Iron Ore Heritage Trail
For the last several years Mr. Chuck Hurst has been working on developing the Iron Ore Heritage Trail. There will be one trail head in Republic. The other end of the trail will be at the East end of Harvey in Chocolay Township, East of Marquette.
Below is a recent map of the trail. Click on the image to enlarge it. If you are using dial-up it may take as long as 3 minutes or longer to download. When the enlarged image is received, place cursor on the area of desired viewing and click once to enlarge again. 
Also, below is a link to the official Iron Ore Heritage Trail web site. It will give greater insight into the trail and its purpose.
Iron Ore Heritage Trail
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Republic Wetlands Preserve
Along with the Iron Ore Heritage Trail, the Republic Wetland Preserve are co-located in Republic at the trail head. The Wetland Preserve is an area more than 2000 acres covering the old mine site and surrounding area. Below is a description and map of the wetlands area.
Republic Wetlands Preserve, by Chuck Hurst.
"Beginning in the spring of 2008 visitors will be able to hike, bike, ski, paddle and ride to their hearts content right here in Republic. Our committee of volunteers has completed the GPS work within the Republic Wetlands Preserve (map below). This Preserve is truly a spectacular asset not only for Republic but the State of Michigan and the Midwest
in general. It is our expectation that in conjunction
with the Iron Ore Heritage Trail this will provide the
springboard for the rejuvenation of the town of
Republic to a premiere destination area for
travelers throughout the Midwest and beyond. The
Preserve is 2,300 acres or approximately 4 square
miles in size with over 12 miles of trails in place. It
offers a wide diversity of habitat with many
different varieties of wetlands. The preserve was
developed by Cleveland Cliffs Inc. (Cel) from the
tailing basins associated with the now closed
Republic mine.
In the mining process the tailing basins act as a
filtration mechanism with a slurry of water and
mining residue (fine sand) deposited into the basins.
Dikes, berms and gravity move water from basin to
basin until eventually suspended sediment settles
leaving water, which is then recycled or held in
retention ponds. The sediment left behind is a fine
inert sand which on its own would resemble a moonscape but is particularly suitable (with proper fertilization) to wetlands development given its unique water retention attributes. The development of the wetlands began in 1996 under the oversight of the MDEQ, MDNR and EPA. Upon its certification as a Wetlands a perpetual conservation easement was conveyed to the State of Michigan.
In this process, CCI created 615 acres of new wetlands, rejuvenated 2,000 acres through aerial fertilization and seeding, planted 60,000 wetland plants and 225,000 wetland trees. The wetland preserve is divided into three tiers. The upper third of the preserve is exclusively grasslands, it is very unique to the UP and when I first viewed it I was half expecting to see herds of buffalo and elk roaming the savanna. The second tier is forested wetlands with numerous small ponds and streams. Spectacular overlooks looking down on osprey and eagle nests are available here. Tier three is a large lake with crane rookeries, beaver huts, loons and numerous waterfowl. Wolf, coyote, bear, deer and moose are common sightings within the preserve. CCI has granted to the town of Republic $10,000 to assist in the development of the wetlands and we are currently pursuing numerous grants provided by the State for enhancement of the trail system including footbridges, boardwalks, observation stands signage and mapping. In addition, the local Audubon Society will soon begin to inventory the variety of bird species utilizing the Preserve. The Republic Wetlands Preserve is just another reason to visit the best kept secret in the US -the Upper Peninsula of Michigan."
Legend for map below...
The Republic Wetlands Preserve is outlined by the green shaded border. The Iron Ore Heritage Trail enters Republic from the Humboldt rail grade shaded in yellow on the top of the map. The spur trail to the west leads into Republic and the planned trail head facility, formerly the Robins Nest Bar and old bank building. The large body of water below Republic is the former mine pit. The body of water directly adjacent to the mine pit is the Michigamme River. South Republic is located on the west side of the map about 2/3rds down the page. Now, locate Gamble's Creek Gate near the bottom of the map slighly right of center...
Click on map to enlarge.
A dedication ceremony was held at Gamble's Creek Gate on the morning of Wednesday, October 8, 2008, marking the official opening of the Republic Wetlands Preserve to the public. In attendance were officials from Cliffs Natural Resources, Federal and State Legislators, DNR for the State of Michigan, Marquette County, Republic Township, and the public.
After the dedication ceremony, Cederhurst Lodge hosted an invitation only luncheon & reception with food and soft drinks for the invited dignitaries. Several are shown below.
Those desiring to view and experience the trail should know that the trail is a circle about 2 miles in length. More trails are expected to open later. The trail is gravel, and tailings chips. There are no water or toilet facilities along the trail. Cell phone service is very limited and should not be relied upon. The trail is for non-motorized access. In the spring and early summer, mosquitoes and wood ticks are abundant. There is limited parking at Gamble's Creek Gate. Detailed maps are available at the Republic Township Hall...which is on the way to Gamble's Creek Gate. Be sure and tell a friend or family member were you will be and for how long before embarking on this adventure. Bring your camera and if you have one, a telephoto lens. Wildlife is abundant. Photos from a recent tour are below...
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