The Scenic Sunrise Shore - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 610

the curving shore of Saginaw Bay, the park not only has lovely beaches but also contains
Tobico Marsh, a 1,700-acre wetland where two observation towers provide opportunities
for spying on mink, deer, waterfowl, and other wildlife.
2. Tawas Point State Park
HeadingnorthonRte.13andtheneastwardonRte.23,thedriveseldomveersfarfromthe
coast, passing stands of cedars, pines, and scrub oaks that grow along the golden beaches.
Just past the town of East Tawas, a side road down the small peninsula that shelters Tawas
Bay leads to Tawas Point State Park. Soft beaches invite leisurely exploration, as does the
Sandy Hook Nature Trail, a pleasant stroll that begins at the Tawas Point Lighthouse, an
1876 structure that is still in use.
3. River Road National Forest Scenic Byway
Oncesodensewithwhitepinesthatonlytheslimmest ofsunbeamspenetrated totheforest
floor, the woodlands of eastern Michigan were severely depleted by the late 1800s—the
trees felled to supply the lumber that built the West. Part of an effort to replant and protect
the woods, Huron National Forest was created in 1909. Today its landscape is once again
lush, with majestic pines, maples, cedars, and birches fanning away from the banks of the
Au Sable River. To sample the legacy of this early conservation effort, take a drive on the
River Road Scenic Byway, a 22-mile sylvan odyssey that accompanies the river westward
from Oscoda. Supplying fine views at nearly every turn, the road leads to campgrounds,
historic sites, and trails atop riverside bluffs.
Back on Rte. 23 the drive meanders for miles along Lake Huron's shore. The wa-
ter—pale green in fair weather, steely gray on stormy days—laps gently against the coast,
andsmalltufteddunesrumplethetawnybeach.Forarelaxingescapealongtheway,stopat
Three Mile Beach, an undeveloped expanse that is ideal for swimming, wading, or simply
for beachcombing for pieces of driftwood.
Farther along, four miles north of Harrisville, the Sturgeon Point Lighthouse rises
above Lake Huron. The lone beacon, a white brick structure built in 1869, has been con-
verted into a museum furnished with antiques and exhibiting remnants of ships that were
wrecked in the area.
Foryetanother opportunity towalkthewater'sedge,pauseatNegwegonState Park.A
short path leads to seven miles of remote, unspoiled beach, where birds soar overhead and
small, smooth stones cover parts of the shore.