Two Hearted River

Two Hearted River
River mouth at Lake Superior
Map of the Two Hearted River watershed
Location within the state of Michigan
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Luce County, Michigan
• coordinates	46°35′29″N85°37′48″W / 46.59139°N 85.63000°W / 46.59139; -85.63000 [1]
Mouth
• location	Lake Superior
• coordinates	46°42′07″N85°24′44″W / 46.70194°N 85.41222°W / 46.70194; -85.41222
Length	23.6 mi (38.0 km)

Life Saving Station
Location	Mouth of the Two Hearted River McMillan Township, Michigan
Coordinates	46°41′56″N85°25′18″W / 46.69889°N 85.42167°W / 46.69889; -85.42167
Built	1876
Demolished	1944
Michigan State Historic Site
Designated	December 12, 1979

The North Country Trail crossing a bridge near the mouth of the Two Hearted River

The Two Hearted River is a river in the eastern Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located entirely within McMillan Township in Luce County.

The river runs approximately 23.6 miles (38.0 km) through forested wilderness, ^[2] and drains into Lake Superior. It rises in several short branches in northeastern Luce County, about 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Grand Marais. The north and west branches meet approximately 8 miles (13 km) south-southeast of Muskallonge Lake State Park. The main branch flows generally northeast, approaching Lake Superior at a sharp angle. It enters the lake approximately 10 miles (16 km) east of Deer Park.

The Little Two Hearted River has its river mouth about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the east of Two Hearted River. The North Country Trail crosses near the mouth of the Two Hearted River along Lake Superior.

History

A Michigan Historic Marker commemorates the Two-Hearted Life-Saving Station built in 1876 at the river mouth. It was a simple two-story building with a small lookout tower manned by six to eight volunteer surfmen who conducted rescues of the Satellite (1879) and the Phineas S. Marsh (1896). The station, along with the rest of the United States Life-Saving Service, was integrated into the U.S. Coast Guard in 1915, decommissioned in the 1930s, and its structures were razed in 1944. ^{[3] [4]}

Popular culture

• American author Ernest Hemingway wrote a two-part short story titled "Big Two-Hearted River" which details a fly fishing trip taken by Nick Adams. ^[5]
• Bell's Brewery, a craft brewery based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, brews an India Pale Ale called Two Hearted Ale, with a graphic that features the river. ^[6]

See also

• List of lifesaving stations in Michigan
• Little Two Hearted River

References

1. "Two Hearted River". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
2. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed January 3, 2012
3. Michigan’s Historic Sites Online. “Two-Hearted River Life-Saving Station Informational Site”. Retrieved on 2008-10-26.
4. U.S. Coast Guard Lifesaving Stations. Two Heart River. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
5. "Hemingway's Tragic Fisherman". www.nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 2001-02-15. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
6. Liberty, John (June 30, 2011). "Bell's Brewery Inc.'s Two Hearted Ale named second best beer in the country, Founders ties at No. 3". MLive.com . Retrieved November 29, 2013.

External links

• U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue Index