Otsego County High Point Trip Report
14 areas (1,516+ ft)
Date: October 21, 2001
Author: Bob Schwab
Otsego County, Michigan, is one of the few remaining unvisited counties (by county highpointers) in the state.
There are two distinct locations with a total of 14 areas that require inspection. Access and trespass issues are
fairly serious here, so I hope my experience will be helpful to others.
To visit the first location where thirteen of these areas can be found, get off Interstate 75 at exit 282 in
Gaylord, Michigan, and drive west on Michigan Route 32. In 4 miles the road will turn sharply to the north.
Continue north for another 2+ miles to where Route 32 turns abruptly west. Leave Route 32 and go north
on Hallock Road for about 1.8 miles to an intersection where you will turn right. Proceed east for 1 mile to
the intersection with Schaff Road. Turn left on Schaff Road and proceed north. In 1 mile, you will pass an
old stone ruin on the right near the intersection with Martindale Road. Continue north for roughly another
0.5 mile and watch for the last house on your right (numbered 5523 on the mailbox).
Area 1 is in the woods to the east behind this house. I did not find anyone at the house nor did I see any
postings in the adjacent woods, so I circled around the house to the north and visited the knoll in the woods
behind the house.
Area 2 is in the woods on the west side of the road, a few hundred feet north of house 5523. The high spot
is right next to an old wooden shed.
Areas 3-11 are all in the woods farther north on the left (west) side of the road. Continue up the road
roughly 0.15 mile beyond the house (passing a posted gate on your left) to an open area where you can
easily park your car. This appears to be a staging area for occasional logging activity, but there are no
postings and no one was around on the day I visited. Area 3 is a tiny spot on a ridge immediately north of
where you have parked. You can bushwhack into the woods from here, traveling counterclockwise in
roughly a horseshoe pattern to visit areas 4-11. Of these spots, the highest area appeared to be a slender
ridge that runs north-south (roughly at coordinates [45.112283 deg N, 84.760 deg W]) near several trees that are
blazed in blue.
Areas 12 and 13 are located on the county line, north of where you parked your car, in the woods on
opposite sides of the road. Hike north on the road 0.4 mile. You will rise slightly then descend and cross a
marshy area. As the road rises up again, watch for a witness sign on the right side of the road. I did not see
the BM, but there was a 4x4 post pounded into the ground which marks the county line. Head east into the
woods a short distance and find a knoll (area 12) which is carpeted with a significant undergrowth of myrtle.
For area 13, return to the road near the witness sign and look to the west for a trail that heads out across an
open space. Follow the trail across the field and into the woods. The trail will twist around a bit, but soon
heads NW where you will see a gentle rise off to your left
(this is area 13 at coordinates [45.115583 deg N, 84.75933 deg W]).
It only took a couple of hours to locate and evaluate these 13 areas, and posting/access issues did not appear
to be serious. It was entirely a different matter when I tried to visit area 14. This area is entirely surrounded
by private property which is extensively posted. There are two large developments in the area (Lakes of the
North, and Arrowhead Lake) and I gather that many property owners do not appreciate the ATVs that buzz
all over the roads and open spaces, thus the extensive posting. Late in the day, when I was frustrated and
about to give up, I met the caretaker from Echo Lake Lodge (on the southwest side of the highpoint) who
was friendly and helpful. After I explained myself and showed him a topo map, he told me that there was a
way to access the high point, and he reassured me that even though there were no trespassing signs posted,
the access route was a county road and the signs were there mostly to intimidate the ATVs. Without his advice,
I would not have reached area 14 the following day.
To approach this final area, leave Interstate 75 at exit 279 and travel south on old Route 27 for about 5+ miles,
paralleling Otsego Lake. Turn right (west) onto Route C-38, which is also known as Mancelona Road.
This intersection is not well-signed, but watch for a blinker light. Travel west for 6 miles to a dirt
(sand) road that turns off to the right (north). Finding this intersection can be confusing since there are
several "roads" that go off into the woods, but this intersection is opposite an entrance to "Shoppenwagen
Pass (Private)." Go north on this sandy dirt road for about 1.4 miles, keeping to the right, left, and left
respectively, at the three intersections you will encounter. The third intersection is signed "Grecas Trail" and
you want to stay to the left. Shortly after you pass this intersection, you will see a sign that says "Fred's
Lodge" with a posting that this is a private area, but continue northwest on the county road for about
another 0.25 mile to a gate on the right with a large yellow sign that says "Keep Gate Closed." This gate is
about 1.4 miles from where you turned off the paved highway. Park your car near this gate but do not block
it (if you were able to drive this far) and hike up the road behind the gate. Initially, you will see postings
along the sides of the road, but it will soon become obvious that the road is a right of way, so just stay on
the road all the way to its end (about 0.8 mile) where there is a circle and a trailer parked nearby. Look for a
ski/snowmobile trail going off at a right angle to the left (west) and follow it west up a gentle rise until it
comes out on a wide grassy road that seems to be running in a northeast-southwest direction. When you
reach the grassy road, you will be standing in the middle of area 14. This road cuts across the large contour
on top of this hill. I walked up the grassy road a bit and found a couple of bumps just off to the left in the
woods that appeared to be a bit higher than the surrounding area
(cf coordinates [44.93128 deg N, 84.81246 deg W]), but due to the fact that some of the property along this
lane is posted, I did not completely "Lobdellize" the site.
After I returned to my car, I continued northwest on the sandy road for almost another 0.5 mile in search of
the grassy road access. I did find a lane going off into the woods between two wood piles that was signed
"Private, No Snowmobiles." I suspect that this could be an alternate route to the high point, but I don't
know whether it is a public right of way, or just a private drive. Future visitors can decide which route they
wish to use. If you want to visit the caretaker at Echo Lake Lodge, continue on the sandy road down the
hill for about another mile until you come to an intersection (unsigned, four-way) down on the flats.
Turn left (south) and you will soon encounter the lodge at the edge of a lake. Most of the driving is on very sandy
(and possibly deep-rutted) roads, so you need to be careful that you don't get stuck in the loose, dry sand.