Mertz Grade Trail

The Mertz Grade Trail takes its name from one of the numerous logging railroad grades that crisscrossed Crawford County during the late nineteenth century pine harvest, and much of its southern arc follows the raised bed of the old Mertz logging railroad, identifiable by its unusually straight alignment and slightly elevated treadway through the surrounding second-growth forest. Beginning at the main Hartwick Pines parking area, the trail loops west through a landscape that is gradually returning to forest after logging removed essentially every merchantable tree by 1910. Red pine plantations from Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps work alternate with naturally regenerating stands of aspen, paper birch, and red maple, giving the forest a patchwork character that supports an unusually high diversity of bird species. The northern section of the loop crosses several seasonal streams draining toward the Au Sable River system, each supporting small wetlands where sandhill cranes and great blue herons forage. The grade section in the southern half provides easy walking on firm, well-drained tread and allows hikers to cover ground quickly while imagining the narrow-gauge steam locomotives that once hauled massive pine logs over the same surface. The full loop represents the longest trail option at Hartwick Pines and the best choice for a half-day outing.