Trail Overview
Iron Horse Trail is a seasonal out-and-back trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located off 13 Mile Road, this trail is easily accessible. Starting, you'll begin on a sandy/dirt/gravel two-track. As you navigate down the trail, you'll enter a thicker section of the forest that narrows with a fair amount of overgrowth. As you weave along the trail, you may come across some washouts and/or mud holes. Most of this trail is only wide enough for 1 vehicle with limited places to pass. The trail ends at a loop around an oil drilling site. This is a great spot to get out and stretch your legs and admire the iron work at the end of the trail. Please do not trespass into the drilling structure. There is a spur trail off this route with another drilling site. This is not a difficult trail at all, but it contains a lot of beauty and industry.
History
Oil and gas exploration in the Traverse City region and nearby state forest units accelerated during the 1970s Niagaran reef boom, centered across a band spanning Manistee, Grand Traverse, and Kalkaska counties. Major energy companies like Shell and Amoco established local hubs, utilizing advanced seismic testing to locate deep, narrow underground reefs. Today, most of these sites are unused, but not all.
