Ironton Ferry Webcam – Lake Charlevoix’s Historic Crossing

The Ironton Ferry Webcam looks east across the narrows of Lake Charlevoix’s South Arm from the Ironton landing, where Charlevoix County’s small cable ferry has carried cars from shore to shore for well over a century. The end of the slip sits at the lower left, a wooden dock runs out on the right, and the far bank is a line of hardwoods with lakeside houses and boat docks. When the ferry is tied up on this side, its deck, the cars aboard and the flag on its mast fill the foreground. Then it pulls away and crosses the frame to the Boyne City side. Two more cameras watch the ramps at each landing, so drivers can check the line before they set off.

About the Ironton Ferry

The ferry crosses the South Arm at Ironton, a small community in Eveline Township about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Charlevoix and roughly 14 kilometers (9 miles) from both East Jordan and Boyne City. The crossing is about 186 meters (610 feet) and takes around three minutes. Without it, getting from Ironton to the Boyne City side means driving all the way around the South Arm through East Jordan, at its southern tip. The county runs the service, and the present boat, also named Charlevoix, has worked the crossing since 1926. It carries up to four cars a trip, plus walkers and cyclists.

The crossing earned a place in Ripley’s Believe It or Not in 1936. Captain Sam Alexander, who ran the ferry from 1900 until his death in 1948, was credited with traveling 15,000 miles (about 24,000 kilometers) without ever being more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) from home. Ferry service at Ironton goes back to the late 19th century, and the 1926 boat marked 100 years on the crossing in 2026.

What the Ironton Ferry Cameras Show

The main view, which CharlevoixCam calls its FerryCam, faces roughly east, so on clear mornings the low sun sits almost straight ahead and the lens can fill with glare and rainbow flare. By midday the sun has swung to the south, and in the afternoon the light falls from behind the camera. The camera does not show the Charlevoix drawbridge, downtown Charlevoix or Lake Michigan, all of which are several miles away.

The Ironton Side tab looks inland from the top of the Ironton ramp: the yellow-edged ramp in the foreground, a gate arm across the road, a small white booth on the left, Ferry Road climbing away between the trees, and the pale blue walls of The Landing restaurant on the right. The Boyne Side tab does the same from the opposite ramp, with a Wait for Operator gate, a straight road running inland and the lake along its left edge. CharlevoixCam set these two up so drivers can see the traffic before they head to the ferry, and a line of cars on either road means a wait.

Weather and Climate at the Ironton Ferry

The nearest long-term weather station is at East Jordan, at the head of the South Arm. Its 1991 to 2020 averages put July highs around 28 C (83 F) with nights near 13 C (55 F). Spring warms slowly: April afternoons average about 13 C (56 F) while nights still hover near freezing at -0.4 C (31 F). October brings highs near 16 C (60 F) and lows around 4 C (38 F), the month when the hardwoods around both landings turn yellow and red.

Winter is long and snowy. January highs average about -1 C (30 F) and lows about -9 C (15 F), and East Jordan records around 310 centimeters (122 inches) of snow a year, out of roughly 834 millimeters (33 inches) of total precipitation. The ferry does not run in winter, so from late November until spring the main camera shows an idle slip, a bare far shore and, in cold spells, ice on the lake.

Things to Do Near the Ironton Ferry

The Landing sits right beside the Ironton ramp, close enough to watch the boat load from a waterfront table. Charlevoix, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north, has the Earl Young mushroom houses, low stone cottages built from glacial boulders with curving rooflines and wavy eaves, plus the drawbridge over the Pine River Channel and the red South Pier lighthouse at the channel mouth. Fisherman’s Island State Park, south of town, is a long run of quiet Lake Michigan beaches, and Castle Farms, a stone model dairy farm that Sears executive Albert Loeb built in 1918 in the style of Normandy barns, is now a garden and event estate.

To the east, Young State Park lies on Lake Charlevoix near Boyne City, and Boyne Mountain, home of the Avalanche Bay indoor waterpark, is a short drive beyond. To the south, East Jordan sits where the Jordan River flows into the South Arm.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

The drawbridge in Charlevoix, the island ferries that sail from it, and another short ferry crossing in New Brunswick:

• Charlevoix Webcam
• Beaver Island Webcam
• Kingston Peninsula Ferry Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you see on the Ironton Ferry Webcam?

The main view looks east across the narrows from the Ironton landing, with the slip in the foreground, the wooded far shore across the water and the ferry Charlevoix crossing back and forth. Two extra tabs show the ramps and approach roads on the Ironton and Boyne City sides, where waiting cars line up.

Where is the Ironton Ferry located?

At Ironton, in Charlevoix County in northern Michigan, where the ferry crosses a narrow point on the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix. The landing is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Charlevoix and roughly 14 kilometers (9 miles) from Boyne City and East Jordan.

Does the Ironton Ferry Webcam show the Charlevoix bridge?

No. The drawbridge over the Pine River Channel is in downtown Charlevoix, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) to the north. CharlevoixCam covers it with a separate camera, and it has its own webcam page on this site.

What are the Ironton Ferry hours?

During its season the ferry runs daily from 6:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m., according to Visit Charlevoix. The season starts in spring and runs until the day before Thanksgiving.

Does the Ironton Ferry run in winter?

No. It is a seasonal service and stops for the winter in late November. The camera keeps streaming year round, so through the winter it shows the quiet landing, snow on the far shore and sometimes ice on the lake.

What is the weather like at the Ironton Ferry?

Summers are warm, with July highs around 28 C (83 F), and winters are cold and snowy, with January highs near -1 C (30 F) and about 310 centimeters (122 inches) of snow a year at nearby East Jordan.

Is there a restaurant at the Ironton Ferry?

Yes. The Landing, a waterfront restaurant and bar, stands right beside the ferry on the Ironton side. Its pale blue building and round sign are on the right of the Ironton Side camera.

Source: CharlevoixCam