According to Thumbwind, this route has been called “Michigan's First Scenic Highway” since 1940. It's M-25, wrapping itself around the Michigan Thumb. It was crowned in 1940, becoming Michigan's first duly-noted scenic highway. Before WWII was declared, approximately 90 miles of M-25 were paved, anticipating an advertised tourist destination.

The scenic journey begins at White Rock, a village named after an ancient Native American altar, still visible off the shore of Lake Huron. That's followed by:

Wagener Park
Harbor Beach
Port Hope
Stafford Park
Whiskey Harbor
Lighthouse Park: “Gateway to the Upper Thumb”
Grindstone City
Pointe Aux Barques, “The Thumb Nail of Michigan”
Turnip Rock
Kimball Point
Twin Rocks
Broken Rocks
The Ghost Town Of Port Crescent
Loosemoore’s Point
Oak Beach Park
Philp County Park
Sleeper Park
Caseville County Park
Pigeon River
Sand Point
Bay Port
Sebewaing
This is where the scenic tour ends...however, there is still much to enjoy if you get off M-25 or just by staying on the highway.

Best places to stop on this route?

Grindstone City – it had the first major business in the Michigan Thumb and is now considered a 'ghost town', even though they have tourist attractions.

Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse – one of Michigan's Most Haunted locations, what would this trip be without seeking out something spooky?

Turnip Rock – one of Michigan's coolest natural curiosities.

Port Crescent – a ghost town with nothing left but a chimney and one of the coolest old graveyards in the state.

Bay Port – the failed Ora Labora religious Utopia was here, a famous graverobbing story, and an old haunted graveyard.

HOWEVER! If you want to enjoy the complete M-25 experience, you need to start further south in Port Huron, wind all around the thumb, and end up in Bay City...all 147 miles of it.

So whether you take Michigan's first, classic, 90-mile 'scenic' route or the whole 147, get out and do some Michigan roadtrippin' this year!

POINTS OF INTEREST ON MICHIGAN'S FIRST SCENIC HIGHWAY

 

THANKS TO:
Thumbwind

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