One of the most important trails in the Upper Peninsula began here. The Noquets, an Algonquian tribe, lived in this area and used the trail in their frequent travels between Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. In places the trail is deeply worn from centuries of use. Beginning in the early 1800’s, the Northwest Fur Company and the American Fur Company established posts at Grand Island, near the Lake Superior end of the trail. Traders, lumbermen, and others continued to use this route until a county road was built. The U.S. Forest Service has reconstructed the trail and maintains it for hiking and riding.