Center Furnace is a short walk with a long story. The 0.3-mile interpretive trail leads past evidence of the iron industry that reshaped this part of the peninsula. If your day only allows one small history stop near Nature Watch, this is easier to fit than a lake loop.
Distance: 0.3 mile
Allow: about 30 minutes with the signs
Use: foot traffic only
Terrain: mostly gentle, with some stairs; not a fully accessible trail
Finding the right start
Center Furnace appears on the official Nature Station trail map alongside Hematite, Honker and Long Creek. Use the marked furnace trail access and parking shown there. It is a separate stop; do not treat the Hematite Lake picnic area as the trailhead simply because the two sites appear on the same map.
What you will see
The short path and interpretation explain how the former furnace community worked and how iron production changed the surrounding land. Slow down at the signs rather than measuring this walk only by its mileage. Historic remains are part of the place, not souvenirs: leave bricks, slag and other artifacts where you find them.
The path has stairs, so choose Long Creek’s paved trail if step-free walking is essential. For a longer Nature Watch outing, add Hematite Lake or a visit to Woodlands Nature Station, checking driving directions between stops.
Download the official Nature Station trails map (PDF) · Check current Forest Service alerts · Compare LBL hikes