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Stephan Bridge

The first Au Sable River crossing east of Grayling is Stephan Bridge at 11.2 miles. The next is Wakeley Bridge, 4.6 miles (and ninety minutes) downriver. Each year during the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon, the bridge and surrounding banks become a gallery of spectators cheering as the racers pass just before 10:00pm. For safety, the county road department closes the bridge to vehicles the evening of the race.

River access
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources maintains the Stephan Bridge Public Access Site for the main branch of the Au Sable River on the south bank ¼ mile east of Stephan Bridge in Grayling Township. It is located at the dead end of a dirt access road off Stephan Bridge Road, 6 miles east of Grayling. The landing is the most popular destination for day canoe trips originating in Grayling because the average paddling time is four hours for the six-mile trip. The site has primitive restrooms and no running water.

Holy waters
The nine-mile section of the Au Sable River main branch from Burtons Landing to Wakeley Bridge is called the Holy Waters due to the abundance of trout, regulation year-round as catch and release and limited to fly fishing only (no live bait). The river flows through scenic woodlands where the diverse ecosystem supports dozens of species of birds and other wildlife including deer, rabbit, muskrat, otter, mink, fox, squirrel and turtle.

Lodge
Located on the south bank east of the bridge, Gates Au Sable Lodge has been a local landmark for more than 50 years catering to fly fishing. Their restaurant and Fly Shop is open to the public and the "Board Room" was constructed as a location for Anglers of the Au Sable to hold their meetings. The Au Sable River Property Owners Alliance also uses Gates for their annual membership meeting. Professional fly fishermen offer instruction and guided fishing trips on all branches of the Au Sable and Manistee Rivers using the unique Au Sable riverboats, McKenzie-style drift boats and wading trips. A daily fishing report is produced for their guests that includes the current insect hatch status.

1990
The Stephen Bridge Road Fire of 1990 was a significant event in Northern Michigan and was reported in the national news. On a snowy day in March 1990, a homeowner was preparing to burn large brush piles from a section of land he recently cleared. He obtained a burn permit before setting the fire and monitoring it. The large piles smoked and smoldered for a couple of weeks before the file seemed to burn out. No problems. One month later, the fire rekindled, burned for a day, then appeared to go out again. Three weeks passed, and a property owner nearby noticed the pile burning, and less than 20 minutes later had spread to the neighboring woodland. An investigation determined that the fire had been continuously burning at the base of the pile from the middle of March until May 8. On that day, a strong wind brought fresh air and the fire took off. Crews contained the fire in less than two days. But, by the time it was all said and done – almost seven weeks after the first flame was sparked 5,916 acres along 8 miles had burned, $5.5 million in property including 76 homes, 125 other buildings, 37 vehicles & boats and $700,000 in timber had been destroyed.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) produced a case study in 1991 titled, "1990 Stephan Bridge Road Fire, northern Lower Michigan".

2020
A forest fire in May 2020 engulfed over 100 acres of privately owned Jack pines and destroyed two buildings before being contained. Crawford County Sheriff deputies and Michigan State Police evacuated 75 families before the fire was controlled within 120 acres by Grayling Fire Department, DNR fire division and four US Forest Service Air Tanker units. Arson was not suspected.

Stephan
The road and bridge were named after Peter William Stephan who emigrated from France in 1879s with his wife and seven children. They settled on the Au Sable river and son Daniel was born there in 1880. Peter worked in 1884 as a machinist in Bay City. Peter's sons John, Henry and George hunted, fished and became expert river guides as did Henry's son Henry, Junior and John's sons Norval and Lacey. George and his wife Matilda owned a well-known fishing resort on the river. Other Stephan family members became property caretakers for wealthy absentee owners who summered in Grayling. Peter's wife Helene died in 1906 and Peter passed in 1920. Over the years, most of the family settled elsewhere, but there is a Stephan family cemetery west of Stephan Bridge Road, south of the river with 15-20 family graves.