|
|
CEDAR RIVER
POINTS
OF
INTEREST
Fuller Park. A picnic area and 3/8-mile Lake Michigan beach near the Bark River. Also a popular place for perch and bass fishing. ...
more
Fox Park. A township park with over a mile of Lake Michigan shore, a sandy beach, and a picnic area ...
more
Cedar River Pathway. An 8-mile trail system goes along the Cedar River, then through rolling, forested terrain used by hikers, cross-country skiers, and mountain-bikers ...
more
Wells State Park. Solitary beaches, enjoyable hiking trails, a big harbor, and 3-mile shoreline are highlights of this 250-acre park ...
more
Kleinke Park. The sandy Lake Michigan beach at a creek mouth makes a fine place for wading and making sand castles. A pine grove reduces the impact of highway traffic. ...
more
West Shore Fishing Museum. Commercial fishing on Green Bay's west shore, and Native American fishing for centuries before that, come to life at the intact house of a prosperous fisherman and several outbuildings for the collections. Grassroots paid off in authenticiity and local artifacts. ...
more
Bailey County Park. There's almost a mile of pure sand beach here, with dunes behind it. A popular place for wading and swimming, picnicking, and birding. ...
more
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Region: Escanaba, Menominee & the Green Bay Shore
CEDAR RIVER
|
Sawmill towns, now dwindled to a few stores and buildings, grew up where the Ford River and Cedar River empty into Green Bay. From Escanaba to Menominee, today's M-35 parallels the lakeshore. It passes not only cottages and suburban homes but also five parkswith trails, over four miles of public shore and beach, and in some cases campihg.
Behind the sandy shoreline in many places are natural areas full of plants like the tall, weedy Aurelia sarsaparilla. These attract many butterflies - so many that they are often clearly visible from the highway when conditions are favorable in August and September.
For over 10 miles north of Menominee, Green Bay is almost always in view. It's a pleasant drive, especially if you have time to stop and picnic or take a hike by the lake. Wells State Park has a wonderful trail system. On summer weekends, the West Shore Fishing Museum gives a good idea of the area's commercial fishing, and also prehistoric Native American fishing, in exhibits at a successful fishing family's homestead of 1910.
M-35 from Menominee to Gladstone has been designated as the Hidden Coast Recreational Heritage Trail — not a bike path but a motor route with over 100 inventoried points of scenic or historic interest. Special signage will point them out.
 | | Mary Hunt | | Cedar River began as a logging village, a heritage reflected in this display at the Lighthouse Inn. | Cedar River, once a mill town at the mouth of the Big Cedar River, is now the center of an popular resort area. Only a couple dozen people live in the village itself. Cedar River once bustled with a sawmill and a pier where lumber was shipped to Chicago. Then the sawmill burned and most residents moved away. Two churches on the highway remain from the lumber village: the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart (1887) and the Mission Chapel (1889).
Fishing is big here, both in the river (stocked with trout) and in the bay, where walleye, smallmouth bass, salmon, and brown trout are plentiful. The State of Michigan's $5 million Cedar River Harbor has opened on the north bank, with 61 reservable transient slips with electricity, day-use dockage, showers, a picnic area, and dog run. Visit http://mi.gov.dnr, then scroll to "Harbor Map" on the left. Call (800) 44-PARKS for reservations. The harbor's boat launch provides river and lake access. In spring the Cedar River can be boated up to a rapids two miles from the mouth. A small tackle shop services sport fishermen.
The largest local employer is Ruleau Brothers' Fishery. In spring, when smelt are running, it employs up to 30 or 40. Ruleau's is one of the Great Lakes' few remaining commercial fishing operations of any size, and it's the only Upper Peninsula fishery to use trawlers. Its 90-foot boat leaves the dock on the Cedar River's south bank in fall. to go after whitefish. (Two other Ruleau trawlers are based in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, near Manitowoc, where Lake Michigan's open water can be fished after Green Bay here ices up.) Smelt is netted during the spring run. The company's Stephenson processing plant is 12 miles due west of Cedar River. Although Ruleau's is a wholesaler, it will sell fresh fish to individuals from its Stephenson processing plant and freezer. It's located about 100 yards west of U.S. 41 at West 521 South Drive, just south of the center of Stephenson. Ruleau's currently sells fresh smelt for about $2.50 a pound, whole whitefish for around $! a pound. (The cost of fish is in the processing.)
Numbers of both smelt and whitefish in Lake Michigan are back after the 1988 invasion of the fingernail-sized zebra mussel, that destructive exotic, native to the Caspian Sea, inadvertently introduced in ocean freighters' bilge water. The zebra mussels fed on the shoreline zooplankton, which were at the bottom of the food chain for whitefish and smelt. The zooplankton moved into deeper waters. Now the zebra mussels died off, says Bob Ruleau, having killed off their food source. Whitefish are again numerous, and 2006 was a good year for smelt, too. The current threat to Lake Michigan fish, Bob says, is waterborne pathogens transmitted to salmon and other fish at hatcheries.
Back to Escanaba, Menominee & the Green Bay Shore
|
|
|
|
CEDAR RIVER
RESTAURANTS,
LODGINGS
& CAMPGROUNDS
These are our choices, not ads.
|
CEDAR RIVER
RESTAURANTS
See also: Escanaba, Menominee.
BUTCH & SUE'S
(906) 863-9897
Good homemade soup and breakfasts like homemade biscuits and sausage gravy give this roadside bar and diner lots of repeat business. Ask for the homemade rye bread at breakfast and on sandwiches. It's part of the the $4 patty melt. Daily lunch specials are $6. Pizza is from Hansen's in Green Bay, a standout among frozen pizzas. Broasted chicken on Saturday night. The Friday fish fry with salad bar is from $10 to $12, depending on choice of perch, whitefish, local walleye, or all-you-can-eat Alaskan walleye. Summer Sundays bring a breakfast buffet. For vegetarians, there's a garden burger, veggie omelet, plus the usual salads and sandwiches.
On M-35 in the heart of Cedar River, on the bay side. Open year-round. From April thru Nov. open daily: Sun & Mon 8-2 Central Time, Tues-Sat 8-8. In winter open 8-2, closed Mon & Tues, Fri fish fry to 8 p.m. Wheelchair-accessible. Family-friendly. Full bar.
THE LIGHTHOUSE
(906) 863-2922
Burgers, broasted chicken, and fish are menu highlights at this pleasant bar-restaurant with better than averagee food. On the walls are a small museum of local history, with log marks and tools and fishing photos. Another attraction is the setting overlooking Walton Creek near Green Bay. Otters and many birds, including ducks, geese, and eagles, have been seen here. New owners Kenny & Debra Hackett from Duluth have added homemade pizza. They've also added a deck on the water and a large screened pavilion. Dinners range from $7.50-$13. Salad bar any time.
On M-35 in "downtown" Cedar River. Opens at noon, often earlier. Kitchen open to 8 at least. Summer, fall hours are much longer. Wheelchair-accessible. Family-friendly. Full bar.
|
CEDAR RIVER
LODGINGS
|
CEDAR RIVER
CAMPGROUNDS
See also: Escanaba, Menominee.
CAMPING ALONG GREEN BAY
Arranged from north to south.
FULLER PARK
(906) 786-1020. Reservable
This plush and very popular 25-site modern campground at this unstaffed Delta County park enjoys a quiet setting, half a mile from the highway. It's near a sandy Lake Michigan beach and Bark River small boat launch. Other attractions are Bark River fishing access and a short nature trail across a wetland. Fuller Park is extremely popular on summer weekends, but campsites have been available most weeks through Thursday, and reserving weekends a week ahead is usually sufficient.
On M-35 at the west side of the Bark River mouth, just inside Delta County. About 18 miles south of the U.S. 2/M-35 intersection in Escanaba and 16 miles north of Cedar River. $17 or $19 (waterfront) a night. Wheelchair accessibility: ADA accessible sites, restroom, showers, picnic site.
CEDAR RIVER STATE FOREST CAMPGROUND
(906) 786-2354.
18 well-spaced rustic campsites (no showers, vault toilets) are either on or across a drive from the Cedar River, a trout stream. The natural areas and Lake Michigan beach at Wells State Park are only about 8 miles away. A good bet for people who like a quiet, rustic camping atmosphere - no complaints about party campers.
8 miles northwest of Cedar River on CR 551/River Road, which joins M-35 just north of the village. Self-registration, no reservations. $10/night. Seniors $5. Handicap-accessibility: with assistance for wheelchairs. One accessible site. Dogs on 6-foot leash.
FOX PARK
(906) 863-4721
The 25-space campground, part of a Cedarville Township park, is primitive (no showers or electricity, which means fewer users). The pines and oak make a high canopy for shade, but there's little vegetation buffer between the large sites. See above for info on park.
On M-35 28 miles south of Escanaba, 7 miles north of Cedar River, and 25 miles north of Menominee. Open mid-April thru Oct. No reservations. Self-registration. $12/night. Wheelchair access: no.
WELLS STATE PARK
(906) 863-9747. In Central Time Zone. Reservations: (800) 44-PARKS; (800)
For details on attractions and events at this major state park, see "Wells State Park.
This popular 678-acre state park includes 150 close-spaced modern campsites on a single long loop are in a grassy, semi-open area right on Green Bay. (Some lakefront sites were removed so other sites could have better views and lake access.) The 22 most-requested sites are directly on the bay. Some shrubby privacy landscaping is provided. Rates are $19/night for 50 amp sites, otherwise $17 (for 30 amp) and $16 (off season with no toilet building). 80% reservable. Spur-of-the-minute campers can find places on summer weekdays. Advance reservations a couple of months ahead of time are usually enough to get a space on non-holiday weekends. Reserve ASAP (up to six months ahead) for holidays. for sewer, water, and restroom construction.
In a completely separate area, each of 5 attractive rustic cabins ($70/night in 2007) have a propane cooking range and heater, outhouse, access to a hand pump, double beds or bunks, tables and chairs for 8 to 12. The setting overlooking the shore is grand, and trails are close at hand. The former Park Manager Residence is now being rented as a modern lodge, that will sleep up to 12 and includes all dishes, furnishings & linens. This historic building, named the Bay Stone Lodge for the materials that the CCC used to build it, can be rented by calling the park directly at (906) 863-9747. 2007 rate about $1,000 per week.
On M-35, 1 mile south of Cedar River, 30 miles south of Escanaba, and 23 miles north of Menominee. In Central Time Zone. Camping usually open from sometime in May thru Oct. 31. State park sticker required. 2007 rates: $24/year Michigan residents, $29/year nonresidents, $6/day residents, $8 nonresidents. Wheelchair accessibility: all modern toilet facilities and 8 sites (reserve ahead) are ADA accessible.Dogs permitted on 6-foot leash.
KLEINKE COUNTY PARK
(906) 753-4582.
Trees provide some screening from M-35, which isn't far away from the sandy Green Bay beach and the popular modern campground at this Menominee County park. All the 34 campsites have water views. Half are on Green Bay, and half on the other side of the campground drive. There's a playground ande a picnic pavilion, often used for family reunions. All sites now have 50 amp electricity. The campground now has flush toilets, pay showers, and a dump station. All sites are shaded, but there's little privacy between sites. Small boats can be carried down and launched on the beach.
On M-35 15 miles north of Menominee and about 8 miles south of Cedar River. $17 electric. Open year-round with electric. Water is turned off Dec. 1, comes back Mem. Day or, usually, earlier. Wheelchair access: yes, but beach access is sand.
|
|
|
