Ge-Che Hiking Trail

The Ge-Che Ski Trail provides for 9 miles of cross country skiing with trail heads located outside Iron River at the Lake Ottawa Campground, the Old Stambaugh Gravel Pit, Hagerman Lake, and at Covenant Point Bible Camp. Volunteers work to groom the trails on a weekly basis. Skiers will parallel the north end of Hagerman Lake and meander through hardwood and aspen ecosystems, wind through hills by Bennan Lake where there is a rest area for a view of the bog lake, transect forest upland openings and encounter beaver dams and marshy conifer habitat on the abandoned Wells Railroad Grade. For a reprieve from the sometimes blustery weather, a log shelter is available at the south end of Lake Ottawa Campground. The trail ranges from 6.5 miles of easy skiing to 2.5 miles of most difficult skiing. Other winter recreation opportunities for the snowshoer, dog sledder, and cross country skier exist across the Ottawa for those desiring a more remote experience of breaking trail through one of three backwoods wilderness areas on the Ottawa, as well as breaking trail across hundreds of miles of unplowed roads within the forest boundary.

This trail is accessible from Ottawa Lake Campground boat landing and also from the campground. Travel South on Highway 73, just west of Iron River, MI, off of US Highway 2, approximately ¾ mile to Lake Ottawa Road then 4 miles to the campground entrance.