Hike 100 Challenge: Harvey Bridge to M-115

Join the NCTA Grand Traverse Chapter of the North Country Trail Association on a 9.1 mile adventure hike that follows high bluffs above the Manistee River, skirts around the town of Mesick, then settles down along the Manistee River again.
PLEASE RSVP IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND. We’ll meet at a small parking lot immediately west of the Manistee River bridge, just west of Mesick, leaving promptly at 10:05am. It’s located on the south side of M-115, 0.7 miles west of the M-37/M-115 junction. Use Google Map to navigate to 44°24'22.5"N 85°44'06.9"W. Then we’ll board a few cars to take us to a parking area immediately south of Harvey (Iron Pony Truss) Bridge, located at 44°26'19.8"N 85°38'30.0"W. Follow this link for best directions between the end points:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/44.4057831,-85.7206629/Harvey+Iron+Pony+Truss+Bridge,+Buckley,+MI/@44.4212846,-85.7047686,5013m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m9!4m8!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x881e52f7f31fbfe9:0xeea959c11e1854c0!2m2!1d-85.6423675!2d44.4392023!3e0?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Starting the hike about 10:30am, we’ll walk across Harvey Bridge and begin with a beautiful 3 mile hike high above the Manistee River. Then we’ll follow a mile of pleasant rural road and endure a mile+ of busy M-37 highway’s shoulder before following Burkett Creek back to the Manistee River. After crossing the river, we’ll wind along its banks to find our way back to our cars. We’ll end the hike about 3:30pm, then drive some folks back to their cars at Harvey Bridge before heading home.
PLEASE NOTE: Although I was able to drive across Harvey Bridge with my Toyota Rav4 and saw another vehicle also cross, its condition is poor, the north approach is partially washed out, and signs indicate a 3 ton weight limit. Therefore, I recommend returning home by staying south of Harvey Bride (take N 19 Road south to M-42, then west to M-37 near Mesick). Please use caution on the loose gravel, but small cars should have no difficulty on those roads.
ALSO NOTE: This hike is not very conducive to shorter options due to the long car transfers required. Please call me at 231-519-1851 if you want to discuss options.
Plan on hiking for 5 hours at a 2 mph pace, with a short snack/lunch break. Hiking shoes, hiking poles, rain gear, plenty of water, and a bag lunch are recommended.
This route uses Avenza maps NCT MI-123 and MI-124. If you want to learn about navigating with the free Avenza App, download Avenza, search for “NCT MI-123” and “NCT MI-124”, download them, and bring your phone to this hike. We’ll be happy to get your started!
This is part of a a series of hiking events that will cover the entire portion of the NCT maintained by our Chapter, 107 miles from Hodenpyl Dam to Starvation Lake Road. This will be a great opportunity for those who want to hike it all and get their name engraved on the plaque at the Nature Center.