Summary
Visitors can enjoy activities such as fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and camping along the river. The river is home to a variety of wildlife, including bald eagles, osprey, and river otters. Points of interest along the river include the Lumberman's Monument, the Cooke Dam, and the Au Sable River Queen boat tour. Interesting facts about the area include that it was once a major shipping route for logs, and that it is one of the few rivers in Michigan that has a naturally reproducing population of brook trout. The best time of year to visit the Au Sable River depends on the activity, with summer being popular for water sports and fall being popular for fishing and leaf peeping.
Weather Forecast
Park & Land Designation Reference
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
Related References
Gabions Campground
Gabions Campground and Day Use
Horseshoe Lake Campground
Horseshoe Lake Campground and Boat Launch
Bear Island Primitive Campsite
Alcona Canoe Rental & Campground