Michigan (Mt. Arvon)

We traveled from Boston, MA to the summit of Mt. Arvon in one       (albeit long) day.

Flew Boston (6:30 a.m. ET) to Milwaukee on Frontier Airlines, picked up the rental car and were on road by 10:00 a.m. CT time.

Drove 1 hour from Milwaukee to Sheboygan, WI on Lake Michigan. Breakfast at Field to Fork Cafe. Walked around lakefront to stretch our legs. Quiet, but pretty spot. Back into the car by noon. 

Drove 3 hours via easy roads to Iron Mountain, MI. This is a convenient stop for provisions (groceries, gas etc) as it has a Walmart and other major stores. We stocked up on drinks and some snacks for the week on the road. Back in the car....

We began the drive towards L'Anse debating our options stopping- either for the night in L'Anse (motel on highway 41) and bagging the peak the next day or going all the way to Mt. Arvon. Since we were still feeling ambitious, everyone was in a good mood, and there was plenty of daylight left we decided to head into the rugged backwoods to the highpoint.

You begin the "official drive" to the highpoint trailhead from In L'Anse, MI, which is about 1 hour from Iron Mountain. It is approximately 27 miles from L'Anse to the trailhead, about 16 miles are on paved roads, then the roads go from smooth and unpaved with the last few miles made up of very rutted, sometimes hilly, narrow roads deep in the woods. The roads were very dry, so any car would likely have been able to navigate, but if you encounter mud or water: be aware!  Mt. Arvon is located within the rugged backwoods logging region, of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, so you the roads are not labeled, but you will find a few blue Mt. Arvon signs along the route. The best advice is to stick with what appears to be the main road but give the signs the priority. The general directions we followed can be found at a Baraga County website. This got us to pass the gravel pit, but then the printed directions different and we stuck with following the signs. Our total mileage was just over 9 miles (rather than the expect 7.0) from Roland Lake to the trailhead.

Getting  to the Trailhead
1. Drive 16.1 miles from L'Anse via Main Street which becomes Skanee road to the Zion Lutheran Church on the corner of Church Street and Skanee Road. We actually drove past the small white church.

2. Take a right down Church Street 2.9 miles to Roland Lake. There are signs for the lake.

3. Turn right on Ravine River Road and continue 6.1 miles pass a Gravel Pit to a T-intersection. This section is somewhat unclear so look for blue Mt. Arvon signs

4. We drove almost 2 miles more than the 7 miles from Roland Lake to the trailhead, so be patient. Stay on the more obvious road, follow any Mt. Arvon signs and like we did, take a picture at any unclear intersection, so you can be sure to follow the correct direction on the way back. The road is rather rutted and there are a couple of relatively steep (but short) sections.

We saw a small bear cub and a bald eagle soaring overhead on our way between Roland Lake and the Gravel Pit.

5. There is a rather obvious place to park your car at the trailhead and a pond on the left at the start of the trail. You may be lucky and see a moose along the shore.

Getting to the Summit

It is a short 1/4 mile walk from the parking lot to the summit. The path is rutted and covered with small rocks and roots, but no need for hiking boots.

At the Summit

You will find a USGS market, a worn wooden picnic table, a light blue bench and a metal box secured to a tree (thanks to a local Boy Scout Troop) which contains the log. Be sure to add your name. 

Thanks to the landowner there is a short spur that leads to an open section with a beautiful view.

Chocolate, a kiss and a photo and we headed back down. Be cautious on the ride back, keeping a look out for the Mt. Arvon signs. The ride back to L'Anse was about an hour. There is a motel in L'Anse and other lodging options. We opted for the Best Western in nearby Baraga. Dinner was munchies we had purchased in Iron Mountain and then a sound night sleep.

Driving Distance and Time
Stops	Miles	Time
Milwaukee airport →Sheyboygan, WI	62.1 miles	1.0 hour
Sheyboygan → Iron Mountain	167	3.0
Iron Mountain → Mt. Arvon	85	3.0
Mt. Arvon →L’Anse	18.6	1.5
Total	333 miles	8.5 hours

Highpointing: Your Vacation Compass

The United States has a total land mass of more than 3.5 million square miles. It tempts us with an eclectic array of cities, lakes, beaches, mountains, forests, desserts, parks and more. When I became a parent and wanted to explore the country with my children, I found excitement and opportunity in the array of astounding choices. But I also found the prospect of planning and orchestrating our vacations overwhelming. What I needed was a compass. Something to give direction and context to our trips. For us, highpointing has served that purpose well.

Highpointing refers to the concept of reaching the highest natural point in the fifty states. (For others it is to reach the peak of each county, country or continent.) Equipped with a target, I was then able to plan our trips based on the geographical location of a state highpoint. While many summits can be reached by car, motorcycle (or cog railroad in the case of Mt. Washington), we are attempting each highpoint by foot. Reaching a summit is often an accomplishment in and of itself (sometimes because of the challenge of the hike, sometimes the weather is the test, and sometimes it is just finding the trailhead!). But I’ve discovered that even more rewarding are the sites, people, food, etc we have encountered along the way.  

On our journey (I, my husband, two children and sometimes extended family) we have climbed the granite rock of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, strolled along a family farm in Iowa, and hiked the gorgeous, wide-open Guadeloupe Peak in Texas. On various highpointing trips we have also sipped some of the best micro-brewed beers in Milwauikee, WI, sled the gypsum dunes of  White Sands National Monument; watched a remarkably diverse Fourth of July parade in Lexington, KY; soaked in the peacefulness of Falls Park in Greenville, SC; kayaked among the caves of Lake Superior, shopped at local farmers markets; and hung out in funky, energetic and fun cities and towns such as Asheville, NC, Atlanta, GA, Stow, VT, Duluth, MN, and Madison, WI.
 
As you travel the speeding highways, verdant byways, desolate back roads, and many a bumpy logging road to reach a trailhead, you will experience the unique and often picturesque setting of a state highpoint. But be sure to refocus and slow down, and enjoy local cuisine in family-run restaurant, tour uncommon, as well as, acclaimed museums, and visit unique local attractions, so that you too can See beyond the Summit.