Historic Auto Trails

The following table lists each of the known Auto Trails which existed in Michigan in the late-1910s and 1920s. The "|" symbol denotes a terminus, while a state abbreviation and the ">" symbol (e.g. "Ind. >") denote the exiting or entering of the trail to or from another state or province.

Trail Marker(s)	Name & General Route
	Central Michigan Pike \| Holland - Grand Rapids - Ionia - St Johns - Owosso - Flint - Lapeer - Imlay City - Port Huron \| (White-on-black with two white bands version of trail marker described in a 1917 publication.)
	Chicago Motor Club Route Ind. > New Buffalo - Stevensville - St Joseph - Benton Harbor \|
	Chicago Trail \| Detroit - Ypsilanti - Clinton - Jonesville - Coldwater - Kinderhook > Ind.
	Cloverland Trail \| Ironwood - Iron RIver - Iron Mountain - Escanaba \| Later (oddly) extended to all state trunkline routes in the Upper Peninsula.
	Custer Trail Ind. > Kinderhook - Coldwater - Union City - Battle Creek - Bedford - Hastings - Freeport - Alto - Cascade - Grand Rapids \|
	Detroit-Lincoln-Denver Highway \| Detroit - Ann Arbor - Jackson - Albion - Battle Creek - Kalamazoo - Paw Paw - Dowagiac - Niles > Ind.
	Dixie Highway - East Mainline \| Sault Ste Marie - Pickford - Cedarville - St Ignace - Mackinaw City (DH West Branch) - Cheboygan - Onaway - Rogers City - Lachine - Alpena - Spruce - Lincoln - Oscoda - Tawas City - Whittemore - Prescott - Sterling - Standish - Bay City (DH Cut-Off/Vassar departs) - Saginaw - Flint (DH Cut-Off/Fenton departs) - Davisburg (DH Cut-Off/Fenton rejoins) - Clarkston (DH Cut-off/Vassar rejoins) Pontiac - Detroit - Wyandotte - Monroe - Erie > Oh.
	Dixie Highway - West Branch \| Mackinaw City (DH East Mainline) - Pellston - Petoskey - Charlevoix - Elk Rapids - Traverse City - Benzonia - Bear Lake - Manistee - Scottville - Ludington - Pentwater - Hart - Muskegon - Grand Haven - Spring Lake - Coopersville - Marne - Grand Rapids - Wayland - Plainwell - Kalamazoo - Paw Paw - Decatur - Dowagiac - Niles > Ind.
	Dixie Highway Cut-Off (via Vassar-Davison) \| Bay City (DH East Mainline) - via Pine-Portsmouth Rds & M-46 - Richville - Vassar - Davison - Ortonville - Clarkston (DH East Mainline) \|
	Dixie Highway Cut-Off (via Fenton-Holly) \| Flint (DH East Mainline) - Fenton - Holly - Davisburg (DH East Mainline) \|
	East Michigan Pike \| Toledo - Monroe - Detroit - Pontiac - Flint - Saginaw - Bay City - Standish - Prescott - Tawas City - Oscoda - Lincoln - Alpena - Lachine - Rogers City - Onaway - Cheboygan - Mackinaw City \|
	Grand River Road \| Grand Rapids - Cascade - Alto - Clarksville - Lake Odessa - Grand Ledge - Lansing - Williamston - Howell - Novi - Detroit \|
	Hoosier Highway Oh. > Munson - Morenci - Jasper - Adrian - Tecumseh - Saline - Ypsilanti - Detroit \|
	Horatio Earle Memorial Highway \| Detroit - Center Line - Utica - Romeo - Imlay City\| later extended northerly - Marlette - Bad Axe - Kinde - Port Austin \|
	International Pavedway (Two Routes Leaving Michigan) \| Route 1: Detroit - Ypsilanti - Ann Arbor - Jackson - Marshall - Battle Creek - Kalamazoo - Paw Paw - Decatur - Dowagiac - Niles > Ind. ! Route 2: Detroit - Flat Rock - Monroe - Erie > Oh. Sources indicate the International Pavedway may never have been signed in the field.
	Lakes & River Drive \| Detroit - Grosse Pointe - St Clair Shores - Mt Clemens - Chesterfield - Richmond - St Clair - Port Huron\| possibly briefly extended north - Lakeport - Lexington - Port Sanilac - Harbor Beach - Port Austin \|
	Mackinaw Trail \| Indiana state line - White Pigeon - Three Rivers - Schoolcraft - Kalamazoo - Plainwell - Wayland - Grand Rapids (original southern terminus pre-1923) - Howard City - Big Rapids - Reed City - Cadillac - Fife Lake - Lodi - Kalkaska - Mancelona - Elmira - Boyne Falls - Petoskey \| Sources seem to indicate the signed Mackinaw Trail never extended north from Petoskey to Mackinaw City!
	Michigan-Detroit-Chicago Highway \| Detroit - Ypsilanti - Ann Arbor - Jackson - Marshall - Battle Creek - Kalamazoo - Paw Paw - Decatur - Dowagiac - Niles - Buchanan - Galien - New Buffalo > Ind.
	New Hudson-Holly Road \| New Hudson - Milford - Holly \|
	Ohio-Indiana-Michigan Way \| Kalamazoo - Vicksburg - Mendon - Nottawa - Sturgis > Ind.
	Saginaw Valley Route \| Battle Creek - Bellevue - Charlotte - Lansing - Perry - Owosso - St Charles - Shields - Saginaw \|
	Tecumseh Trail Oh. > Ottawa Lake - Blissfield - Tecumseh - Clinton - Manchester - Napoleon - Jackson \|
	Theodore Roosevelt International Highway Ont. > Detroit - Pontiac - Flint - Saginaw - Bay City - Standish - Sterling - Prescott - Whittemore - Tawas City - Oscoda - Lincoln - Alpena - Lachine - Rogers City - Onaway - Cheboygan - Mackinaw City - St Ignace (spur to Sault Ste Marie) - Moran - Epoufette - Rexton - Engadine - Gould City - Curtis - Germfask - Blaney Park - Manistique - Rapid River (U.P. Branch to Marquette) - Escanaba - Powers - Iron Mountain - Florence, Wisc. - Crystal Falls - Iron River - Watersmeet - Wakefield (U.P. Branch from Marquette) - Ironwood > Wisc.
	Theodore Roosevelt International Highway - Eagle River Spur \| Houghton (TRIH U.P. Branch) - Hancock - Dollar Bay - Lake Linden - Calumet - Mohawk - Eagle River \|
	Theodore Roosevelt International Highway - U.P. Branch \| Rapid River (TRIH Mainline) - Trenary - Marquette - Ishpeming - Michigamme - L'Anse - Houghton (spur to Eagle River) - South Range - Greenland - Bruce Crossing - Bergland - Wakefield (TRIH Mainline) \|
	Top of Michigan Trail (also known as Northern Michigan Tourist Pike) \| Toledo, Oh. - Ida - Dundee - Milan - Ann Arbor - Brighton - Fenton - Flint - Saginaw - Bay City - Auburn - Midland - Sanford - North Bradley - Beaverton - Gladwin - Meredith - Prudenville - Roscommon - Grayling - Gaylord - Indian River - Cheboygan - Mackinaw City \|
	Wayne Highway Oh. > Frontier - Hillsdale - Jonesville - Pulaski - Concord - Jackson - Leslie - Mason - Lansing\| briefly extended north(?) St Johns - Alma - Mt Pleasant - Clare - Farwell - Evart - Mc Bain - Cadillac \|
	West Michigan Pike \| Michigan City, Ind. - New Buffalo - St Joseph - Benton Harbor - Watervliet - South Haven - Holland - Grand Haven - Muskegon - Whitehall - Hart - Pentwater - Ludington - Scottville - Manistee - Bear Lake - Benzonia - Traverse City - Elk Rapids - Charlevoix - Petoskey - Pellston - Mackinaw City \| Also a spur route from Niles via Berrien Springs to St Joseph existed.

Back: Auto Trails in Michigan

Acknowledgements

While the information for both the auto trails, their paths and their markers came from a variety of sources, a special thank-you is warranted for Robert Beasecker, Senior Librarian with Special Collections, Grand Valley State University Libraries. Robert provided several excellent scans from a 1920 Kenyon Company map of Michigan. Not only were the markers on the Kenyon Company map in color—a rarity for the 1920s—but it also pinpointed a few heretofore undiscovered auto trails. Again, many thanks to Mr. Beasecker for his assistance and contributions.

In addition, several other sources have been consulted, including:

Rand McNally "Official Auto Trails Map, District No.3: Michigan," 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923
Rand McNally "Junior Auto Trails Map: Michigan," 1924
LeRoy Barnett's wonderful 288-page book "A Drive Down Memory Lane: The Named State and Federal Highways of Michigan," published in 2004. (See informational box on the Memorial Highways page for more information on this book.) Barnett's book is responsible for the East Michigan Pike and Saginaw Valley Route listings and markers here.
Dave Schul's (archived) North American Auto Trails website
Matt Salek's Colorado Highways: Historic Motor Trails page provided inspiration

Trail Marker(s)	Name & General Route
	Central Michigan Pike \| Holland - Grand Rapids - Ionia - St Johns - Owosso - Flint - Lapeer - Imlay City - Port Huron \| (White-on-black with two white bands version of trail marker described in a 1917 publication.)
	Chicago Motor Club Route Ind. > New Buffalo - Stevensville - St Joseph - Benton Harbor \|
	Chicago Trail \| Detroit - Ypsilanti - Clinton - Jonesville - Coldwater - Kinderhook > Ind.
	Cloverland Trail \| Ironwood - Iron RIver - Iron Mountain - Escanaba \| Later (oddly) extended to all state trunkline routes in the Upper Peninsula.
	Custer Trail Ind. > Kinderhook - Coldwater - Union City - Battle Creek - Bedford - Hastings - Freeport - Alto - Cascade - Grand Rapids \|
	Detroit-Lincoln-Denver Highway \| Detroit - Ann Arbor - Jackson - Albion - Battle Creek - Kalamazoo - Paw Paw - Dowagiac - Niles > Ind.
	Dixie Highway - East Mainline \| Sault Ste Marie - Pickford - Cedarville - St Ignace - Mackinaw City (DH West Branch) - Cheboygan - Onaway - Rogers City - Lachine - Alpena - Spruce - Lincoln - Oscoda - Tawas City - Whittemore - Prescott - Sterling - Standish - Bay City (DH Cut-Off/Vassar departs) - Saginaw - Flint (DH Cut-Off/Fenton departs) - Davisburg (DH Cut-Off/Fenton rejoins) - Clarkston (DH Cut-off/Vassar rejoins) Pontiac - Detroit - Wyandotte - Monroe - Erie > Oh.
	Dixie Highway - West Branch \| Mackinaw City (DH East Mainline) - Pellston - Petoskey - Charlevoix - Elk Rapids - Traverse City - Benzonia - Bear Lake - Manistee - Scottville - Ludington - Pentwater - Hart - Muskegon - Grand Haven - Spring Lake - Coopersville - Marne - Grand Rapids - Wayland - Plainwell - Kalamazoo - Paw Paw - Decatur - Dowagiac - Niles > Ind.
	Dixie Highway Cut-Off (via Vassar-Davison) \| Bay City (DH East Mainline) - via Pine-Portsmouth Rds & M-46 - Richville - Vassar - Davison - Ortonville - Clarkston (DH East Mainline) \|
	Dixie Highway Cut-Off (via Fenton-Holly) \| Flint (DH East Mainline) - Fenton - Holly - Davisburg (DH East Mainline) \|
	East Michigan Pike \| Toledo - Monroe - Detroit - Pontiac - Flint - Saginaw - Bay City - Standish - Prescott - Tawas City - Oscoda - Lincoln - Alpena - Lachine - Rogers City - Onaway - Cheboygan - Mackinaw City \|
	Grand River Road \| Grand Rapids - Cascade - Alto - Clarksville - Lake Odessa - Grand Ledge - Lansing - Williamston - Howell - Novi - Detroit \|
	Hoosier Highway Oh. > Munson - Morenci - Jasper - Adrian - Tecumseh - Saline - Ypsilanti - Detroit \|
	Horatio Earle Memorial Highway \| Detroit - Center Line - Utica - Romeo - Imlay City\| later extended northerly - Marlette - Bad Axe - Kinde - Port Austin \|
	International Pavedway (Two Routes Leaving Michigan) \| Route 1: Detroit - Ypsilanti - Ann Arbor - Jackson - Marshall - Battle Creek - Kalamazoo - Paw Paw - Decatur - Dowagiac - Niles > Ind. ! Route 2: Detroit - Flat Rock - Monroe - Erie > Oh. Sources indicate the International Pavedway may never have been signed in the field.
	Lakes & River Drive \| Detroit - Grosse Pointe - St Clair Shores - Mt Clemens - Chesterfield - Richmond - St Clair - Port Huron\| possibly briefly extended north - Lakeport - Lexington - Port Sanilac - Harbor Beach - Port Austin \|
	Mackinaw Trail \| Indiana state line - White Pigeon - Three Rivers - Schoolcraft - Kalamazoo - Plainwell - Wayland - Grand Rapids (original southern terminus pre-1923) - Howard City - Big Rapids - Reed City - Cadillac - Fife Lake - Lodi - Kalkaska - Mancelona - Elmira - Boyne Falls - Petoskey \| Sources seem to indicate the signed Mackinaw Trail never extended north from Petoskey to Mackinaw City!
	Michigan-Detroit-Chicago Highway \| Detroit - Ypsilanti - Ann Arbor - Jackson - Marshall - Battle Creek - Kalamazoo - Paw Paw - Decatur - Dowagiac - Niles - Buchanan - Galien - New Buffalo > Ind.
	New Hudson-Holly Road \| New Hudson - Milford - Holly \|
	Ohio-Indiana-Michigan Way \| Kalamazoo - Vicksburg - Mendon - Nottawa - Sturgis > Ind.
	Saginaw Valley Route \| Battle Creek - Bellevue - Charlotte - Lansing - Perry - Owosso - St Charles - Shields - Saginaw \|
	Tecumseh Trail Oh. > Ottawa Lake - Blissfield - Tecumseh - Clinton - Manchester - Napoleon - Jackson \|
	Theodore Roosevelt International Highway Ont. > Detroit - Pontiac - Flint - Saginaw - Bay City - Standish - Sterling - Prescott - Whittemore - Tawas City - Oscoda - Lincoln - Alpena - Lachine - Rogers City - Onaway - Cheboygan - Mackinaw City - St Ignace (spur to Sault Ste Marie) - Moran - Epoufette - Rexton - Engadine - Gould City - Curtis - Germfask - Blaney Park - Manistique - Rapid River (U.P. Branch to Marquette) - Escanaba - Powers - Iron Mountain - Florence, Wisc. - Crystal Falls - Iron River - Watersmeet - Wakefield (U.P. Branch from Marquette) - Ironwood > Wisc.
	Theodore Roosevelt International Highway - Eagle River Spur \| Houghton (TRIH U.P. Branch) - Hancock - Dollar Bay - Lake Linden - Calumet - Mohawk - Eagle River \|
	Theodore Roosevelt International Highway - U.P. Branch \| Rapid River (TRIH Mainline) - Trenary - Marquette - Ishpeming - Michigamme - L'Anse - Houghton (spur to Eagle River) - South Range - Greenland - Bruce Crossing - Bergland - Wakefield (TRIH Mainline) \|
	Top of Michigan Trail (also known as Northern Michigan Tourist Pike) \| Toledo, Oh. - Ida - Dundee - Milan - Ann Arbor - Brighton - Fenton - Flint - Saginaw - Bay City - Auburn - Midland - Sanford - North Bradley - Beaverton - Gladwin - Meredith - Prudenville - Roscommon - Grayling - Gaylord - Indian River - Cheboygan - Mackinaw City \|
	Wayne Highway Oh. > Frontier - Hillsdale - Jonesville - Pulaski - Concord - Jackson - Leslie - Mason - Lansing\| briefly extended north(?) St Johns - Alma - Mt Pleasant - Clare - Farwell - Evart - Mc Bain - Cadillac \|
	West Michigan Pike \| Michigan City, Ind. - New Buffalo - St Joseph - Benton Harbor - Watervliet - South Haven - Holland - Grand Haven - Muskegon - Whitehall - Hart - Pentwater - Ludington - Scottville - Manistee - Bear Lake - Benzonia - Traverse City - Elk Rapids - Charlevoix - Petoskey - Pellston - Mackinaw City \| Also a spur route from Niles via Berrien Springs to St Joseph existed.