and their legislators directly about these actions, hoping to get an answer. The response letter Spaulding received from the DNR listed the reasons for the work, but not much else.
The DNR says the work was done so conventional vehicles could access the steps, despite the fact that this portion of trail is marked for four-wheel drive and 4x4s. Sorry, but which sedan driver was looking for an afternoon cruise on the hardest formation for off-road vehicles in Michigan?
The DNR also claims this issue was open for community engagement back in 2015 via a “2015 Drummond Island Writing Team,” though no other off-roading groups, businesses, or tour guides I spoke with reported having a chance to speak their case, or knowing what this team is.
The community had no say in the destruction and feels as though it was carried out in the dark. The DNR trail coordinator for the entire Upper Peninsula reported that this work was done by Drummond Island Yacht Haven.
What is Drummond Island Yacht Haven? It’s a full-service marina, complete with boat sales, as well as a builder of waterfront cottages and campgrounds, that also provides full-service contracting and excavation services. Its owner also happens to be a director at the Drummond Island Tourism Association. The first time I called the Drummond Island Yacht Haven Construction, I spoke with a rather cagey employee who confirmed that they do take contracts for construction work with the DNR on Drummond Island and have worked there these past months. She pleaded the fifth after that.
The off-roading community had previously offered the DNR the solution of a bypass to reduce the damage to the natural landscape through heavy construction, but the DNR listed in its response letter that a bypass would disrupt the environment too much. Given that invasive plant species often come to Drummond Island from car tires or shoes, ripping open these trails to allow for more conventional cars surely only increases that risk long-term.
This thought clearly hasn’t resonated with the DNR, given that the state website for Drummond Island suggests: “Roll over the rock shelves leading to Marble Head. Pull over for a walk along the ridge and Instagram-worthy shots of Lake Huron’s False Detour Channel.” Increasing tourism is one thing, but flattening a memorable formation for a few photographers indicates misplaced priorities. Memory is in our bodies, not our Cloud storage. Prioritizing this surface-level tourism represents a loss of culture and connection with our land. And if accessibility was the priority, wouldn’t a walking trail or path have less environmental impact with the same results?
Cindy Pope of Northology Adventures, an adventure community, said that unless the community gets involved, all of these trails will eventually be closed or graded down.
Mitten State Tours co-founder Joe Carron pointed out the irony of how the state regulates resources, ”We have all these potholes in the roads, and they’re fixing the trails?” He also described what the island has looked like as of late: massive pits in the ground, all over the island, from mining, and rocks filling watery areas. Trash, pop cans, and toilet paper littered about. This seems to be the opposite of the DNR’s goals, and seeing a ranger on Drummond Island is like sighting Bigfoot.
Carron said that when the state accepts federal grant money for road maintenance, the language makes it so that the funds must be used to make the roads accessible for everyone. The DNR seems to have interpreted this as being accessible via a 2-wheel-drive vehicle. But Carron, like others who enjoy these trails, suggested that there are still other solutions within the language, such as hiking and walking trails or guided tours. “Equal outcome is different from equal access,” he pointed out.
If this destruction was an innocent oversight in the DNR’s handling of a complex set of goals, it deserves a solution. One that starts with a town hall meeting.
Devinn Dakohta is a contributing writer for Michigan Enjoyer. Follow her on Instagram @Devinn.Dakohta and X @DevinnDakohta.
