Maxton Plains Preserve

A place of true bueaty!!

Processing Photos, and Data..

Tucked away on the northeastern edge of Drummond Island in Chippewa County, Maxton Plains is widely regarded as one of the world's finest examples of an alvar grassland — a rare and ancient landscape shaped by glacially scoured limestone bedrock, thin soils, and the moderating influence of Lake Huron. The 1,210-acre preserve is a place of quiet extremes: flooded in spring snowmelt, baked and cracked in summer heat, yet alive with a botanical richness found almost nowhere else on Earth.

What makes Maxton Plains so extraordinary is the improbable meeting of ecosystems within a single open plain. Plants rooted in arctic tundra traditions grow alongside species more at home on the Great Plains prairie — a convergence that supports ten state-rare plant species and draws a remarkable range of birdlife, including nesting ospreys. The wide, unobstructed sky makes it a destination for birdwatchers and stargazers alike, offering views that stretch to the horizon across a landscape largely unchanged for thousands of years.

The preserve is protected and managed by The Nature Conservancy in partnership with the Michigan DNR, ensuring this rare alvar ecosystem remains one of the Upper Peninsula's most quietly spectacular natural areas. Learn more at The Nature Conservancy — Maxton Plains Preserve .

Driving Directions from Detour, Mi

(Using Drummond Ferry as starting point)

1.) Head east on Elizabeth St/N Huron Bywy
2.) Take the Drummond Island Ferry to Drummond
3.) Continue straight onto M-134 E for 7.9 miles
4.) Continue onto E Johnswood Rd for 2.2 miles
5.) Turn left onto S Maxton Cross Rd and travel out (about 6.7 miles), enjoy the views.

Plains driving start point (For GPS):
26 S Maxton Rd
Drummond, MI 49726

There should be some information at the above location, and sort of a fork in the road.

My suggestion for a day/quick trip, is to use the north west of the fork (Really it's a left, named "Bruce Point Rd), the southeast route (which is semi-straight through), goes by a container, and quickly heads off into the woods, I believe you can take that road all the way down to fossil ledges though.