Oscoda sits where the Au Sable River meets Lake Huron. The Forest Service's River Road National Scenic Byway runs 22 miles west from the lake into Huron National Forest, following the river the lumber towns once used to float white pine to the sawmills. 1

What to see

Lumberman's Monument Visitor Center sits at the center of the byway and looks out over the river the Forest Service still calls Riviere aux Sable, the River of Sand. A 14-foot bronze statue of a river rat, a surveyor and a sawyer was dedicated on July 16, 1932. Robert Ingersoll Aitken cast it. 2

The visitor center, a log-cabin building from 1982, interprets that logging past. A hard-surfaced dune trail ends at an observation deck. Stairs — 242 of them — drop to the river and a wanigan, the floating mess hall loggers ate in. 2 The Forest Service also names Iargo Springs, with a panoramic view of the Au Sable, and Foote Pond Overlook on the high sand bluffs. 1

Canoer's Memorial honors paddlers in the Au Sable River Canoe Race. Kiwanis Monument marks the reforesting of cutover land. 1

Best seasons

The visitor-center season runs from spring into late October; the Forest Service says the grounds and trails stay open year-round. 2 Fall is the color week from those overlooks. Winter is when Eagle Run and the Highbanks Trail become the quiet ski and snowshoe walks the Forest Service lists along the lower river. 3 Those winter notes sit on our Winter page.

How to get there

The Forest Service lists Lumberman's Monument Visitor Center at 5401 Monument Road, Oscoda, Michigan, 48750. 2 River Road is the byway. The Huron Shores Ranger Station, 5761 N. Skeel Road in Oscoda, is the district office for current notices. 2

Tips

  • The 242 steps to the river are a real descent. The Forest Service also keeps the dune-trail deck for anyone who wants the view without the stairs. 2
  • Highbanks Trail ties several river sites together, including the monument. Eagle Run is the loop the Forest Service names for skiing and a quiet walk. 3
  • Along Lake Huron the next pages we keep are Tawas Point, Harrisville, Alpena and Port Austin. The old-growth pine story continues inland at Hartwick Pines.
  • We do not have an Oscoda listing in the shop. The Michigan-map ornament is the piece that names both peninsulas.

Safety

High bluffs, river current and winter ice on the stairs are the hazards here. This page does not report today's water, trail or whether the visitor center is staffed. Check the River Road byway page and the Lumberman's Monument page before you go. 12