Mason Tract Pathway

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Fishing · Historical Significance · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Pit toilets at the south trailhead along Chase Bridge Road.

The trail itself is singletrack through mixed forest, with some mild ups and downs. The footing is mostly sand or packed dirt, although there are some wooden boardwalks, tree roots, and a few areas that can get wet (especially after spring snow melt). The trail is well-marked with regular signage (including the trail map) and with blue triangle markers, and the trail is fairly easy to follow.

This is a well-marked point-to-point trail on the Mason Tract property (managed by the Michigan DNR). The terminal trailheads are at the Chase Bridge Road crossing over the South Branch Au Sable River at the south end, and along M-72 on the north side. There are sand and gravel roads paralleling the Mason Tract Pathway that offer access points along the route.

This trail closely follows the South Branch Au Sable River and is popular with anglers, so don't be surprised if you encounter men and women with chest waders and fly rods. In fact, the property is named after George Mason, one of the founding members of Trout Unlimited. The trail is open for cross-country skiing during the winter.

Typical fauna of the northern Michigan woods, including white-tailed deer, black bear, porcupine, bald eagle and much more. Most of the trail is through heavy forest, including northern hardwoods (lots of maple trees: beautiful in autumn!), scrub oak, jack pine barrens, and conifer swamp.