10 min

Traveling M-25, Pt. 2 - Harbor Beach to Bay City Discover Michigan's Thumb

    • Places & Travel

Today in this episode I will take you from Harbor Beach to Bay City. There are so many stops on this trip, you can probably plan a whole weekend seeing the sites. Leaving Harbor Beach, it is just a short (but very scenic) drive of about 7 miles to Port Hope. Port Hope is a small town of about 250 year-round residents located right on Lake Huron. Here you will find a marina as well as a really cool restored railroad depot that has been turned into a museum. 
As you leave Port Hope, you will be heading north on M-25. About 2.5 miles north of Port Hope, you will come to a crossroad named Pochert Rd. If you take a right hand turn onto Pochert Rd(which is a dirt Rd), you can drive about 1.5 miles down the dirt road till it ends, while there is not an official parking lot, you can park here, you are in the Kernan Memorial Nature Sanctuary. It is a 45 acre preserve left to Michigan by the estate of William J. Kernan and had been in the Kernan family’s possession since 1902. There is a hidden sandy beach that I will let you discover. You ill be looking at a cove off of Lake Huron here. It is called Whisky Cove. During prohibition, liquor from Canda was smuggled across Lake Huron and the boats would put in here because of the shelter from Lake Huron weather and prying eyes.
After exploring the Kernan Memorial Nature Sanctuary, head back out Pochert Rd to M-25 and make a right hand turn to head north again. There is now just a short 4.5 mil trip till you get to Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse. Established originally in 1848, it was updated to its current design in 1875 and designated a first class station and has been witness to many storms that Lake Huron can dish up over the last 172 years. It is one of the 10 oldest lighthouses in Michigan. The lighthouse and grounds are now owned by PABL (Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse) Society, a 501c3 and there are lots of updates and restoration plans for the museum. In the area are also cabins for rent and an RV park right on Lake Huron.

Leaving the lighthouse, you will have a scenic drive for the next about 7 miles till Grind Stone City. Grind Stone City was a boom town in the Thumb of Michigan in the late 1800’s when it was discovered that a certain type of gritty sandstone was perfect for making Grind Stones use in all sorts of applications and sizes.

Grind Stone City is now a resort and retirement town. It is a great place to catch a bite to eat at Shelley’s bar and grill or Grindstone General Store and then walk around the harbor. There is no longer a town, but there is still plenty to see. You will now be basically at the tip of the thumb. Stay on Pointe aux Barques Rd until you get to Wallace Rd and head up to Eagle Bay Public Access. To your left is the mouth of Saginaw Bay and to your right, you are looking out to Lake Huron. This is the tip of the Michigan Thumb. Head back to Pointe aux Barques Rd and turn right. From Eagle Bay Public Access, it’s only 4 miles till you arrive in Port Austin.

Port Austin is a bustling tourist town near the tip of the thumb. There are all sorts of summer events that take place and there are numerous restaurants, fishing, boating, kayaking (Turnip Rock), and other fun things to do. I included a link in the show notes to the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce web page to help you plan your getaway. 

As you leave Port Austin, just a short 7 mile trip to the southwest, you will be at Port Crescent State Park. This incredible state park is 640 acres on Lake Huron. Port Crescent is home to a dark sky preserve, three miles of sandy shoreline, a modern campground, and a boardwalk. You can also fish, canoe, hike, cross-country ski, go birding, and hunting. This is a state park, so a Recreation Passport is required to use the facility. 

Once you leave Port Crescent State Park, you will be headed west and slightly south on M-25 and in about

Today in this episode I will take you from Harbor Beach to Bay City. There are so many stops on this trip, you can probably plan a whole weekend seeing the sites. Leaving Harbor Beach, it is just a short (but very scenic) drive of about 7 miles to Port Hope. Port Hope is a small town of about 250 year-round residents located right on Lake Huron. Here you will find a marina as well as a really cool restored railroad depot that has been turned into a museum. 
As you leave Port Hope, you will be heading north on M-25. About 2.5 miles north of Port Hope, you will come to a crossroad named Pochert Rd. If you take a right hand turn onto Pochert Rd(which is a dirt Rd), you can drive about 1.5 miles down the dirt road till it ends, while there is not an official parking lot, you can park here, you are in the Kernan Memorial Nature Sanctuary. It is a 45 acre preserve left to Michigan by the estate of William J. Kernan and had been in the Kernan family’s possession since 1902. There is a hidden sandy beach that I will let you discover. You ill be looking at a cove off of Lake Huron here. It is called Whisky Cove. During prohibition, liquor from Canda was smuggled across Lake Huron and the boats would put in here because of the shelter from Lake Huron weather and prying eyes.
After exploring the Kernan Memorial Nature Sanctuary, head back out Pochert Rd to M-25 and make a right hand turn to head north again. There is now just a short 4.5 mil trip till you get to Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse. Established originally in 1848, it was updated to its current design in 1875 and designated a first class station and has been witness to many storms that Lake Huron can dish up over the last 172 years. It is one of the 10 oldest lighthouses in Michigan. The lighthouse and grounds are now owned by PABL (Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse) Society, a 501c3 and there are lots of updates and restoration plans for the museum. In the area are also cabins for rent and an RV park right on Lake Huron.

Leaving the lighthouse, you will have a scenic drive for the next about 7 miles till Grind Stone City. Grind Stone City was a boom town in the Thumb of Michigan in the late 1800’s when it was discovered that a certain type of gritty sandstone was perfect for making Grind Stones use in all sorts of applications and sizes.

Grind Stone City is now a resort and retirement town. It is a great place to catch a bite to eat at Shelley’s bar and grill or Grindstone General Store and then walk around the harbor. There is no longer a town, but there is still plenty to see. You will now be basically at the tip of the thumb. Stay on Pointe aux Barques Rd until you get to Wallace Rd and head up to Eagle Bay Public Access. To your left is the mouth of Saginaw Bay and to your right, you are looking out to Lake Huron. This is the tip of the Michigan Thumb. Head back to Pointe aux Barques Rd and turn right. From Eagle Bay Public Access, it’s only 4 miles till you arrive in Port Austin.

Port Austin is a bustling tourist town near the tip of the thumb. There are all sorts of summer events that take place and there are numerous restaurants, fishing, boating, kayaking (Turnip Rock), and other fun things to do. I included a link in the show notes to the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce web page to help you plan your getaway. 

As you leave Port Austin, just a short 7 mile trip to the southwest, you will be at Port Crescent State Park. This incredible state park is 640 acres on Lake Huron. Port Crescent is home to a dark sky preserve, three miles of sandy shoreline, a modern campground, and a boardwalk. You can also fish, canoe, hike, cross-country ski, go birding, and hunting. This is a state park, so a Recreation Passport is required to use the facility. 

Once you leave Port Crescent State Park, you will be headed west and slightly south on M-25 and in about

10 min