Grayling, MI

Grayling is Crawford County’s seat and the only incorporated community in the county, set at a junction of I-75, U.S. 127, M-72, and M-93. The Au Sable River runs through town, and the city’s name recalls the fish that once filled the river before logging damaged its spawning grounds. Every July, Grayling sends off the 120-mile AuSable River Canoe Marathon, a race that has started here since 1947 and ends at Lake Huron. Camp Grayling, a Michigan National Guard training site nearby, adds another major piece to the local map, while Hartwick Pines State Park keeps the northern woods close at hand. Grayling is a county-seat town where fish, military training, and canoe racing share the same river.