Our Traditions

Our traditions of Sporting, Exploring, and Relaxing

Not many organizations can lay claim to nearly 100 years of continuous operation, but the Hiawatha Sportsman’s Club can – and most of its first century is built on the legacy of families who go five or six generations deep in the history and traditions of the club.

Sporting

It all began with Sporting opportunities: Hunting and fishing over thousands of acres of rolling Upper Peninsula wilderness that entices members to put their everyday lives behind them and experience the outdoors. Early traditions that still exist include deer camps, fishing expeditions, duck hunting, ice fishing, and seeking the many varieties of fish, fowl and wildlife that inhabit the land.

Over time, family activities appeared to enhance the sporting nature of HSC and make this place attractive to young and old, hunter or not: evening campfires, swimming, golf, boating, foraging in the woods for berries and mushrooms, hiking, and picnics in places that hold special memories for generations of club members, pausing at the end of the day to watch the splendor of sunset and unfurling of a night sky full of brilliant stars.

Exploring

With 35,000 acres available, exploring opportunities are almost limitless and are guided only by the interests of the explorers. Sometimes it’s as simple as piling into the car for hours of rolling through the woods just to see what you might see, with stops at favorite lakes, streams, or fields to gather some blueberries.

A hike on established walking trails reveals scenic beauty never seen from a vehicle – and with fall’s brilliant changing of leaves, the view becomes spectacular. Those who hunt or fish can search out just the right place for the season, and then explore some more.

A different kind of exploring involves meeting fellow club members and learning their stories about how and when they discovered the Hiawatha Sportsman’s Club and how long they have been part of the place. Our traditions of offering guided hiking opportunities throughout the seasons is a great way to learn as well as meet other members with similar interests. And the museum is full of carefully catalogued history of this remarkable place for those who want to explore how HSC came to be.

Relaxing

Relaxing comes with the territory up here. Days full of fresh air, the utter quiet of the forests, still lakes and flowing streams, waves lapping the sandy beach on Lake Michigan, hikes through the woods, an afternoon of hunting armed with only a camera, the crackling of an evening campfire under a matchless starry sky all spell the antidote for whatever ails you.

Traditions for Generations

Along with traditions established and carried on by member families are those created by HSC groups: Thursday night potluck dinners at the Activities Building throughout the summer, Music Jams on Monday nights, springtime’s annual Millecoquins River cleanup day that winds up with a picnic on the banks of the river, guided hikes through areas of the property that are unknown to many, discovering and re-hiding painted rocks, scheduled trail maintenance days that offer a morning’s satisfying work and opportunities to make new friends, art club shows and workshops, the winter festival, annual corn roast, golf tournaments and league play, trap shooting, archery, and so much more activity to fill a day.

After only a visit or two, the traditions will begin almost without effort as you and your family take in all that the Hiawatha Sportsman’s Club has to offer and make it your own.