What to See in Rifle River State Recreation Area - Top Sights and Attractions

Federal government office in the Oscoda, Michigan. Lumberman's Monument is a monument dedicated to the workers of the early logging industry in Michigan. Standing at 14 feet, the bronze statue features a log surrounded by three figures: a timber cruiser holding a compass, a sawyer with his saw slung over his shoulder, and a river rat resting his peavey on the ground. The granite base of the statue is engraved with a memorial that reads "Erected to perpetuate the memory of the pioneer lumbermen of Michigan through whose labors was made possible the development of the prairie states." It is also inscribed with the names of the logging families who dedicated their time and efforts to the industry in the area. It was built in 1931, dedicated in 1932 and is managed by the USDA Forest Service. It is located in the northeastern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan along the Au Sable River within Huron-Manistee National Forests. Access to the park is on River Road, which intersects M-65 west of Oscoda, Michigan. Monument Road, from East Tawas, also leads directly to the monument, which is in Oscoda Township in Iosco County. The monument is part of the River Road Scenic Byway, a 22-mile drive between Oscoda and South Branch that runs parallel with the beautiful Au Sable River. It is a designated National Scenic Byway.^[1]

Spring in Michigan. Iargo Springs in Oscoda, Michigan, features several viewing decks and a boardwalk path through the natural springs. Natural springs are formed from water that naturally flows to the surface from underground. The natural springs can be accessed from the road by stairs leading down to the Au Sable River. Man-made barriers pool the springs and create small waterfalls. The wooden boardwalk stretches over 1,000 feet as it winds through the natural springs.

Lying off of River Road National Scenic Byway, Iargo Springs provides a panoramic view of the Au Sable River. Used as a drinking water source since pre-settlement times, dams were constructed on the springs by early loggers before the turn of the century. The dams were useful in diverting water to the logging camps nearby. Most of Cooke Pond was dry land then.

Europeans have visited the springs for recreation since the 1920s. A trail to the springs was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934. Early photographs show the dam being repaired and reinforced by the CCC's. The dams lasted until 1981 when a storm took them out. The site was renovated in 1991. Steps were added and boardwalks along the springs, as well as the dams being rebuilt.

For the avid hiker, the Highbanks Trail has a trailhead here which heads directly east, past Lumberman's Monument, another worthy attraction to the Oscoda area. Although the springs are open year-round, the trails are not groomed during the winter months and camping along the way is only allowed in designated areas. Also, the use of motorized vehicles is prohibited on the trail.

Interpretive signs help to teach visitors more about the site and its rich but often troubled history as well as explaining the formation and significance of the transition forest.^[2]