Has anyone done the Drummond Island trails in Michigan?

[WILL1E]

I live in WI and never heard of these trails until i discovered the Badge of Honor app. This would be a 6hr drive for me. I've done my share of off-roading in Jeeps and ATV's with the most "difficult" trail i've done being the red rock in Livingston KY. But this would be my first offroad ride with my '20 JT rubicon. So i'm trying to understand what Drummond Island has to offer and how much of it my JT could handle.....ps, not a fan of deep mud.

Sponsored

 

[BUZZHEAD]

I believe they have a jeep jamboree up there every year . I am hoping to get signed up for it next year . I live in northwest INDIANA would enjoy doing the trails up there.
Not a fan of mud.

 

[WILL1E]

I've watched a few YouTube videos and there looks to be a fair amount of mud/water which i'm not a fan of when it gets near frame rail depth (to much cleanup IMO). So if it's mainly trail riding with bypasses for the mud spots and rock obstacles, i would definitely be interested. I'm thinking of doing a fall weekend trip up if I find out my JT is capable enough.

 

[N8Marsh]

Not a JT but I've taken my stock Silverado Regular Cab 4x4 to both the South OHV trailhead and the Glen Cove ORV road.

I ended up getting stuck and having to get winched out at the South OHV trail as the ruts were pretty deep and I sunk right down to my underbed spare (I'm new to off-roading, it would probably be passable if you knew what you were doing). My brother's little 4 banger YJ had to save me.

The Glen Cove ORV is more manageable, some standing water and mudholes but nothing too crazy. I dropped a star where we ended up camping for 2 days, it was an awesome beach front spot.

To the far East of the island is the Steps, the most technical obstacle. There are probably multiple Youtube videos out there showing it. We didn't even take vehicles that far, we hiked by foot along the outer beaches and climbed up to the steps. If you had something capable it would be a really fun obstacle to tackle.

 

[WILL1E]

My JT Rubicon has the stock 33's and a 2" Mopar lift on it, so i'm not sure what would be needed to do the steps. Looks like @Proximo has been there a few times so hopefully he chimes in for additional input.

 

[Deadeye]

Drummond island is beautiful. It’s the UP, on the lake, cooler. Need to bring all your camping gear, but not a big deal. Strongly recommend a RTT or even more preferably, hammock camp.

most obstacles have a bypass. Need to check water depth with crossings, as the area can flood and fluctuates.

it’s very muddy, and that mud is the silty kind that gets in every crevice. I hate it because it takes a lot of work to clean out the under body, but it’s amazing if you Get around that.

I feel that differential breather extensions are a huge peace of mind benefit. Winch is definitely necessary, traction boards would be helpful, and you’ll want to air down so bring a compressor and strong recommendation for groups. Other than that, you could run it stock if you have common sense. Definitely a worthwhile trip that can be beginner friendly.

The Jeep jamboree guides are worth it, if you have never been there. They’ll keep you from making an expensive mistake, but are pretty easy going and will encourage you to push your boundaries.

 

[Proximo]

Hello @Willie, this past week we did Drummond Island for the 2nd time. My nephew came with his JKU on 32's and no lift. He did everything i did, except Marblehead Steps, and never got stuck. He only got water up to his pinch weld 1x. I took him on the South Marblehead Loop, which takes about 3-4hrs including a lunch stop at Sitgreaves Bay, photos at Marblehead Bluff, and relax n chill break on Shale Beach. We drove 5.5hrs to stay at Yacht Haven Cottages for a week. If you want to camp/overland, then @N8Marsh is correct in placing his star on the map for the best camp spot. In this picture, we are parked next to a campfire rock pit

So, can you on 33's n 2" lift? Most definitely, YES. You don't need to do the Steps, just walk down them and out to the bluff. Hell, stand around and watch others then decide. I can send the pic of the map if you like.

 

[Proximo]

My JT Rubicon has the stock 33's and a 2" Mopar lift on it, so i'm not sure what would be needed to do the steps. Looks like @Proximo has been there a few times so hopefully he chimes in for additional input.

You CAN do the steps. Going down, the left side is easy, the right side is difficult, and the center is extreme.

 

[WILL1E]

Thanks for the info @Proximo . It's been over 10yrs since i've wheeled in a Jeep and i thought what better way to do my first trip and see a new place then plan a trip to Drummond. I'm thinking sometime in fall so that i can enjoy the changing leaves on the ride.

 

[Proximo]

No prob @Willie go have fun and enjoy. There are a few tricky boulders/rocks along the route btwn 27-26A that may bang a diff or lca bracket, fyi

 

[WILL1E]

Are ATV's allowed on the same trails as the Jeeps or are there dedicated trails for each mode of transportation?

Also, the camping spot you pointed out, is that a first come serve type deal or is it big enough for multiple groups or what?

 

[Proximo]

Are ATV's allowed on the same trails as the Jeeps or are there dedicated trails for each mode of transportation?

Also, the camping spot you pointed out, is that a first come serve type deal or is it big enough for multiple groups or what?

ATV allowed everywhere. Thin red is ATV trails. Purple and Pink are "route" Jeeps allowed on. Purple is easy wide trails/roads.
Pink is off-roading trails, tighter and technical.
That camping spot is 1st come. I'm not sure if there's room down the shoreline for more groups to camp

 

[WILL1E]

Thanks for the info. If the family comes along I may bring their ATV's so they can ride those while i drive the Jeep.

I was surprised to see there aren't more camping options, particularly for tent campers on the island...unless i'm missing them, but it just seems like theres only 2 or 3 campgrounds that are more tailored to rigs vs. tents.

 

[MojaveMat]

You CAN do the steps. Going down, the left side is easy, the right side is difficult, and the center is extreme.

Hello @Willie, this past week we did Drummond Island for the 2nd time. My nephew came with his JKU on 32's and no lift. He did everything i did, except Marblehead Steps, and never got stuck. He only got water up to his pinch weld 1x. I took him on the South Marblehead Loop, which takes about 3-4hrs including a lunch stop at Sitgreaves Bay, photos at Marblehead Bluff, and relax n chill break on Shale Beach. We drove 5.5hrs to stay at Yacht Haven Cottages for a week. If you want to camp/overland, then @N8Marsh is correct in placing his star on the map for the best camp spot. In this picture, we are parked next to a campfire rock pit

So, can you on 33's n 2" lift? Most definitely, YES. You don't need to do the Steps, just walk down them and out to the bluff. Hell, stand around and watch others then decide. I can send the pic of the map if you like.

Been thinking about getting up to Drummond next year as well. Also looking at Keweenaw but that’s a hike from SE MI; I could hit the east coast in that amount of time haha. What lift and tire setup do you have? I have 35 m/t with mopar lift…I think I should be able to handle the Drummond mud and marble?

 

[Proximo]

Been thinking about getting up to Drummond next year as well. Also looking at Keweenaw but that’s a hike from SE MI; I could hit the east coast in that amount of time haha. What lift and tire setup do you have? I have 35 m/t with mopar lift…I think I should be able to handle the Drummond mud and marble?

You'll be fine, with a spotter. I've done it with 35's and 37's. Enjoy!!

Sponsored