Michigan Karst Conservancy's Fiborn Quarry

Fiborn Quarry

I joined about 30 other folks at the Michigan Karst Conservancy’s annual pot luck for members and neighbors. “Karst” is the term which refers to a specific limestone terrain marked by sink holes, caves, disappearing and underground streams. In Michigan this is rare because most of the bedrock is buried below over a hundred feet of glacial deposits.


The “picnic,” held at the Karst clubhouse, included hot dogs, hamburgers, brats, corn on the cob, side dishes and about a dozen pies of all makes and models – Delicious! Present at the gathering were several old timers who used to live at Fiborn when it was still a town prior to the Great Depression. I spoke with a couple of the Fiborn natives, Mary and “Shoe”, who had some great stories about the town, and brought along copies of old photographs to share.

Down cut from stream at Fiborn

Fiborn quarry is about 7 miles from Birch Lodge and Karst Conservancy members used to stay here during their monthly trips/tours of the caves. They gave free guided tours at the gathering, and I learned that at other times members charge a modest fee to act as “spelunking” guides by appointment. A nice historical display is set up at the quarry adjacent to the former town site There are trails to hike around and across the property.

The Michigan Nature Association also stewards acreage adjacent the quarry. . Deb and I returned to the quarry to do a bit of exploration and take some photos. We thought we would just have a short visit, but found it a really interesting place. The nature trails traverse around and through varied habitats, from beech-maple forest, through conifer stands, and even a beaver active swamp. We especially enjoyed viewing the down- cut from the stream from the footbridge. The various pools and ponds in the quarry contrast with the more moon-like landscape of the last mining activities. We were fascinated with the sink-holes, watching the streams endlessly disappear.

Cave entrance at Fiborn

Our short visit turned into several hours well spent, and we plan to return to take a cave tour.