Hard Luck

Michigan's ghost towns are copper and iron towns of the Upper Peninsula, plus lumber camps the pine barons abandoned.

Hard Luck is a ghost town in Gladwin County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Hard Luck is located within Grim Township in the Au Sable State Forest about 14 mi (23 km) northeast of Gladwin. The settlement was involved in the lumber trade. It had a station along the Michigan Central Railroad and contained its own post office briefly from April 24, 1904 until August 31, 1906.

The on-the-ground condition of Hard Luck is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Hard Luck is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times. The mapped point for Hard Luck is roughly 44.0717, -84.1931 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.