State officials near Ontonagon are looking at buying about 13 miles of inactive railway to make vital connections in a section of the western Upper Peninsula’s trail system.

The property being sought includes an out of use railroad bridge over the Ontonagon River, which would give trail users connections to the village of Ontonagon and Rockland, as well as unused railway grade.

We think the railway acquisition would greatly improve recreation opportunities in the western U.P.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Keith Creagh will consider the transaction June 12, as six division chiefs already recommend the payment of $516,715 “which would be paid to the Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad Co. of Wells” be made from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fun, State Trails Initiative.

The chiefs also recommend that the property be categorized for public use and that it be administered by the DNR’s Parks and Recreation division. Once legislated requirements are met, the land could also be designated as a Michigan Trailway.

A major benefit of the acquisition of the railway would be connecting Ontonagon regionally to all the major towns in the area by a designated off-road vehicle route. That’s great news for snowmobile and all terrain vehicle users who may not have had the option to travel between Ontonagon and surrounding towns.

Ontonagon would also benefit from being connected within its own borders via a trail from the village to the marina, which would bolster plans to develop a year-round recreational economy.

Because Ontonagon currently has no way to access the marina via off-road trails, being able to use the inactive railway and the bridge across the Ontonagon River would open up recreation opportunities for trail users. Not only that, but it would also allow tourists who vacation in the U.P. to use their ATVs and snowmobiles to access Lake Superior.

We think this would be a great acquisition for the DNR and believe the western U.P. would benefit from the added outdoors opportunities the railway could provide. Businesses in Ontonagon would benefit from the trail connections as ATV and snowmobile riders would have access points connecting the downtown area and Lake Superior to the rest of Ontonagon County.