CHARLEVOIX, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Whether on a day trip to the Sleepy Hollow Trail, exploring Stone Hedge Gardens, or searching for the Inverted Forest on Lake Charlevoix, a very cool side trip is a ride on the Ironton Ferry.

The Ironton Ferry is a four-car cable ferry that crosses a narrow point on the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix. Back in the day, the Ironton Ferry was drawn by horses and most traffic was to serve the Pig Iron Factory in town.

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It is more fun than one would expect. Getting to the ferry takes you through some gorgeous country and the whole trip takes about 2 minutes and the ferry only carries 4-6 vehicles at a time. The ferry runs between April and November. Captain Sam Alexander of the ferry is listed in Ripley’s Believe it or Not! for traveling 15,000 miles while never being more than 1/4 mile from his home over a period of years.

Ironton is directly across from a parcel of land once owned by George R. Hemingway, uncle of renowned author Ernest Hemingway. “Uncle George” ran a tree farm on this property that includes a landmark on Lake Charlevoix, Hemingway Point. In Hemingway’s, The Nick Adams Stories, the point is where “Nick” was camping when he became frightened and fired rifle shots to signal his father and uncle who were out on the lake. This was confirmed by the author’s first cousin, Margaret Hemingway Bundy, prior to her death.