As you probably guessed, Driftwood Shores was named for the driftwood that washes up on the beach. Most of our guests take a piece or two home as a souvenir. Artisans from across the country visit here every year and stock up on driftwood for carving or painting. And much of it goes to the romantic campfires that dot the lakeshore on starry summer evenings. Not all Lake Michigan beaches are endowed with the quantity or quality of the driftwood found here at the shores. In the 1880’s, a sawmill was built in Thompson. The site was the current DNR property that borders Driftwood Shores to the north. The mill was closed in the 1930’s. The mill facilities included a tramway that extended some distance out into Lake Michigan. In fact, a few remaining pilings can still be seen at the old tramway’s head just north of the mouth of Thompson Creek. The tramway allowed large ships to load lumber from the mill without entering the shallow water of Thompson Harbor. Slabwood and sawdust (mill waste products) were hauled out the tramway and dumped into the lake. Hence, our private supply of driftwood. Though worn away by sand and stone, the wood is remarkably preserved by the cold Lake Michigan water. A trip down the beach is like a walk through a Rorschach Test; try it next time you’re here. See if you can find a piece that looks like a fish, or an eagle, or who knows? Santa Claus?