Lake Gogebic's East Shore Road

Lake Gogebic's east shore, first developed in the 1960s, has no sizable parks, few resorts, and many larger, newer homes, mostly not visible. The original owners of the Root Cellar resort, Gene and Kathy Kuranen, were the pioneers. Now they have sold, and their elk pen is gone.

East Shore Road has some unusual historic sites, and some good places to see birds and turtles at "White City," which was a stagecoach stop.

Two miles east of Bergland, East Shore Road meets M-28 just east of a bridge over the Ontonagon River West Branch. A dam a mile upstream from here is at the outlet of Lake Gogebic. The dam helps regulate the river's flow to UPPCO's big Victoria Dam downstream. Dams hold water for use in generating electricity in July and August, when water levels are low and extra water is needed.

These points of interest are arranged from south (U.S. 2 near Marenisco) to north (M-28 near Bergland). If you come from U.S. 2 on M-64, in about six miles you'll come to a Y near the water. Look for the East Shore Drive/CR 525 sign and bear right. (You could simply turn onto 525 from U.S. 2 if you're coming from the east.)

■ HEADWATERS of LAKE GOGEBIC at Ice House Bay. In spring when water is high, a 20' boat can go up the bayou created where three small streams join. (That's a mile south of the road.) The inlet is a great place for birding, and seeing turtles in summer, according to a local resident. Be sure to be prepared for mosquitoes.
■ "WHITE CITY" is the site of the old inn and stagecoach stop that took passengers from the train at Gogebic Station to the lake. The road southeast to U.S. 2, now County Road 525, is still called Stage Coach Road. A white fence surrounds the site of the inn, now private property. The original water tower can also be seen. Not quite two miles east of where East Shore meets M-64.
■ "THE BUSHEL CLUB" and outlet of Trout Brook. Another privately owned park-like area is this pond and wildflower meadow leading down to Lake Gogebic. The rustic log house in the distance was built by Escanaba lumber baron Bill Bonifas. Here Edna Ferber worked on Come and Get It, her novel about raw and raucous Hurley, Wisconsin, during the iron and logging boom. Ferber, who was Jewish, left Hurley in a huff because she felt it was too anti-Semitic for her. Bonifas offered to put her up here. His oversized personality seems to have inspired the novel's male protagonist.
Funk Seed management later used the cottage as a company retreat. "If you sold 500 bushels of hybrid seed corn, you got a trip to ‘The Villa' here," explains a local resident. In summer, watch out for turtles. It's common to see snapping turtles cross the road here, looking for sand to lay their eggs in. Two miles north of White City on East Shore Road.
■ STATE BOAT LAUNCH and PICNIC AREA. The picnic area has a beautiful view across the lake to Alligator Eye. Two miles north of "The Bushel Club" and nearly 12 miles south of the junction of M-28 and East Shore Road.
■ BALD EAGLE'S NEST. For years there's been a huge nest in a big tree overlooking the lake at the spot where East Shore Road heads east away from the lake. Young eaglets are regularly seen here. About five miles south of M-28, where East Shore Drive turns southwest along the lake. If you're coming from the south, this is right where you turn inland on a straight east-west part of the road.
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