M-137 is a state trunkline highway

Michigan Highway System

The Michigan State Trunkline Highway System is made up of all the highways designated as Interstates, U.S. Highways and State Highways in the US state of Michigan. The system is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation and comprises of trunklines in all 83 counties of Michigan on...

 in the US state of Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 that serves as a spur route to the Interlochen Center for the Arts

Interlochen Center for the Arts

Interlochen Center for the Arts is a privately owned, 1,200 acre arts education institution in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly 15 miles southwest of Traverse City...

 and Interlochen State Park

Interlochen State Park

Interlochen State Park is the State of Michigan's first officially recognized state park. Situated between two freshwater lakes , it is a popular camping destination. It was established by the Michigan Legislature in 1917; $60,000 was paid for the land...

. It starts at US Highway 31

U.S. Route 31

U.S. Route 31 is a long north–south highway connecting northern Michigan to southern Alabama, with its northern terminus at Interstate 75 near Mackinaw City, Michigan, and southern terminus at the combined U.S. Route 90 & U.S. Route 98 at Spanish Fort, Alabama...

 (US 31) in Grand Traverse County

Grand Traverse County, Michigan

-Air service:*Grand Traverse County is served by Cherry Capital Airport, which is located near Traverse City.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 77,654 people, 30,396 households, and 20,730 families residing in the county. The population density was 167 people per square mile . ...

 and terminates at the park 2.89 miles (4.651 km) away. Although M-137 is near the much longer M-37

M-37 (Michigan highway)

M-37 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The southern terminus is near the border between Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties at exit 92 of Interstate 94 southwest of Battle Creek. The northern terminus is at the Mission Point Light on Old Mission Point in Grand...

 designation, the two have never been related to one another. M-37 in the area was a section of M-42

M-42 (Michigan highway)

M-42 is a rural state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of the state. Along its route, M-42 begins in Manton and ends north of Lake City, some apart. The highway used to run much farther...

 at the time M-137 was designated.

Route description

M-137 starts at the Interlochen State Park south of the community of Interlochen

Interlochen, Michigan

Interlochen is a town in Northwest Lower Michigan. The town is noted for the internationally renowned Interlochen Center for the Arts.-History:...

. Farther south, the road is known as Grand Traverse County Road 137 (CR 137). It runs north, connecting the Interlochen Center for the Arts

Interlochen Center for the Arts

Interlochen Center for the Arts is a privately owned, 1,200 acre arts education institution in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly 15 miles southwest of Traverse City...

 and Interlochen State Park

Interlochen State Park

Interlochen State Park is the State of Michigan's first officially recognized state park. Situated between two freshwater lakes , it is a popular camping destination. It was established by the Michigan Legislature in 1917; $60,000 was paid for the land...

 and the with the rest of the state trunkline system at US 31 at Interlochen corners. The entire route is two-lane rural highway, winding through wooded terrain between Green and Duck lakes. The roadway continues north of US 31 as South Long Lake Road after the M-137 designation ends.

History

The early history of M-137 shows some confusion. Two new trunklines were added to the state system on December 2, 1929, one in the Upper Peninsula is initially shown on maps as M-137, one in the Lower Peninsula is not given a designation. The 1931 state official map shows that the UP routing in Schoolcraft County

Schoolcraft County, Michigan

-National protected areas:* Hiawatha National Forest * Seney National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 8,903 people, 3,606 households, and 2,498 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 people per square mile . There were 5,700 housing units...

 is given the M-99

M-99 (Michigan highway)

M-99 is a state highway in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs from the Ohio state border, where it connects to SR 15, north to Lansing where it terminates at a junction with I-496...

 designation and M-137 is applied as the connector route to the Interlochen State Park. This routing was extended on August 17, 1931 by 0.9 miles (1.4 km). The route was realigned and completed on March 6, 1956, moving M-137 off the campus of the Interlochen Center for the Arts.

Major intersections