Ottawa National Forest Forest Road 643 Mining Circuit

Forest Road 643 cuts through the heart of the Ottawa National Forest’s old iron mining district, following the footsteps of 1800s logging operations that carved these rough tracks between abandoned mines and worker camps. The main route winds 18 miles from Highway 2 near Crystal Falls to the Sturgeon River, passing the ruins of Champion Mine and navigating several technical creek crossings where beaver activity has turned simple water bars into muddy quagmires that’ll test your approach angles.

This is solid intermediate territory requiring stock 4WD with skid plates and recovery gear — those creek beds hide sharp rocks that love to bite oil pans. Best tackled May through October when the frost is out, though spring means dealing with washouts from snowmelt. The payoff is legitimate backcountry solitude, excellent dispersed camping along the Sturgeon, and a taste of what Michigan’s mining boom country looked like before the forests reclaimed it all.