IRONWOOD, Mich. (Michigan Back Roads) – Don’t let the name put you off. “Union Mine Trail” isn’t a dark and damp underground path through an old abandoned mine. This is an easy, one-mile trail that loops back to the parking area.

The winding trail through the towering trees is shady and cool.  Along the way are interpretive signs, old ruins, and waterfalls, and there is no steep climb back to the top. While it isn’t paved or groomed, the trail is in good condition and can be walked by almost anyone.

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The beginning of the trail is clearly marked with an informative sign and a giant shovel. Along the trail are more of these interpretive signs describing what a casual hiker might not notice. The trail is pleasant, though it seems unremarkable at first. Then you come to the stream that tumbles down the slope, sparkling in the sunlight. The pathway follows the cascading stream leading to ruins and artifacts of the mining activity that took place here. There is a rectangular cut in the bed of the stream that creates a small waterfall. That cut is man-made and had a water wheel mounted in it. The water wheel only produced a couple of horsepower, but the miners wanted to use it to hoist waste rock and ore up out of the mine shaft.

To give you an idea of working conditions, a tunnel about 70 feet long connects Shaft #1 and Shaft #2. That tunnel goes under the river. It was constructed using sledgehammers, picks and hand drills, along with a little black powder thrown in. The only light in these tunnels was provided by candles. Tons of waste rock and water had to be dragged out by hand. There is also a long trench that was hacked out of the living rock to locate the vein of copper.

Further along, the trail crosses the remnants of the old Nonesuch Road. The Nonesuch was the first road into this region. They called it a road, but it was so rough and full of holes that it was suggested you lash yourself to your wagon to avoid being pitched out onto your head.

Fortunately, the Union Mine Trail is nothing like that. Most of it is a natural trail, but it is smooth and easy to walk. There are more ruins and artifacts all along the trail but what is really great is the easy hike and the fantastic scenery along the stream. The mine shafts are fenced off so the puppy dog won’t fall in, and the way back is pretty easy.  Rather than a steep climb back up, the trail rises gently with a few short sets of stairs to help along the way.

The Union Mine Trail is on the South Boundary Road outside the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in the western upper peninsula of Michigan.