HALE AREA POINTS OF INTEREST

River Road Scenic Byway
The River Road Scenic Byway is 22 miles of paved highway which runs along the beautiful and historic Au Sable River. Byway travelers have many opportunities to enjoy beautiful scenic views from atop high sand bluffs, and to view wildlife in their natural setting. Most of the sites have barrier-free access and can be enjoyed year-round. While traveling the Scenic Byway, tune your radio to 1610 AM for information on what to see and do in the area.

The Byway is located in Iosco County, Michigan.
The nearest communities are Hale to the west, Glennie to the north,
Tawas to the southeast and Oscoda to the east.

The WEST entrance of the Byway starts on M-65
5 miles north of Hale.
The EAST entrance of the Byway starts in Oscoda by turning west onto River Road off US-23

There are various sight seeing facilities along the Scenic Byway such as:

Eastgate Information Center
Westgate Information Center
Rollways Recreation Area
Iargo Springs Interpretive Site
Lumberman's Monument Visitor Center
Canoer's Memorial
Kiwanis Monument
Foote Pond Overlook
Hydroelectric dams
Fishing
Boat Launches
Horseback riding
Camping
Cross country skiing
Snowmobile, ORV trails
Kirtland's warbler habitat areas

For Scenic Byway information call the US Forest Service at: 517 739-0728

The Huron-Manistee National Forest with it's many acres and miles of forest provide many opportunities for sporting enthusiasts. Tourists can enjoy trail hiking, horseback riding, camping, snowmobile and ORV trails, small game and white tail deer hunting, boating and canoeing on the Ausable River.

Just a short scenic drive through the Huron-Manistee National Forest and to the east of Hale are Tawas and Oscoda. Known as the Sunrise Side these towns offer shopping districts and beaches. Tawas is home to the Tawas Point State park, Tawas Point Lighthouse, and Newman Street famous for its shops. Oscoda is home to the Ausable River Canoe Marathon Finish Line every summer.

The Au Sable River is a major tributary to Lake Huron. It is approximately 90 miles long. The river basin is partially within the Huron National Forest and includes parts of Iosco, Ogemaw, Roscommon, Alcona, Crawford, Montmorency and Otsego counties.
With a 5 mile scenic drive through the woods you can see Loud Dam and Five Channels Dam which offer some very good fishing and excellent canoeing, tubing or boating.
Every year the Ausable River Canoe Marathon is an exciting event for the entire family!

For more information on the Ausable River you can visit the Dept. of Natural Resources web site.