Pigeon River Country Forest Black Mountain Loop

Deep in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula, the Black Mountain Loop cuts through 106,000 acres of the state’s wildest public land where elk bugle at dawn and wolves leave tracks in the mud. This 18-mile circuit follows old logging roads and hunter paths through dense hardwood forest, crossing the Pigeon River twice and climbing steep grades to Black Mountain’s 1,270-foot summit. The eastern section includes a technical descent through Devil’s Soup Bowl, a tight ravine that’ll scrape paint off careless drivers.

This is legitimate backcountry driving requiring high-clearance 4WD with skid plates and recovery gear. Spring mud season makes it nearly impassable until late May, while fall hunting seasons bring heavy traffic from September through November. Winter access is snowmobile-only. The loop offers primitive dispersed camping along the Pigeon River, but bring everything you need — the nearest supplies are 25 miles away in Vanderbilt. You’re here for solitude and Michigan’s last wild places.