Alligator Hill Charcoal Kilns

These are a row of concrete charcoal kilns at the start of the Alligator Hill Trail, the first point of interest from the Stocking Road trailhead. I’d stop for a look if the area’s logging history appeals; the farther overlooks are a separate, longer walk. The trailhead has parking and a vault toilet but no water, so fill up before hiking. From December 1 through March 31, Alligator Hill is a cross-country ski trail, and pets aren’t allowed on it in winter.

Lumberman Pierce Stocking installed the kilns after buying the land in 1948. His sawmill’s leftovers became charcoal, which was bagged and sold around Michigan to campers and picnickers. The row is a small reminder that the forest here once supplied a working lumber operation, not just a trail.

Workers packed the ovens with wood and sawmill waste, then sealed each opening with concrete blocks after lighting it. Airflow had to be controlled: too much consumed the wood, while too little put the fire out. A successful load smoldered for several days before the charcoal was cooled and taken to a bagging shack.

The sawdust pile from Stocking’s mill is still visible across the road, an easy detail to miss if you look only at the kilns. Before Stocking’s operation, this land was part of D. H. Day’s managed forest. Day protected smaller trees for later harvest; Stocking selectively cut mature growth. When those trees were gone, the mill closed and the kilns were abandoned.

The kiln row is the quick stop; Alligator Hill’s views take a longer walk. The first Islands Lookout is about 1.5 miles along the trail from the Stocking Road trailhead, through beech-maple forest. On a clear day, you may see the North and South Manitou Islands and Sleeping Bear Point, sometimes South Fox Island or a freighter in Manitou Passage.

For a photo, step back far enough to fit several kiln fronts and include one of their brick-lined openings. That repeating row of square mouths is what makes these old ovens recognizable.