Michigan Highways: County-Designated H-16 through H-63

County-Designated Routes H-16 through H-63

"H-16" | H-33 | H-37 | H-40 | H-42 | H-44 WEST | H-44 EAST | H-52 | H-57 | H-58 | H-60 | H-63 | Jump to Bottom

See the County Highways page for complete details and historical background on Michigan's County-Designated Highway System.

Southern Terminus:

Wisconsin state line (connection w/Wisconsin STH-17) in extreme southwestern Iron County

Northern Terminus:

M-38, 5.4 miles west of Nisula and 7.2 miles east of jct M-26

Length:

52.4 miles

Map:

Route Map of FFH-16

Notes:

"H-16" has never been an actual route and has never been signed in the field. One will not find any "H-16" route markers along route of Federal Forest Highway 16, nor do any such signs exist along the three state trunkline highways—US-2, M-28 and M-38—which intersect this route. The only reason an "H-16," which sits in the middle of the "G" region for County-Designation Highways no less, is even discussed is due to a recurring cartographic error on the Official Michigan Transportation Map.

In 1983, a new County-Designated Highway debuted on the Official Michigan Transportation Map running along Federal Forest Highway 16 (FFH-16) from US-2 west of Iron River northerly to M-28 at Kenton. This was odd for several reasons. First, FFH-16 itself runs from the Wisconsin state line well south of US-2 northerly to M-38 between Nisula and Greenland, well north of Kenton. Second, Iron and Houghton Cos do not participate in the County-Designated Highway program. This new phantom "H-16" seemed to be an erroneous attempt to indicate FFH-16 on the map. However, all traces of "H-16" were removed from the map for the 1985 issue, but this never-posted, never-designated route would not stay gone for long.

In 1992, MDOT re-added the phanton "H-16" back to its Official Michigan Transportation Map, this time coinciding with the entire length of FFH-16, thereby verifying the theory they were attempting to show the route of FFH-16 and not "H-16," which, since it is an even-numbered route, would run east-west in southern Delta, Schoolcraft and/or Mackinac Cos and east of US-41 which is the "G/H" dividing line for County-Designated Highways in the Upper Peninsula. This error has survived now for over a decade and, as such, now appears on many commercially-produced maps and road atlases which use the Official Michigan Transportation Map as a primary source, including Rand McNally, Universal Map and many of the on-line mapping services.

This route is designated "Federal Forest Highway 16," abbreviated FFH-16 while most locals refer to it as "Forest Highway 16."

Counties:

Iron | Houghton | Ontonagon

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• none

Western Terminus:

US-2 just west of Gould City (cnr Manistique Lakes Rd & US-2)

Eastern Terminus:

M-28, 2.5 miles southeast of McMillan and 4.3 miles west of jct M-28 & M-117 near Newberry

Length:

18.19 miles

Map:

Route Map of H-33

Notes:

Today's H-33 follows the former route of M-135.

History:

A detailed route history is currently under development.

Counties:

Mackinac | Luce

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• none

Southern Terminus:

M-123 at Four Mile Corner, four miles north of Newberry

Northern Terminus:

Muskallonge Lake State Park entrance (at the site of the former community of Deer Park) at a connection w/H-58

Length:

22.84 miles

Map:

Route Map of H-37

Notes:

Signage at the northern terminus of H-37, at the connection with H-58, is non-existant. While there are very few "H-37" route markers along the route, no "H-58" signs of any type appear in Luce Co.

H-37 runs along Luce Co Rd 407 for its entire length, a route which was originally slated to become a state trunkline highway designated M-48. The trunkline plan was dropped in the 1950s, however.

History:

A detailed route history is currently under development.

County:

Luce

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• none

Western Terminus:

M-117 in Engadine (cnr of Country Ave & Hiawatha Trail)

Eastern Terminus:

H-63 in Rudyard at cnr H-63/Mackinac Trail & Main St

Length:

52.96 miles

Map:

Route Map of H-40

Notes:

H-40 is one of the original two Intercounty (County-Designated) Highways in Michigan. It was originally given the designation of B-1 in 1971, indicating the Department of State Highways intended to number all such highways using an "A-" prefix in the Lower Peninsula and a "B-" prefix in the Upper Peninsula. The next year it had been redesignated as H-40 when the plan was reorganized and widened to utilize the letters "A" through "H."

The entire length of today's H-40 was formerly on the state trunkline system at some point. It follows portions of former routings of US-2 and M-48.

History:

A detailed route history is currently under development.

Counties:

Mackinac | Chippewa

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• none

Western Terminus:

M-77, 2.1 miles south of Germfask

Eastern Terminus:

H-33 in Curtis at cnr of Main St & Manistique Lakes Rd

Length:

10.22 miles

Map:

Route Map of H-42

Notes:

History:

A detailed route history is currently under development.

Counties:

Schoolcraft | Mackinac

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• none

Western Terminus:

US-41 at Kiva

Eastern Terminus:

M-67 just south of Limestone

Length:

8.15 miles

Map:

Route Map of H-44 (West Segment)

Notes:

The western of two H-44 routes in Michigan. The other is almost 50 miles due east in Schoolcraft and Mackinac Counties.

Evidence exists that a third routing of H-44 exists, also in Alger Co. Beginning at H-05/Rapid River Truck Tr and continuing easterly via Doe Lake Rd, ending at H-09/Buckhorn Rd south of Whitmore. This third routing is not signed in the field, as far as can be determined, and has never appeared on the Official Michigan Transportation Map.

History:

A detailed route history is currently under development.

County:

Alger

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• none

Western Terminus:

Germfask at M-77

Eastern Terminus:

H-33 near Helmer

Length:

11.75 miles

Map:

Route Map of H-44 (East Segment)

Notes:

The eastern of two H-44 routes in Michigan, this highway runs via a former state trunkline highway designated M-98. The other H-44 route is almost 50 miles due west in Alger County.

History:

A detailed route history is currently under development.

Counties:

Schoolcraft | Mackinac

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• none

NW'ern Terminus:

H-58 in Melstrand, 13.7 miles east of downtown Munising

SE'ern Terminus:

M-28, 9.2 miles east of Shingleton

Length:

12.63 miles

Map:

Route Map of H-52

Notes:

At last count, only three H-52 route markers were in existence... anywhere. Two of the signs are located along M-28 either side of this route's southeastern terminus, while the third is located on eastbound H-52 about 1/4 miles east of its terminus at H-58. This third sign is an old, beat-up county-made marker from the 1970s and had definately seen better days. There is absolutely no H-52 signage along H-58 in Melstrand. Tourists should only attempt to navigate this route with a very detailed and accurate map.

H-52 may or may not be considered to exist at present. The route no longer appears on the Official Michigan Highway Map produced by MDOT as of 2006. Future research will, hopefully, help determine if H-52 still exists.

H-52 is almost completely gravel-surfaced, with the last 3/4-mile at Melstrand consisting of a rough, pockmarked paved surface.

History:

A detailed route history is currently under development.

Counties:

Alger | Schoolcraft

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• none

Southern Terminus:

US-2, 11 miles northwest of Saint Ignace

Northern Terminus:

M-123 in Allenville near Moran

Length:

7.63 miles

Map:

Route Map of H-57

Notes:

Although unsigned in the field, Federal Forest Highway 57 (FFH-57) is designated concurrently with H-57 over its entire length.

Other than the two pairs of H-57 route markers along US-2 and M-123 and two markers posted by Mackinac Co at either end of this route, there are no other H-57 signs in existence.

History:

A detailed route history is currently under development.

County:

Mackinac

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• none

Western Terminus:

M-28 on the east end of downtown Munising at the cnr of Munising Ave & Cedar St

Eastern Terminus:

Muskallonge Lake State Park (at "Deer Park") at connection w/H-37

Length:

68.25 miles

Map:

Route Map of H-58

Notes:

H-58 runs through, and is the main access road for, the Pictured Rocks National Lakshore. Signage is existant, but has historically been sparse. In Alger Co, the Co Road Commission erected non-standard "H-58" signs during the 1990s and early 2000s, consisting of a green square with "H-58," and possibly a directional arrow, in white. While not the standard gold-on-blue pentagon route markers, at least it was some kind of signage... On the other hand, all of the signage for H-58 in Luce Co, including the connection with H-37, is nonexistant. During 2004-05, the Alger Co Road Commission, however, went on a signing "rampage," erecting dozens of the standard gold-on-blue pentagon markers along much of the route of H-58 in their county, greatly assisting motorists attempting to follow the route.

In a bill passed by the U.S. Congress in 1998, the National Park Service is now able to contribute federal funds for the upkeep and maintenance of roads travelling through national parks, of which the Pictured Rocks National Lakshore is one. H-58 northeast of Melstrand had been deteriorating for many years, and in the late-1990s the Alger Co Road Commission had removed the paved surface on several miles of the route leaving only an intermittent gravel surface. In 1998 and 1999, the route of H-58 underwent improvement from Melstrand northeasterly to Buck Hill, with the part that had been previously paved prior to the mid-1990s completely rebuilt and hard-surfaced again.

Alger Co Road Commission officials developed a five-phase reconstruction project for the remaining unpaved segments of H-58 between Melstrand and Grand Marais in the early 2000s. The first four-mile stretch, referred to as Phase I, was completed in 2004 from Grand Sable Lake westerly to the Log Slide Overlook turnoff. Phase II, a 3.8 mile long stretch from the Log Slide Overlook westerly to just east of the Upper Hurricane River Campground was completely reconstructed in 2006 and carried a price tag of $2.1 million. According to a July 13, 2006 story in the Marquette Mining Journal, "The horizontal alignment of the road will be changed in most places and some of the extremely tight curves will be straightened out. The road will be designed for travel speeds of 40 mph. to maintain the nature of the road and the park setting."

Funding to complete the reconstruction and paving on the remaining portions—Phases III, IV and V—was announced by Gov. Granholm in mid-2006. The roadway from Buck Hill to Kingston Corner, then on toward Twelvemile Beach and the Hurricane River is expected to be completed by 2010. The Mining Journal also noted: "The final phase would provide the greatest challenge for road builders and park officials because the road in that section passes close to the cliffs above Lake Superior. Planners are currently working on a range of options for building in that environmentally sensitive area."

Much of H-58 through the national park as well as its entire length in Luce Co is gravel or dirt surfaced.

History:

A detailed route history is currently under development.

Counties:

Alger | Luce

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• Pictured Rocks National Lakshore - official park website.

• Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore: H-58 Road Construction - an update on the current status of H-58 through the park, including the 2008-2009 Paving Closure and Detour Map (PDF).

• Beaver Basin Rim Road - an anti-Parkway page from the Green Scissors Report from the "Taxpayers for Common $ense" and the Michigan Land Use Institute.

• Will the beauty of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore be marred by an increase of visitors? - Editorial by activist Sherry Hayden in the June 6, 1999 edition of The Detroit Free Press via the Internet Archive.

• Record of Decision, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore; Final Environmental Impact Statement: Beaver Basin Rim Road - from the US EPA, July 31, 1996.

(unsigned)

Western Terminus:

H-58 at Kingston Corner in the "Kingston Plains" area of central Alger Co, 26.1 miles east of Munising

Eastern Terminus:

M-77, 9.5 miles south of Grand Marais

Length:

11.89 miles

Map:

Route Map of H-60

Notes:

H-60 has never been indicated on the Official Michigan Transportation Map and only appears on few other maps. Route markers pointing to this route have never been posted by MDOT along M-77 south of Grand Marais and it seems Alger Co has never actually posted route markers along H-60. Thus, very little is known about this route.

Motorists wishing to explore H-60 will likely have a difficult time finding maps showing the route, however actually finding and following the route is rather easy. It begins at H-58 where that route turns northerly toward the lakeshore in the "Kingston Plains" about 26 miles northeast of Munising and continues easterly via Adams Trail for 9-1/2 miles to M-77 where it terminates.

History:

A detailed route history is currently under development.

County:

Alger

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• none

Southern Terminus:

Cnr of BL I-75 & Mackinac Trail in Evergreen Shores (north of Saint Ignace), immediately east of I-75 at Exit 348

Northern Terminus:

BS I-75 on the south citylimit of Sault Ste Marie (cnr Mackinac Trail & 3 Mile Rd)

Length:

45.40 miles

Map:

Route Map of H-63

Notes:

H-63, also known as Mackinac Trail for its entire length, follows the former route of US-2 between St Ignace and Sault Ste Marie.

History:

A detailed route history is currently under development.

Counties:

Mackinac | Chippewa

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• none

"H-16" | H-33 | H-37 | H-40 | H-42 | H-44 WEST | H-44 EAST | H-52 | H-57 | H-58 | H-60 | H-63 | Up to Top

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