Hartwick Pines State Park
Overview: The Last Stand of Michigan’s White Pine Giants
At 9,335 acres near Grayling in Crawford County, Hartwick Pines State Park is one of the largest state parks in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula—but its significance extends far beyond acreage. Within the park’s boundaries stands a 49-acre remnant of virgin, old-growth white pine forest: the largest contiguous stand of its kind remaining in the Lower Peninsula, with individual trees estimated between 350 and 425 years old, some towering over 160 feet with trunk diameters exceeding 40 inches. These are the trees that the lumberjacks came for—the trees that made Michigan the nation’s leading lumber producer in the late 19th century—and these are the trees that survived.
The park was established in 1927 when Karen Michelson Hartwick donated 8,000 acres of cutover land—including the precious old-growth grove—to the State of Michigan as a memorial to her husband, Major Edward Hartwick, who died in World War I. Her stipulation was unequivocal: the forest must never be logged. A 1940 windstorm reduced the original 86-acre grove to roughly 49 acres, making what remains even more irreplaceable.
The Old Growth Forest Trail (1.25 Miles)
A paved, accessible, 1.25-mile trail winds through the 49-acre old-growth grove, immersing visitors in a forest ecosystem that once covered millions of acres across Michigan. Walking among these ancient pines is a qualitatively different experience from walking in a mature second-growth forest: the scale is larger, the canopy is higher, the understory is more open, and the silence is deeper. Sunlight filters through the high canopy in shafts that illuminate the forest floor like the windows of a cathedral—and the comparison is not accidental. These trees have been alive since the early 1600s, before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
- Tree Heights: Over 160 feet—taller than a 15-story building
- Trunk Diameters: Exceeding 40 inches—wider than most adults can reach around
- Tree Ages: 350–425 years old
- Accessibility: The trail is paved and accessible for wheelchairs and strollers
The Logging Museum
The Hartwick Pines Logging Museum is one of the most comprehensive interpretive facilities in the Michigan park system, depicting the state’s transformative 19th-century lumber era—the period between roughly 1870 and 1900 when Michigan led the nation in lumber production and the state’s vast white pine forests were systematically clearcut to build the cities of the expanding American Midwest.
Recreated 1890s Logging Camp
Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, the museum site features faithfully recreated logging camp buildings:
- Bunkhouse: Where crews of 50–100 lumberjacks slept in cramped, communal quarters
- Cook’s Shack and Mess Hall: The camp’s social center, where enormous meals fueled the brutal physical labor of felling and skidding trees by hand and horse
- Blacksmith Shop: Essential for sharpening axes, repairing equipment, and shoeing horses
Outdoor Exhibits
- “Big Wheels”: The massive wheeled vehicles used to haul logs out of the forest before railroads replaced horse-drawn extraction
- 1914 Steam-Powered Sawmill: A working example of the technology that converted Michigan’s standing forests into the lumber that built Chicago, Detroit, and dozens of other midwestern cities
- Costumed Interpreters: During summer months, staff in period dress demonstrate 1890s logging camp skills and daily routines
Beyond the Old Growth
The park’s 9,335 acres extend well beyond the famous grove, offering extensive recreation in a landscape of second-growth forest, rolling terrain, and the headwaters of the Au Sable River system:
- Trails: Over 17 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing
- Camping: Modern campground with electric sites
- Au Sable River: The legendary trout stream has its origins in the geographic area surrounding the park
- Wildlife: White-tailed deer, black bears, wild turkeys, and pileated woodpeckers in the mature forest
Seasonal Guide
Spring (April–May)
Wildflowers carpet the old-growth forest floor. Trails drying. Trout season opens on the Au Sable.
Summer (June–August)
Peak season. Logging Museum in full operation with costumed interpreters. Old Growth Trail at its most beautiful. Camping.
Autumn (September–October)
The old-growth grove’s hardwood understory produces fall color beneath the evergreen pine canopy—a layered color effect unique to mixed old-growth forests.
Winter (December–March)
Cross-country skiing on groomed trails. The snow-covered old-growth grove is hauntingly beautiful. Winter camping available.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old are the trees? Between 350 and 425 years old—alive since the early 1600s, before European settlement of North America.
Is this really the last old-growth white pine in the Lower Peninsula? The 49-acre grove is the largest contiguous stand remaining. Scattered individual old-growth trees exist elsewhere, but no comparable forest.
Who was Karen Hartwick? Karen Michelson Hartwick donated the land in 1927 as a memorial to her husband, Major Edward Hartwick, who died in World War I. She stipulated that the forest must never be logged.
