Somewhere between Fossil Ledges and Marblehead, our Drummond Island adventure became a little more interesting than we had planned.
There are places we visit once, enjoy ourselves, and eventually move on to somewhere new. Then there are places that keep calling us back.
For Vicky and me, Drummond Island is one of those places.
We’ve explored this beautiful Michigan island on our motorcycles, traveled its off-road trails, and returned simply because we enjoy being there. I’ve shared some of those experiences in Discover Drummond Island in Michigan’s Wild and Untamed Paradise and The Three Words That Changed Our Drummond Island Adventure.
This time, however, we were bringing our 2026 Polaris Xpedition XP 5 NorthStar, a few family members, some friends, and what turned out to be six additional travelers we hadn’t planned on meeting.
Grandma Cooper would have loved this one.
First, Let’s Get Everyone Acquainted
Our adventure actually began the day before we crossed over to Drummond Island.
Joining Vicky and me were two of our daughters, Brittany and Samantha. Samantha’s imaginary friend, Sherri, also came along, bringing her husband Kenny and their grandson Isaac.
Now, before you start wondering about Samantha’s imaginary friend, let me assure you that Sherri is very real. I’ll leave the rest of that story for another day.
Sherri and Kenny had owned a side-by-side for some time, but they had never experienced Michigan’s trail systems.
I thought it might be prudent to introduce them to our version of off-road travel gradually.
We started with the trails in and around Sault Ste. Marie.
Nothing particularly difficult. Just an opportunity to become comfortable with the terrain, enjoy the scenery, and learn a little about traveling together.
I’ve never believed an off-road adventure needs to be measured by how fast you travel or how much punishment your machine can endure.
Sometimes the greatest reward comes from stopping long enough to appreciate where you are.
Besides, I had plans for the following day.
We were going to Drummond Island!
A little family time, a few friends, and another opportunity to discover where a Cooper Shortcut might lead.
Welcome to Drummond Island. Watch That First Step!
Getting to Drummond Island is part of the experience.
From Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, you travel to DeTour Village and board the Drummond Island ferry for the short crossing over the St. Marys River.
Once you’ve arrived, the island feels different from much of the Michigan we’re accustomed to traveling.
The forests are beautiful, the shoreline seems to go on forever, and the rocks…
Oh, the rocks!
It didn’t take our traveling companions very long to recognize something Vicky and I already knew.
Drummond Island is one enormous rock with a forest growing on top of it.
All right, perhaps that isn’t the most scientific description, but spend a little time on its off-road trails and you’ll understand what I mean.
There are sections where you’re not really driving over a dirt trail at all. You’re navigating exposed limestone, loose rock, uneven ledges, and whatever else Mother Nature has decided to put in your path.
Our Polaris Xpedition was right at home.
I can’t say the same for everyone’s backside.
Drummond Island doesn’t always provide a smooth road, but it certainly knows how to make the journey interesting.
Six Strangers and a Change of Plans
We had been on the trail for approximately thirty minutes when we came across three side-by-sides.
Each carried a man and a woman, and it was apparent they were having some difficulty navigating the trail.
We stopped to see whether we could help.
After providing a little assistance, we learned they were lost.
Now, those of you familiar with Grandma Cooper already know how she would have responded.
“We’re not lost; we’re taking a Cooper Shortcut!”
Unfortunately, I’m not sure the three couples were quite ready to embrace Grandma’s philosophy.
As we visited, I learned that two of the couples were recently married.
I also learned that neither of the new brides was particularly enjoying her honeymoon adventure.
Being a minister, I naturally offered a little marriage counseling.
I don’t recall my exact words, but the brides appeared somewhat happier afterward.
At least temporarily.
The couples explained that they had already visited Fossil Ledges and were attempting to find Marblehead.
Ah, Marblehead!
One of our favorite destinations on the island.
As the crow flies, the distance between the two destinations isn’t particularly great. Traveling the trails, however, is an entirely different matter.
There are no straight lines through much of Drummond Island’s off-road country. A destination that appears to be only a few miles away can require considerably more time than anticipated.
I offered to guide them along the quickest route I knew.
They accepted.
And just like that, our little family adventure became a convoy.
The Clock Was Ticking, and Nobody Told Me
We traveled for approximately an hour before I decided to stop and check on everyone.
I wanted to make sure our unexpected traveling companions were comfortable with the route and still enjoying themselves.
That’s when I learned something rather important.
The three side-by-sides were rentals.
They had to be returned by 4:30.
Well, now!
That would have been a handy little piece of information to have received an hour earlier.
I did a little mental calculating and determined that we could still reach Marblehead, enjoy the overlook, and get everyone headed back in time.
We simply needed to pick up the pace a bit.
Of course, picking up the pace on Drummond Island doesn’t mean what it might mean on a paved highway.
The limestone doesn’t care about your rental agreement.
Neither do the trees.
We continued toward Marblehead, navigating the rocks and forest trails while keeping our newly expanded group together.
Eventually, we arrived.
Everyone had made it!
Well, almost everyone was interested in celebrating.
Marblehead: A View Worth the Journey
Marblehead is one of those places that reminds me why we keep returning to Drummond Island.
After traveling through the forest, you arrive at a remarkable overlook above Lake Huron.
The view seems to stretch forever.
Water, forest, rock, and sky.
No buildings crowding the shoreline. No traffic rushing past. Just an opportunity to stand quietly and appreciate a little piece of God’s creation.
Everyone in our group walked out to enjoy the overlook.
Everyone, that is, except the two new brides.
They had apparently seen enough of Drummond Island for one day.
I suspect they were more interested in getting back to the rental company than contemplating the beauty of Lake Huron.
Gentlemen, a little advice from someone who has been married for a while.
I understand the philosophy of doing something first and begging forgiveness later.
But if your new bride has just spent several hours bouncing over limestone, wondering where she is, and worrying about returning a rented side-by-side…
You might want to be on your very best behavior until this adventure becomes a distant memory.
LOL!
Marblehead Overlook. After miles of rocky trails, this is the kind of view that makes you forget about the bumps along the way.
There’s a Reason Drummond Island Has So Many Rocks
Since we’re already talking about rocks, allow me to share a little more about what makes Drummond Island so special.
The island encompasses approximately 87,000 acres, with roughly 150 miles of shoreline. Much of the land is publicly owned, providing opportunities for hiking, off-road exploration, wildlife observation, and simply enjoying the outdoors.
But there’s something else about Drummond Island that makes it different.
Its natural communities are remarkably diverse.
Forests, wetlands, rocky shorelines, meadows, and exposed limestone all exist within a relatively small geographic area.
You can spend the morning traveling through dense forest, stop to investigate fossils embedded in limestone, and finish the afternoon overlooking Lake Huron.
That’s a pretty good day in my book.
Fossil Ledges: A Little History Beneath Your Feet
One of the island’s fascinating destinations is Fossil Ledges.
Here, the exposed limestone contains fossilized remains of marine organisms that once lived in the shallow waters of an ancient sea.
Look closely and you may recognize patterns left by coral and other marine life preserved in the rock.
It’s easy to walk right past these formations without realizing what you’re seeing.
I prefer to stop, look around, and occasionally get down close enough to examine the details.
You don’t need to be a geologist to appreciate them.
You simply need a little curiosity.
And perhaps a willingness to get your knees dirty.
The important thing is to leave the fossils where you find them. The next family deserves the same opportunity to discover them.
Look closely at Drummond Island’s limestone and you may discover the preserved patterns of marine life beneath your feet.
Puddingstones: Michigan’s Natural Treasure Hunt
Another interesting feature of Drummond Island is its puddingstones.
These distinctive rocks contain rounded pieces of colorful jasper and other stones embedded in a lighter quartzite.
The contrast between the white stone and reddish jasper gives puddingstones their unusual appearance.
They can range from small pebbles to enormous boulders.
Glacial movement helped transport and distribute these stones throughout the region, leaving behind something that has fascinated generations of Michigan rock hunters.
Grandma Cooper would have loved searching for them.
Of course, she probably would have turned the entire afternoon into a lesson about geology, patience, and appreciating the little things.
And somehow, we would have thought we were simply having fun.
The Maxton Plains: Where the Forest Takes a Break
Not every interesting part of Drummond Island is hidden beneath the trees.
The Maxton Plains contain an unusual natural community known as an alvar.
An alvar is an open landscape where thin soil covers limestone bedrock. Plants grow in shallow pockets of soil and cracks in the rock.
At first glance, portions of these areas may appear barren.
Look a little closer.
Wildflowers, grasses, mosses, and other specialized plants have adapted to conditions that can be both wet and extremely dry.
Drummond Island is home to one of the most significant alvar landscapes in the Great Lakes region.
These environments are also fragile.
A tire track through a thin layer of soil can damage vegetation that has taken a long time to establish itself.
That’s one reason staying on designated trails matters.
We have plenty of places to enjoy our Polaris without driving across an irreplaceable natural community.
The Other Side of Drummond Island
There’s more to this island than the rocky trails that attract off-road enthusiasts.
Take Pigeon Cove, for example.
Its wetlands provide habitat for birds, amphibians, insects, and a variety of other wildlife.
The island’s forests include hardwoods, white cedar, spruce, and other northern species. In some areas, shallow soil and exposed bedrock create conditions quite different from the moist forests just a short distance away.
Along the shoreline, waves and winter ice continually reshape the rocky beaches.
What appears to be a simple collection of stones can support a surprising variety of plants and animals.
And sometimes, if you’re fortunate, Mother Nature provides a little extra entertainment.
A rainbow stretching across a marsh is a pretty good reminder that you don’t always need to be moving to enjoy an adventure.
Pigeon Cove reminds us that some of Drummond Island’s most beautiful moments have nothing to do with the trails.
A Little Turtle With the Right Idea
During our travels, we also encountered a turtle making its way across the rocky terrain.
Now, I don’t know where that turtle was headed.
I don’t know whether it had a destination in mind or was simply enjoying the day.
But I appreciated its approach.
Slow and steady.
No concern about reaching Marblehead before the rental company closed.
No GPS arguing about which direction to travel.
And certainly no unhappy brides wondering when the adventure would end.
I think Grandma Cooper would have approved.
Another Drummond Island traveler who apparently shares our philosophy about taking life at a comfortable pace.
Around the Campfire
Is Drummond Island suitable for someone new to off-road riding?
Absolutely, provided you choose trails appropriate for your experience and equipment.
There are easier routes that allow newcomers to become comfortable with Michigan’s trail system, but Drummond Island also has challenging rocky sections that demand experience, patience, and careful vehicle placement.
Our decision to begin the previous day around Sault Ste. Marie gave our friends an opportunity to become familiar with traveling together before encountering Drummond Island’s more demanding terrain.
Do you need a Michigan ORV permit?
Michigan generally requires an ORV license for off-road operation on designated public ORV routes and trails, with an additional ORV trail permit required for designated ORV trails and certain other riding areas.
Requirements depend on where you operate, so check the current regulations before traveling.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources provides licensing information, trail maps, and regulations.
Can you take a side-by-side on the Drummond Island ferry?
Yes. The ferry transports vehicles between DeTour Village and Drummond Island.
Before your visit, check current fares, operating information, and vehicle requirements through the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority.
Remember that our Polaris Xpedition is a substantial machine. If you’re towing your side-by-side on a trailer, consider the total length of your truck and trailer when planning the crossing.
Should you rely entirely on your GPS?
I wouldn’t.
We use our Garmin Tread 2 Overland and Polaris Ride Command, but electronic navigation is only one part of traveling safely.
Download the appropriate maps before heading into areas with limited cellular service. Carry a backup, pay attention to trail markers, and make sure everyone understands the route.
If you’re traveling with a group, communication equipment can be especially valuable.
And if you’re renting a side-by-side, please tell your volunteer trail guide what time you need to return it.
Preferably before you’ve been following him for an hour.
Can you explore Drummond Island without an ORV?
Certainly!
We’ve enjoyed the island from our motorcycles and through ordinary sightseeing.
Its natural areas, shoreline, hiking opportunities, and quiet roads provide plenty of reasons to visit without ever putting a tire on an off-road trail.
For additional island information, visit the Drummond Island Tourism Association.
Final Thoughts: The Best Part Wasn’t on the Map
I’ve shared several Drummond Island adventures over the years, and I suspect this won’t be the last.
There is something about this island that continues to draw Vicky and me back.
Perhaps it’s the limestone trails, the quiet forests, or the views across Lake Huron.
Maybe it’s the opportunity to travel somewhere that still feels a little removed from the hurry of everyday life.
But this particular adventure reminded me of something else.
We began the day with family and friends, intending to explore a place we already loved.
Thirty minutes later, we met six strangers.
By the time we reached Marblehead, we had shared a few miles, a little marriage counseling, some laughter, and an experience none of us had planned.
I don’t know whether those newlyweds will ever return to Drummond Island.
I hope they do.
Perhaps next time they’ll have a little more time, a little less pressure, and a better understanding of what makes this island so special.
And if our paths should happen to cross again, I’ll be happy to guide them.
Provided they tell me when the rentals are due back.
Grandma Cooper always said we weren’t lost; we were taking a Cooper Shortcut.
I think she’d have enjoyed this one.
We’re not trying to get there first. We’re trying to enjoy getting there.
The Cooper Shortcut Camping Journey Trio 😊 PlusOne!
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