The 'End of the World' trail system is a legend around Mount Pleasant and Midland that few not native to the area know anything about.

The question came up on the Abandoned, Old and Interesting Places in Michigan Facebook group. The End of the World name is apt is it is in a very rural, wooded section of Isabella County. At it's most innocent, the End of the World appears to be a place for high schoolers to party and off roaders to find some trails to explore as shared by these Facebook comments

still go back riding our toys through there and see others all the time

believe there's an abandoned house and abandoned school, but you had to walk to them. But that was many years ago.

Never seen any houses in my trips down the trails. Just some mud holes deep enough to swallow a house. It's been about 8 years since was through there

There was a house, two barns, and two sheds when I used to take people out there back in the 90s. One barn was collapsed and the rest of the buildings were starting to fall down. It was a creepy place, all sorts of graffiti on the buildings.

As well as comments from the ThumperTalk dirtbike forum:

Whats the story with it, I am pretty sure most of the 'trails' are actually beat up forest roads

I've gone out there a couple times now and its pretty fun, I am still on the 17" wheels with slicks 👍 and I havent gotten stuck yet.

My dad literally lives a mile down the street from it!!! It's not like super long or anything enough to spend a day riding around we ride quads and dirtbikes over there all the time. Also a bunch of oil field dirt tracks out there.

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Missing in the End of the World Wilderness

The End of the World played a part in a missing person case centered around Mount Pleasant. Augustine Floyd, a resident of the Traverse City area came to CMU to see a concert in October of 2007. He never returned home to Suttons Bay. The Morning Sun reports,

a multi-jurisdictional task force of tribal, local, county, state and federal law enforcement officers descended on a remote section of Isabella County known to locals as 'The End of the World.' They searched the thickly-forested two-tracks...

'We (were) all down there, looking through the woods and driving through them. I drove at night time all through the woods that way,' said [Ford's grandmother Linda] Holt. 'We went out by that water to see if there (were) any car tracks out there.

The case has received extensive media coverage including America's Most Wanted. Recently the case was explored by the Unresolved Mysteries group on Reddit.

Where are the End of the World Trails?

You can find the End of the World trails and a dead end in Chippewa Road north from M-20 between Mount Pleasant and Midland just west of the Midland/Isabella County line. Chippewa Road passes River Road and curves on to Baseline. The trail system is north. The area is within Denver Township.

Google Maps shows a large wooded tract of land north of Baseline, south of Beal City Road, east of Loomis Road and west of Coleman Road. The South Branch of the Salt River and a few of its tributaries flow through the area.
Of course, always respect property rights and any no trespassing signs.

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