Lumberman’s Monument Visitor Center opens for the season Friday May 9, 2025 

OSCODA, Mich., May 1, 2025 – Lumberman’s Monument Visitor Center kicks off its 2025 recreation season Friday May 09, 2025. Lumberman’s Monument will be open five days per week Friday through Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Wednesdays and Thursdays.  

This year’s line-up includes interactive programming, logging shows and a new hydroelectric dam display. Built late last year, the display houses an original governor that was taken out of the Loud Hydroelectric Dam on the Au Sable River.  Loud Dam was built in 1913. 

All programs are free of charge thanks to the Eastern National Forest Interpretive Association. Lumberman’s will continue its traditional Tuesday’s Kid’s Day starting in July. All programs start at 1 p.m. and do not require any pre-registration:  

• July 1 – Life of a wildland firefighter 
• July 8 – Falconer Jenny Schroeder presents “What do owls eat?”
• July 15 – Michael Deren presents “Shanty Boy”
• July 22 – Meg Sigmon presents “Sea Lamprey: Great Lakes Invaders”
• July 29 – Antavius Mikazes presents “Pollinators”
• August 5 – Michael Deren presents “Civilian Conservation Corps Enrollee 1941”
• August 12 – Smokey’s Birthday Party 

Back by popular demand, the staff at Lumberman’s will host the Lumberjack and Logging Museum’s historical depiction of a Michigan lumberjack encampment on July 5th & 6th and will come back on August 30th & 31st. Reenactors will present an entertaining history about the culture of the Michigan's Shanty Boys and the lost wilderness! You won’t want to miss their show! 

The Monument Campground opens May 9 with first come, first served campsites, but will move to a reservation system on May 15, 2025 allowing campers to plan ahead and reserve their favorite spot. Established in 1909, Monument Campground is one of the first campgrounds built in the Huron-Manistee National Forests. The campground is a fully accessible camping area within a red pine plantation. 

Donations are accepted in the visitor center to help cover expenses of their annual programming. Children must always be accompanied by an adult. Programs are subject to change. For additional information or to register, call the Lumberman’s Monument Visitor Center at 989-362-8961. Lumberman’s Monument is located at the junction of Monument Road and River Road, Oscoda Township, Iosco County.  

Check our Facebook or X social media platforms for upcoming events. For more recreational opportunities on the Huron-Manistee National Forests, visit our website. 

About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.