'Little Mac' bridge reopens in time for spring backpacking and hiking on the Manistee River Trail
CADILLAC, Mich., April 4, 2025 - The Manistee River Suspension Bridge is open for foot traffic in time for early spring through hikers and loop travelers. The “Little Mac,” as it is commonly known, received several safety updates including new galvanized hardware, decking, railing, curbing, galvanized paint on hard-to-reach components, needle beams, which support the bridge from the main cable, as well as a few new stringers.
“With new decking and railing installed,” Huron-Manistee National Forests’ Transportation Engineer Jon Meeks said, “The bridge is safe for pedestrian foot traffic.” He added that work is ongoing. Meeks doesn’t anticipate additional closures and asked that visitors be considerate of workers while traveling across the bridge.
Located just downstream of Hodenpyl Dam, the pedestrian bridge is 246-feet-long and spans 166 feet over the Manistee River. It connects the popular Manistee River Trail to the 4,800-mile North Country Trail, completing a 20-mile non-motorized trail loop which attracts many forest visitors.
Spring trail users should prepare for wet and muddy trail conditions. “Instead of traveling the Manistee River Trail, consider a more durable surface like a road, paved trail, or rail trail for your spring outing” said Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Planner Reese Borlin. “When an alternative route isn’t feasible, hikers should wear proper footwear and walk through, rather than around, mud and water stepping on rocks whenever possible to avoid widening trails and trampling foliage,” Borlin continued.
Funding for this project is made possible through the Federal Lands Transportation Program and its partnership with several federal land management agencies. The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration oversees the program, whose goal is to provide safe and sustainable access to national parks and other federal lands through transportation infrastructure.