Best Bear Lodge & Campground

Local Attractions

  • Best Bear's Off-Road Rentals and Slingshot Rentals

    Address:
    10642 N Merriville Rd, Irons, MI 49644, USA .

     

    April 28, 2023 - November 1, 2023

     

    When you rent a new Polaris Razer XP 1000, get ready to explore nature in comfort. Memories start here!  

    https://www.bestbearlodge.com/polaris-atv-rentals

    Book Your Polaris Rental Now 

    https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/bestbearlodge           

  • Lake County Michigan orv trails... ATV, ORV and Snowmobilers Paradise! We now Rent Polaris ORV'S

    Address:
    Irons, MI 49644, USA .

    Enjoy Direct Trail Access to Lincoln Hills from our resort. In Lake County Michigan, most County roads are open to ATV's to ride at 25 mph. ORV's, ATV's, Quads and single track Bikes take advantage of over 230 miles of groomed trails. Snowmobiles enjoy over 800 mile of trails from our doorstep. For the best experience of lake county trail riding, start at Best Bear Lodge & RV Resort! Note* For a great experience get familiar with the law. Here are some common rules; Lights have to be on when operating on open county roads. Forest roads are closed to orv's. While riding county roads, you must ride on RH side of paved portion. ( not the shoulder). Must purchase the proper trail permits $36.25 total. There is a list of common infractions printed on the 2016 Lake County trail map on sale at Best Bear Lodge for $2.00 each. Finally, please go easy on the dirt roads, do not tear them up by doing donuts or spinning your tires. Together let's keep the county roads open to ATV's for generations to come. For more info and events visit https://www.facebook.com/LakeCoTrails

    For Lake County ORV Law STATE OF MICHIGAN COUNTY OF LAKE ORV ORDINANCE No. 24 An ordinance authorizing and regulating the operation of Off Road Vehicles (ORVs) on roads in Lake County, providing penalties for the violation thereof, and for the distribution of public funds resulting from those penalties pursuant to 2008 PA 240, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. THE COUNTY OF LAKE ORDAINS: Section 1. Definitions. As used in this ordinance, the following definitions shall apply: a) "County" means the County of Lake. b) "Driver's license" means an operator's or chauffeur's license or permit issued to an individual by the Secretary of State under chapter III of the Michigan Vehicle Code, 1949 PA 300, as amended, MCL 257.301 to 257.329, for that individual to operate a vehicle, whether or not conditions are attached to the license or permit. c) "Operate" means to ride in or on, and be in actual physical control of, the operation of an ORV. d) "Operator" means a person who operates or is in actual physical control of the operation of an ORV. e) "ORV" means a motor driven off road recreation vehicle capable of cross country travel without benefit of a road or trail, on or immediately over land, snow, ice, marsh, swampland, or other natural terrain. ORV includes, but is not limited to, a multitrack or multiwheel drive vehicle, an ATV, a golf cart, a motorcycle or related 2-wheel, 3-wheel, or 4-wheel vehicle, an amphibious machine, a ground effect air cushion vehicle, or other means of transportation deriving from a source other than muscle or wind. ORV does not include a registered snowmobile, a farm vehicle being used for farming, a vehicle used for military, fire, emergency, or law enforcement purposes, a vehicle owned by a utility company or an oil or gas company when performing maintenance on its facilities or on property over which it has an easement, a construction or logging vehicle used in the performance of its common function, or a registered aircraft. f) "Road" means a county primary road or county local road as described in section 5 of 1951 PA 51. MCL 247.655. g) "Road Commission" means the Board of County Road Commissioners for the County of Lake. h) "Safety certificate" means a certificate issued pursuant to 1994 PA 451, as amended, MCL 324.81129, or a comparable ORV safety certificate issued under the authority of another state or a province of Canada. i) "Direct supervision" means the direct visual observation of the operator with the unaided or normally corrected eye, where the observer is able to come to the immediate aid of the operator. J) “Maintained Portion of the Road” means the portion of the road improved, designated, or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic and does not include within its meaning the shoulder or rightof-way. Section 2. Designated Roads. a) An ORV may be operated only on the far right on the maintained portion of a road on the designated county roads listed in Appendix A, incorporated by reference, and only prior to December 1 and after March 31 of each year. b) An ORV may not be operated on the road surface, roadway, shoulder or right-of-way of any State or Federal highway, including but not limited to M- 37, US 10, or any other State or Federal highway in Lake County. Section 3. Operating Conditions. Except as set forth herein or otherwise provided by law, an ORV meeting all of the following conditions may be operated on a designated road in the county: a) At a speed of no more than 25 miles per hour, or a lower posted ORV speed limit. b) By a person not less than 12 years of age. c) With the flow of traffic. d) In a manner which does not interfere with traffic on the road. e) Traveling single file, except when overtaking and passing another ORV. f) While displaying a lighted headlight and lighted taillight at all hours. g) Each operator and passenger must wear a crash helmet and protective eyewear approved by the United States Department of Transportation unless the vehicle is equipped with a windshield and a roof or roll bar that meets or exceeds standards for a crash helmet and the operator and each passenger is wearing a properly adjusted and fastened safety belt. h) Unless equipped with a braking system that may be operated by hand or foot, capable of producing deceleration at 14 feet per second on level ground at a speed of 20 miles per hour; a brake light, brighter than the taillight, visible when the brake is activated to the rear of the vehicle when the vehicle is operated during the hours of 1/2 hour after sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise; and a throttle so designed that when the pressure used to advance the throttle is removed, the engine speed will immediately and automatically return to idle. i) While the ORV is equipped with a spark arrester type United States forest service approved muffler, in good working order and in constant operation. j) Pursuant to noise emission standards defined by law. k) The ORV shall be licensed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the ORV license/sticker shall be permanently attached and visibly displayed in the manner prescribed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in accordance with State law. Section 4. License: Safety Certificate. A person less than 18 years of age shall not operate an ORV on a road in the County unless the person is in possession of a valid driver's license, or unless the person is under the direct supervision of a parent or guardian and has in his or her possession an ORV safety certificate or a comparable ORV Safety Certificate issued under the authority of another state or a province of Canada. Section 5. Registered Motor Vehicle. Unless a person possesses a valid driver's license, a person shall not operate an ORV on a road in the County if the ORV is registered as a motor vehicle, and either is more than 60 inches wide or has three wheels. Section 6. Evidence. In a court action in this state, if competent evidence demonstrates that a vehicle that is permitted to operate on a road pursuant to state law was in a collision with an ORV required to be operated on the far right of the maintained portion of the road pursuant to this ordinance, the operator of the ORV shall be considered prima facie negligent. Section 7. Penalties. Any person who violates this ordinance is guilty of a municipal civil infraction, and shall pay a civil fine of not less than $175.00 and not more than $500.00. In addition, a court may order the person to pay full restitution for any damage to the environment, a road, or public property damaged as a result of the violation.

  • Pine River

    Address:
    Wellston, MI 49689, USA .

    The Pine River is a popular for stunning views and wildlife enjoyed by people kayaking, canoeing and tubing.

  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Visitor Center

    Address:
    9922 W Front St, Empire, MI 49630 .

    Welcome to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore!

    Sleeping Bear Dunes offers many excellent opportunities for adventure, exploration, wildlife viewing and just plain having fun. Start planning your visit by using the links below. Also, remember the key to a great visit is staying safe.

    https://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

  • The Oak Grove Tavern - Family Friendly

    Address:
    5482 W 10 1/2 Mile Rd, Irons, MI, United States .

    The Oak Grove is family friendly and will take you for a journey back in time. Old country band every Tuesday night with $1.00 coney dogs. Euchre with the retirees on Monday's.. I love to play, starts at 6pm sharp. DJ weekends & Karaoke. Finally, the Best Halloween party around. In 2015 I was the Mayor of Halloween and was almost arrested by the Bar Tender! Great Times, I love Baldwin area especially the little town of Irons. Tired of waiting at stop lights? You will not see one in Lake County Michigan!

    What I like most about the Oak Grove Tavern is the fact they are community oriented and help sponsor many events and charities including the Wertz Warriors Special Olympics. Like us, some money you spend here will go to help others.  

  • Shrine of the Pines

    Address:
    8962 South M-37 Baldwin, MI 49304 .

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrine_of_the_Pines

    Shrine of the Pines is a property south of Baldwin, Michigan on highway M-37. It is significant for its collection of early 20th-century American craft furniture. Created by Raymond W. Overholzer over the course of nearly 30 years from the early 1920s until his death in 1952, the collection was intended as a memorial to the eastern white pine which had been logged to near extinction in northern Michigan. The property, which includes the original log cabin built as a gallery space to house the furniture collection, along with the furniture was designated a Michigan State Historic Site on July 20, 1982.

    Overholzer, a native of Ohio, moved to the community of Marlborough, Michigan with his wife and mother in 1920 following the era of extensive logging. An avid hunter and amateur taxidermist, Overholzer regularly wandered what is now Manistee National Forest hunting game that he would later mount. Deeply concerned that the white pine would never again naturally regrow and repopulate the area, he began collecting stumps and roots that remained from the logging activity, initially crafting them into mirror frames and bases for his taxidermy.

     

    Dining table and chairs by Raymond W. Overholzer

    By 1939 Overholzer's collection of handcrafted items, made only of found white pine lumber, had grown so large that he and a group of friends constructed a cabin as a gallery space. The cabin was given the name "Shrine of the Pines", memorializing what had been Michigan's greatest natural resource. The cabin was opened to the public, and Overholzer continued to work tirelessly, adding to the collection which numbered 201 pieces at the time of his death. The collection includes a dining table and seating for ten, buffet and console tables, beds for all ten guests, a game table with five club chairs, settee, rocking chair and ottoman, a pair of wingback chairs, revolving gun rack, and many other cabinets and accents. The dining table was made of one 700-pound root, with over 60 inlays in its surface.

    Each piece was constructed using only hand tools, with wooden dowel joinery, and glue made of Overholzer's own formula rumored to have included pine pitch, fish innards, deer hair, and sawdust.[1] Overholzer sanded the surfaces with homemade sandpaper of crushed glass and local sands, and finished the pieces with animal grease.

    At his death, Overholzer willed the collection of furniture along with the property to the Boysville of Michigan of Clinton, Michigan.

    Later acquired by a group of local patrons, the shrine remains open, with tours available May 15 through October 15.

    Reservations:(231) 745-7892

  • Horse Back Riding at The Rockin' L Ranch

    Address:
    8805 13 Mile Rd. Bear Lake, Michigan 49614 .

    The Rockin' R Ranch offers gentle and responsive horses good for any ability so you can enjoy the magnificent scenery from horseback. Horse owners and inexperienced riders alike enjoy our well-trained horses and we can find a good match for any riding level.

    Our main focus is on trail riding and offering a special experience for you while making memories! Taking in the beautiful scenery from horseback will take you for a journey back in time that you'll remember forever. 

    (231) 429-7529

  • Pere Marquette River

    Address:
    Baldwin, Michigan .

    The Pere Marquette River is a river in Michigan in the United States. The main stream of this river is 63.9 miles (102.8 km) long,[1] running from Lake County south of Baldwin into the Pere Marquette Lake, and from there into Lake Michigan.[2] The upper portion of the Pere Marquette runs approximately 44 miles (71 km) from the forks of the Little South and Middle Branches downstream to highway M-37. In 1978, 66 miles (106 km) of the river was designated a National Scenic River. This section begins near Baldwin at the junction of the Little South and Middle Branches and continues until the river meets U.S. Highway 31 in Scottville. 

    Wildlife[edit]

    This river's original native fish was the Grayling, but due to deforestation after the great Chicago Fire, they disappeared from the river. It was then stocked with rainbow trout in 1876. In 1884, the Baldwin River, a major tributary, became the first American river to ever be stocked with European brown trout fish, which were imported from Germany, and is why they are referred to by some as German Brown Trout.[5]

    Other animal species living along this river[edit]

    For additionl information visit ​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pere_Marquette_River

  • Caberfae Peaks Ski & Golf

    Address:
    1 Caberfae Lane Cadillac, Michigan 49601 .

    Caberfae Peaks has the best skiing and snowboarding value in the state of Michigan and offers huge vertical drops with consistently great snow! Located only 12 miles from Best Bear Lodge, you'll be skiing in minutes. We have discount Coupons to make your adventure a little more affordable!! 

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