The Westgate Welcome Center is the western gateway to the River Road National Scenic Byway.

This is a great place to start your Byway adventure. Get maps, use the restroom (vault toilets), and enjoy the view of Loud Dam Pond. This stop is open year-round.

Use the info kiosk panel maps to explore the Byway route, features, trails, and visitor facilities before hopping back in the car.

Iargo Springs is the next stop on the River Road National Scenic Byway.

When you visit, you can either stay up on top of the bluff and admire the view of the river from an overlook or climb down 300 steps to reach the springs.

The next stop on the River Road is Canoer’s Memorial.

To understand the significance of this place we need to understand the backstory. Here goes:

Michigan is home to the AuSable River Canoe Marathon, an event that began in 1947 and is billed as “One of the Greatest Canoe Races on Earth!”

This event is epic and happens every July.

It’s a non-stop canoe race on the Au Sable River that starts at night. When the gun goes off, participants carry their canoes through the streets, running, all the way to the river where they jump in and start furiously paddling with 50,000 fans cheering them on.

The race starts in Grayling, MI, and ends 120 miles later in Oscoda, MI.

When you’re looking at the Canoer’s Memorial monument, you’re looking at a tribute that honors past race participants, including those who died while participating in the sport.

Looking around, you can also see Cooke Dam Pond from here.

Today, the U.S. Forest Service owns and manages the land where the monument sits. Oscoda Township has a special use permit to maintain the structure.

This stop is part statue, part scenic overlook, part hands-on history lesson.

Perched above the Au Sable River, the 14-foot bronze monument honors Michigan’s logging past, but the real fun is at the visitor center.

You can crawl through a fake log jam, mess with old-school tools, and hike to a floating cookshack if you’re feeling adventurous.

Lumberman’s Monument & Visitor Center is also where you can catch several trails.

Foote Site Park is also where the Au Sable River Queen, the only paddlewheel riverboat operating in Northern Michigan, docks.

Reservations are made by calling 989-739-7351. They operate seasonally.

Foote Village used to be a full-on worker camp back when the Foote Dam was going up in the early 1900s.

Now it’s a laid-back area near Foote Pond where people come to fish, boat, camp, and swim.

You’ll find a big campground, a public beach, and plenty of spots to just chill by the river and watch the birds do their thing.

Whirlpool River Access is just that – a place in Oscoda where you can easily launch a kayak, cast a line, or just hang by the river without scrambling down a steep bank.

It’s got

• paved parking
• restrooms
• an easy-access boardwalk that’s great for fishing

*This fishing area at Whirlpool River Access is one of three located along River Road. These fishing piers offer easy access to the water for those travelers that don’t want to negotiate steep banks or don’t have a boat to get out onto the water.

At the eastern end of the Scenic Byway, the Eagle Run offers a loop trail system for hiking, mountain biking, and cross country skiing, with scenic views of the Au Sable River.

There are seven miles of trails here, covering flat terrain.

Trails are groomed in the winter for Fat Tire Biking.