Spring Must-Do List
Capture the Season and Local Finds
The changing of seasons each year brings on new smells and colors. Explore the woods the brings on a whole new and refreshing experience.
Go Fish a Stream
Trout season opens the last Saturday in April, and Iron County is home to five blue ribbon trout streams (the Brule River, Cooks Run River, the Fence River, Iron River and the Paint River). Whether you tie your own flies or just put a worm on a hook, enjoy the unspoiled beauty of these amazing streams and see if you can coax these beautiful fish out of their holes. LEARN MORE .
Take a Waterfall Tour
Of Michigan’s 199 waterfalls, 198 of them are in the U.P., and Iron County and its neighbors have some of the best in the U.P. During the spring months the waterfalls and rapids are gorged with snow melt and are spectacular to see. Be sure to watch your step while hiking as trails are often natural or “desire paths” that are not maintained, but we think all these falls are worth seeing! VIEW THE LOCAL WATERFALLS.
Go Mushrooming and Foraging
Morels are a rare and delicious delicacy, sprouting in the Spring near rotting and shady falling trees and bark. Spring also sees the sprouting of ramps, or wild leeks, offering a sought-after and uniquely pungent garlicky-onion flavor. Other Spring favorites are fiddlehead fern sprouts and wild violets. Iron County has a lot of public land to offer for the mushroomer and avid forager.
Explore Some Hiking Trails
The spring season offers beautiful hikes, from sprouting wildflowers and Trillium dotting the forest floor to ferns beginning to poke through the pine needles. There are plenty of hiking trails to explore – the Ottawa National Forest, George Young Recreation Complex, Lake Mary Plains Pathway, the Apple Blossom Trail and many more! VIEW LOCAL TRAILS.
Spring is for the Birds
Spring is when the birds return to Iron County. Herons, owls, red-tailed hawks, mourning doves, gray jays and horned larks begun nesting early in March. In April, duck migration is in full force across the U.P. and from mid-April through the end of May is also the Spring turkey hunt season.