This trek begins at Iargo Springs. To view the springs requires to desced a 300-step stairway to the Au Sable River. At the bottom of the bluff a quarter mile of boardwalk winds through towering cedars to eight observation decks; half of them perched above the gurgling springs, the rest overlooking the Au Sable.

From the Iargo Springs parking lot, Highbanks Trail heads east where it follows the edge of the bluffs briefly, skirts a gully, and then merges into the powerline corridor. You follow this man-made intrusion for a quarter mile until you come to another panorama of the river at Mile 0.8 (including descending to the springs), at which point blue diamonds mark where the trail and electrical lines part company.

The trail continues to hug the forested edge of the banks for another mile, providing you glimpses of the Au Sable River valley between the trees. You break out in the parking lot for Canoer’s Monument at Mile 2.2. The stone monument, topped by a pair of giant paddles, was originally built as a memorial to Jerry Curley, who died training for the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon. Today it stands in honor of all racers who attempt the annual 150-mile event from Grayling to Oscoda, often cited as the toughest canoe race in the country.  

Beyond the monument, Highbanks Trail again skirts the powerlines for a half mile through a terrain that is very sandy and rolling. Eventually the trail swings north to return to the edge of the bluff and at Mile 3 you arrive at one of the best overviews of the AuSable River in the first half of the hike. Standing from the edge of a high bluff, you gaze down at the Cooke Dam Pond, a simply spectacular sight in the fall.

You stay close to the edge for the next half mile and then breakout again at the powerlines before passing underneath them. The final half mile is a level stroll through a red pine plantation before arriving at Lumberman’s Monument at Mile 4.

The monument itself is a 14-foot bronze statue of a timber cruiser with his compass, a sawyer with his cross-cut saw and a river rat using a peavey to turn a log. The adjacent outdoor exhibit area features replicas of a rollway and logjam while a hands-on peavey display lets you try your skill at being a river rat turning a log. 

Nearby are observation decks along the edge of the bluffs and a stairway that descends 260 steps to the shores of the Au Sable. Tied up at the bottom of the stairs is a replica of a wanigan; the cook's raft that followed the log drives and kept the river rats well fed.