Bessemer, MI, 49931

## Overview Tucked into the small city of Bessemer in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, this public drinking spring sits at the corner of 1st Avenue and Spring Street — a location whose street name hints at the spring's long-standing presence in the community. The spring delivers a constant flow of water through a steel pipe into a concrete-bed spillway, providing a reliable and accessible source of natural spring water year-round. Situated just below an old railroad trestle, the spring carries a quiet charm that reflects Bessemer's iron-mining heritage and the rugged character of Gogebic County. Bessemer, founded during the iron boom of the 1880s and named after the Bessemer steelmaking process, has deep ties to the natural resources of the western Upper Peninsula. Springs like this one have historically served as important community water sources in the region. Visitors have reported the water to be clean and refreshing, though no official water quality data is currently available for this spring. ## Directions 1. From **US-2** in Bessemer, turn south onto **Moore Street**. 2. Follow Moore Street south for approximately 5 blocks. 3. Turn onto **1st Avenue**. 4. Continue to the intersection of **1st Avenue and Spring Street**. 5. The spring is located at this corner, just below an **old railroad trestle**. You'll see the steel pipe and concrete spillway. **GPS Coordinates:** 46.476658, -90.055335 ## What to Expect The spring is easy to access and located within the town of Bessemer, so no hiking or off-road driving is required. Water flows continuously from a steel pipe into a concrete-bed spillway, making it simple to fill bottles or jugs. The constant flow suggests a healthy, well-fed aquifer. The setting beneath the old railroad trestle gives the spring a distinctive, slightly industrial-historic feel that's characteristic of Upper Peninsula mining towns. The surrounding area is residential and quiet. The spring is publicly accessible and appears to be a well-known local fixture. Bessemer sits at the heart of some of Michigan's best outdoor recreation, including the Big Powderhorn and Blackjack ski areas, the Ottawa National Forest, and numerous lakes and rivers. A stop at this spring pairs well with any trip through the western U.P. Winters in this area are long and snowy, so visitors during colder months should be prepared for icy conditions around the spillway.