Whitefish Bay National Forest Scenic Byway

The Whitefish Bay National Forest Scenic Byway is a National Forest Scenic Byway that runs along Whitefish Bay in the Hiawatha National Forest in the U.S. state of Michigan. The byway mostly follows Federal Forest Highway 42 (FFH 42) through Chippewa County in the Upper Peninsula. As a forest highway, it is maintained jointly by the Chippewa County Road Commission (CCRC) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The route of the byway first existed as an earth road by the 1930s; it was improved into a gravel road in the 1940s and paved between the 1950s and the 1980s. The byway designation was created in 1989.

Whitefish Bay National Forest Scenic Byway
Whitefish Bay NFSB highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by CCRC and USFS
Length27.138 mi[1] (43.674 km)
ExistedFebruary 8, 1989 (1989-02-08)[2]–present
Major junctions
West end M-123 in Whitefish Township
East endLakeshore Drive in Bay Mills Township
Location
CountiesChippewa
Highway system
Chippewa County Roads
Federal Forest Highways

Route description
Point Iroquois Lighthouse as seen from the adjoining boardwalk

The byway starts at an intersection with M-123 south of Paradise in the Hiawatha National Forest where it runs eastward along Lake Superior Shoreline Road through birch forests. The roadway runs parallel to the North Country Trail, a hiking trail that spans several northern U.S. states; the trail crosses the road near Naomikong Creek.[3] After about three miles (4.8 km), the road comes to the shores of Tahquamenon Bay, part of the larger Whitefish Bay. The byway follows the shoreline running near sandy beaches at the edge of the forest. Near Naomikong Point, the roadway turns inland for about three miles (4.8 km). Along this section, Lake Superior Shoreline Road, which bears the FFH 3150 designation, ends at the intersection with Lakeshore Road. East of here, the byway transitions from FFH 3150 to follow FFH 42 easterly. FFH 42 runs along the shoreline providing access to two campgrounds at Monocle Lake and Bay View as well as picnic areas. The road also provides access to the Point Iroquois Lighthouse which is open for tours.[4][5] The lighthouse was built in 1870 and offers visitors a view of the Canadian shore at the top of its spiral staircase.[6] After passing through the Point Iroquois area, FFH 42 turns southward to follow the shore line on Iroquois Road, terminating at the national forest boundary west of Brimley.[4][5] The FFH 42 number is not signed along the roadway.[7]

History
Entrance at Lake Superior Shoreline Road and M-123

The roadway is part of the Forest Highway System that is funded and administered by the USFS and the Federal Highway Administration;[8] the system was created by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921.[9] An earthen roadway was present through the area by 1936.[10] In the beginning of 1937, the easternmost section around Point Iroquois was improved to a gravel road.[11][12] Two years later, the westernmost section from Naomikong Point to the junction with M-123 was improved to gravel.[13][14] The entire road surface was improved to gravel by 1945.[15] Paving started on the road in the mid-1950s on the eastern end.[16][17]

The section through the Naomikong Point area was built starting in 1967 by the Michigan State Highway Department under contract to the USFS. The road, at the time, was intended to be part of a longer scenic highway that would connect a proposed lakeshore road through the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore with roads running along Whitefish Bay and the St. Marys River south of Sault Ste. Marie.[18] The western end was realigned and paved in the late 1970s, moving the roadway closer to Tahquamenon Bay west of Naomikong Point. The former roadway was removed in the process.[19][20] The last section was paved in 1987 between the two paved sections at Naomikong and Iroquois points.[21] [22] The National Forest Scenic Byway designation was granted on February 8, 1989.[2] The roadway is maintained by the CCRC along with the USFS.[1][8]

Major intersections

The entire byway is in Chippewa County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Whitefish Township0.0000.000 M-123Western terminus
Bay Mills Township9.50015.289 FFH 42Byway transitions from FFH 3150 to FFH 42
27.13843.674Lakeshore DriveEastern terminus at national forest boundary
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References
  1. Michigan Department of Transportation & Michigan Center for Shared Solutions and Technology Partnerships (2009). MDOT Physical Reference Finder Application (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  2. Federal Highway Administration. "Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway: Official Designations". America's Byways. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  3. National Geographic Society (2001). Guide to Scenic Highways and Byways (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: National Geographic Society Book Division. pp. 121–122. ISBN 0-7922-7468-7. OCLC 45648102. Retrieved December 18, 2019 – via Archive.org.
  4. Roundabout Publications (2011). "Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway". Scenic Drives USA. Roundabout Publications. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  5. Google (April 9, 2012). "Overview Map of the Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  6. Booth, Barbara, ed. (2005). The Most Scenic Drives in America (Revised ed.). Pleasantville, New York: Reader's Digest. p. 213. ISBN 0-7621-0580-1. OCLC 55960878.
  7. Michigan Department of Transportation (2011). Pure Michigan: State Transportation Map (Map). c. 1:975,000. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. § C10. OCLC 42778335, 786008212.
  8. Office of Federal Lands Highway. "Forest Highways Fact Sheet" (PDF). Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  9. Office of Federal Lands Highway (December 18, 2009). "Forest Highways". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  10. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (June 1, 1936). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § C10. OCLC 12701143.
  11. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (December 15, 1936). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map) (Winter ed.). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § C10. OCLC 12701143, 317396365. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  12. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (May 15, 1937). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map) (Summer ed.). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § C10. OCLC 12701143. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  13. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (December 1, 1938). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map) (Winter ed.). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § C10. OCLC 12701143. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  14. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (April 15, 1939). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map) (Summer ed.). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § C10. OCLC 12701143.
  15. Michigan State Highway Department (October 1, 1945). Official Highway Map of Michigan (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § C10. OCLC 554645076.
  16. Michigan State Highway Department (October 1, 1954). Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § C10. OCLC 12701120.
  17. Michigan State Highway Department (April 15, 1955). Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § C10. OCLC 12701120. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  18. "Lake Superior Scenic Road Construction Scheduled". The Mining Journal. Marquette, Michigan. February 27, 1967. p. 3. ISSN 0898-4964. OCLC 9729223.
  19. Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation (1977). Michigan, Great Lake State: Official Transportation Map (Map) (1976–1977 ed.). c. 1:918,720. Lansing: Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation. § C10. OCLC 12701177.
  20. Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation (1978). Michigan, Great Lake State: Official Transportation Map (Map) (1978–1979 ed.). c. 1:918,720. Lansing: Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation. § C10. OCLC 12701177.
  21. Michigan Department of Transportation (1987). Yes Michigan: Official Transportation Map (Map). c. 1:918,720. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. § C10. OCLC 12701177. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  22. Michigan Department of Transportation (1988). Yes Michigan: Department of Transportation Map (Map). c. 1:918,720. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. § C10. OCLC 42778335. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.

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