Inland Iosco: the Huron National Forest and the quiet west

Away from the Lake Huron shore, most of Iosco County is forest and farm country. A huge share of the interior is the Huron National Forest (part of the Huron-Manistee National Forests), with state forest land mixed in — so there’s public land for hunting, hiking, and getting lost in the woods just about everywhere out here.

It’s great trail country. The Corsair Trail Network just west of Tawas has miles of paths for hiking and cross-country skiing, the Shore-to-Shore Trail crosses the area on its way from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan, and forest roads and trails are open to ORVs and snowmobiles. Deer, grouse, and woodcock fill the woods, and hunting is a big part of the local calendar. On the west side of the county, M-65 strings together the smaller, quieter communities — Hale and the little city of Whittemore — where the feel is rural and agricultural, anchored by the Iosco County Fair in Hale each summer.

For buyers, inland Iosco is the budget-friendly, spread-out side of the county: more land for your money, woods and trails all around, and the beach still only a short drive away. Just plan on a well and septic out here, like anywhere rural in the county.