Old rail grades and forest roads tie Iron River, Crystal Falls and Alpha together, and the State Line route runs on west to Watersmeet and into Wisconsin. Here are the routes, the town rules, the permits and a plan for a riding weekend.
Most of the riding in Iron County runs on old railroad grades, straight and level through the hardwoods and spruce, with bridges over the rivers. Every state-designated line in the county is an ORV route, which means two-way traffic and room for any machine up to 72 inches wide.
The two you'll ride most are the ICR, 23 miles between Iron River and Crystal Falls, and the State Line route, which heads west from Iron River toward Watersmeet and Marenisco and on into Wisconsin. Up here you can also ride state forest roads unless they're posted closed, and national forest roads that show as open on the forest's free map.
Start in Crystal Falls. The Chippewa Sno-Kats trailhead at 9 Superior Avenue has room for trucks and trailers and a map sign, and the club's paper trail map sells for $2 at most businesses around the county.
Six DNR routes cross the county, and the forest roads fill in between. Hover or tap a card for more, and open the route map before you go.
The spine of the county, town to town on the old grade.
MoreThe ICR runs 23 miles between Iron River and Crystal Falls, and it's the line most riders start on. Pick it up at the Chippewa Sno-Kats trailhead in Crystal Falls or ride out of Iron River.
The long ride west, all the way to Wakefield and Hurley.
MoreThe State Line route leaves Iron River through Stambaugh and heads west to Watersmeet and Marenisco, then on to Wakefield, Ironwood and Hurley, Wisconsin, more than 100 miles end to end. Some national forest stretches are marked 65 inches, so measure a wide machine first.
Iron River to Watersmeet map · Watersmeet to Wakefield map · Wakefield to Hurley map
East out of Iron River through the old mining towns.
MoreThis end of the State Line route runs from Iron River through Caspian and Gaastra and on into Mastodon Township, south of Crystal Falls.
Links Crystal Falls back to the State Line route.
MoreNine miles from Crystal Falls down to Stager, where it meets the State Line route. Ride the ICR one way and come back on this side and you've made a loop of it.
A short spur into the old mining village of Alpha.
MoreThree miles off the State Line route into Alpha. It makes a good turnaround on a half-day ride.
The big run north into the national forest.
MoreThe OC route runs 79 miles north out of Iron River Township toward Sidnaw. Some of its northern stretches are marked 65 inches.
Forest roads that are open on the free map, and only those.
MoreRide only the roads the forest's free Motor Vehicle Use Map shows as open. Machines must be 65 inches wide or less, on low-pressure tires. Seasonal roads open in mid-May and close in mid-March.
Open to ORVs unless a sign says closed.
MoreIn the Upper Peninsula, state forest roads are open to ORVs unless they're posted closed. You need the ORV license on them, but not the trail permit.
Measure your machine before you hitch the trailer, because width decides where a side-by-side can go. Every DNR route in Iron County is a 72-inch route, so full-size side-by-sides are welcome on all of them.
The national forest is the catch. Its roads, and the marked stretches of the State Line and OC routes, take machines 65 inches wide or less, on low-pressure tires. Plenty of full-size machines run close to that, so know your number.
A cab with a roof built to helmet standards lets you ride without a helmet, as long as everyone is belted in. Without both, every rider wears a DOT helmet and eye protection.
A street-plated side-by-side needs no ORV license or trail permit on a route a passenger car could drive. An unplated one needs both.
You can ride into town for lunch here, which is half the fun. Each town writes its own rules, though, and they aren't the same.
Buy the sticker before you load the trailer. It comes by mail, and you'll need it on every route in the county.
You can ride here twelve months of the year, but every season rides a little differently. Hover or tap a card for more.
Soft grades until the frost is out of the ground.
MoreThe thaw keeps grades soft from March into May, so go easy and turn around where a trail is rutting up. Seasonal weight limits on county roads came off May 15 in 2026, and the national forest's seasonal roads open in mid-May. Late spring is also morel time in the hardwoods. See our spring weekend guide for the rest of the trip.
Long days, dust, and a lake at the end of the ride.
MoreMichigan holds a Free ORV Weekend in June and another in August, and our free weekends guide has the dates. Plan a ride that ends at one of the best lakes in the county, and if half the crew would rather pedal, see hiking and biking.
Color on the rail grades, and hunters in the woods.
MoreWhen the maples and aspen turn, a slow ride down the grades is as good a color tour as any. Check the fall color report and the color drives. Fall is also hunting season, so wear some orange and give hunters room.
Legal to ride, but never on a snowmobile trail.
MoreYou can ride from December 1 through March 31, but ORVs aren't allowed on designated snowmobile trails, even with tracks or skis. With the ORV license you can run on frozen lakes, and inside Iron River, Ice Lake is the only one. Check the trail report and our snowmobile guide.
Two days is enough to ride the heart of the county.
On a rest day, see the waterfalls or take one of the scenic drives.
Every route and trail in the state on one interactive map, with GPS files to download.
Open the MapThe ICR, State Line, SLC, SLA and OC maps, listed by region. Print the ones you'll ride.
DNR Route MapsThe free map that shows which Ottawa National Forest roads are open. It's reprinted every year.
Ottawa Forest MapsThe Crystal Falls club that looks after the ORV loop, with trail news and the trailhead details.
Club Trail PageOn many roads, yes. Many county roads are open to ORVs, so ride where it's signed and check locally. Iron River opens its city streets at 25 mph, Crystal Falls allows streets only to reach the trail or shop, and US-2, M-73 and M-189 are for crossing only.
Yes, on the routes you need both. The ORV license is $26.25 and the trail permit $10 more, $36.25 together, good April 1 to March 31. On state forest and county roads the license alone covers you.
Yes, the ICR route. It runs 23 miles between the two towns, and the Chippewa Sno-Kats trailhead on Superior Avenue in Crystal Falls has trailer parking.
Yes, every DNR route here. They're all 72-inch routes open to full-size side-by-sides. Ottawa National Forest roads and the marked 65-inch stretches take machines 65 inches wide or less.
Yes, with Wisconsin's pass too. A short route links the State Line route to the Wisconsin line near Stambaugh Township, and the State Line route runs west to Hurley. Buy Wisconsin's nonresident trail pass and check Wisconsin's trail conditions before you cross.
Yes, unless you're belted under a roof. Every rider wears a DOT helmet and eye protection, except in a machine with a roof built to helmet standards where everyone wears a seat belt.
Sixteen to ride on your own. Riders 12 to 15 need direct adult supervision and an ORV safety certificate, 10 and 11 year olds may ride only on land a parent owns, and no one under 16 may ride a three-wheeler. On Iron River's streets you need a driver's license.
All year, with a few limits. The license runs April 1 to March 31, national forest seasonal roads are open mid-May to mid-March, and winter riding is legal but never on a snowmobile trail. The Free ORV Weekends fall in June and August.
Buy your sticker, load the trailer, and come ride the old grades between Iron River and Crystal Falls. Then find a room close to the trail.
Fall, Summer, Things to do, Travel Planning and tagged atv / orv, atv trail, crystal falls michigan, iron county michigan, Iron County Trails, iron river michigan, OHV Trails, side by side riding, upper peninsula michigan.
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Christmas Tree Galleria in Caspian, MI
906-214-2308
906-265-9100
40 E Adams St
Iron River, MI 49935
906-265-9244
1700 County Road 424
Gaastra, MI 49917
906-265-3611
1257 W Ice Lake Rd
Iron River, MI 49935
800-362-7853
373 Brule Mountain Rd
Iron River, MI 49935
800-DO-BRULE
906-265-4957
397 Brule Mountain Rd
Iron River, MI 49935
906-822-7713
1968 US 141 Highway
Amasa, MI 49903
Iron County is one of the Upper Peninsula’s best kept secrets. From camping to fishing, hunting to canoeing, mountain biking to forest bathing – no matter your interests, the great outdoors and clear crisp air await you here.
