Where do you Go in Northern Michigan After the Highway Ends? The Road to High Rock Bay
Michigan simply by definition of being composed of two peninsulas mean there are points when the roads just end.
Consider the northern tip of the Lower Peninsula at Mackinaw City. Before the bridge was built, there was no more land for roadbuilders.
Another of these end-of-the-road spots is the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The main road into the Keweenaw is US 41, a cross-country highway that connects northern Michigan to Miami, Florida.
Where US 41 ends a few miles past Copper Harbor the highway loops at a roundabout and begins its trek south.
But that actually isn't the end of the road. The pavement and state maintenance is done, but a dirt track does continue on east. Known as Mandan Road and marked with a small distance sign promising High Rock Bay 7.5 miles ahead.
READ MORE: If you can find it and respect it, you can stay for free at the UP's Club Superior cabin
A Seasonal Challenge: Navigating Mandan Road's Terrain
The road is seasonal meaning it's not maintained by the country road commission in the winter. And it certainly does show after the spring thaw. That's the image of the washout above from a video showing a full run down the road before any summer maintenance is done.
Not that the road to High Rock Bay is easy going any time of the year. After all, it has a listing on a website called Dangerous Roads naming it as a path most won't complete.
A variety of vehicles try to make it out to the end, but most will turn around. The road can be rough if there has been rain and it hasn't been graded....
The unpaved road is prone to turning swampy, making this a popular destination for overlanders.
It's a pretty rough ride, with a lot of potholes, ruts, and bouncing around. Be careful: the road has giant potholes that are often filled with muddy water. It is not suggested to try to find it in a little car. You need to pay attention to turns. You definitely need a 4x4 to get through there on stormy days especially.
👇🏼BELOW: These Michigan Highways Come to a Complete Dead End👇🏼
Those who do make it to the end of the road are rewarded with a scene overlooking Lake Superior like this:
High Rock Bay Road is also the access to the famed Keweenaw Rocket Range, a NASA test site used in the late 1960s-early 1970s.
These Michigan Highways Come to a Complete Dead End
Gallery Credit: Eric Meier
These Very Special Streets Run Directly Along the Coast of Lake Michigan
Gallery Credit: Eric Meier