I take the wheel hesitantly, giving the acceleration pedal a gentle tap to determine the parameters of the machine’s electric power train. Though I’ve never driven a Polaris four-wheeler before, it’s quickly evident that this one is designed for beginners to operate easily. Soon I am cheerfully crushing twigs and splattering mud on a muggy June day in Ontonagon, Michigan. As my mental chatter clears, I realize I hear . . . nothing, except for the occasional snapped branch or another Ranger’s wheels whirring their way out of a muddy embankment.
Polaris received a $700,000 grant to develop an off-road trail charging network in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Polaris
Initially, the idea of piloting the Polaris Ranger XP (Extreme Performance) Kinetic over narrow, rocky paths varying 400 feet in elevation, the prospect of unseasonably muddy conditions, and the looming specter of rolling over—though highly unlikely—stirred my stomach. My career as an automotive reporter requires me to test thousands of vehicles, ranging from bare-bones mini cars to ultra-refined Rolls-Royces, but I had never tried one quite like this. (Still, the Ranger XP Kinetic is a luxury vehicle, with heated, enclosed cabins, powerful windshield wipers, and beefy, 29-inch all-terrain tires.)
The 60,000-acre Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park surrounding us encompasses a wealth of features: the Gogebic Range’s rushing waterfalls, Lake Superior’s pristine shoreline, and—along Michigan’s Pioneer Trail—EV charging stations, a perfect fit for the Polaris brand’s first fully electric, side-by-side off-roader.
“Remember,” Steve Hamilton, the owner of Hamilton’s North Coast Adventures, says to our group of off-road enthusiasts—suited up in helmets, goggles, and gloves—before we mount the all-terrain vehicle. “Keep it in all-wheel drive for most of the time. High gear is the primary operating gear. You’ll use it for higher speeds and flat ground. Low gear is for slow speeds, inclines, and wet or muddy conditions like today’s. Always make a full stop before shifting gears, and reduce your speed before cornering.”
This summer, the bearded, flannel-wearing Hamilton expanded his family’s North Coast Adventures’ offerings to include a range of guided tours using e-ORVs (electric off-road vehicles) for a quieter, more sustainable way of exploring the beauty of Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula’s most famous trail.
Carved into the Gogebic Range, the 24-mile Pioneer Trail has been earmarked as one of a handful of state trails built for off-road vehicles like snowmobiles and 4x4s. It weaves along a variety of terrain and elevation changes through heavy wooded areas of Ottawa National Forest. “The Pioneer Trail gives you that middle-of-nowhere feeling,” Hamilton says. “You can look to the south for 30-plus miles before you find terrain anywhere near that high.”
When the paved forest road gives way to natural terrain, the shining convoy of Rangers passes through miles of remote wilderness in awed silence. We are surrounded by lush forests, clear lakes, and endless rolling hills, punctuated with dramatic vistas that make it tough to focus on the task of driving.
The machine comes in three modes: Eco, Standard, and Sport, which limit the Ranger’s top speeds to 40 mph, 50 mph, and 55 mph, respectively. Eco mode helps conserve battery power, allowing more time between charges. Sport marshals the extra muscle needed to tackle muddy terrain and other high-horsepower demands. Overall, the mileage and electricity requirements vary depending upon the driving mode and the weather conditions. Hamilton’s typical tours last between four and nine hours, covering between 50 and 90 miles of trail. Although the Ranger can travel about 80 miles on a fully charged battery, groups usually stop to recharge three times during a full-day ride (or once on a half-day ride), allowing riders to dismount and experience the U.P. on foot.
The electric tour was made possible by a joint effort between Polaris and the State of Michigan. In June, the public-private partnership debuted the country’s first charging network for electric off-road vehicles, opening four stations to serve roughly 100 miles of wooded trails in time for the region’s peak off-roading season. I was cruising the country’s first off-road EV charging network, an early adopter of the quiet electric revolution underway in outdoor recreation.
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is home to 35,000 acres of old-growth forest.
Photo by NPF Photography/Shutterstock
Ontonagon County’s Porcupine Mountains is one of the state’s most idyllic spots to enjoy free-running streams and rivers, and the electric ORVs provide a way to explore on wheels, without disrupting the ecosystem. The $700,000 grant allowed the county to install charging stations in a particularly picturesque corner. The network stretches from Bergland Township, where you can access Lake Gogebic, to the unincorporated community of Greenland, where you can explore underground mines. The charging spots in between are located in the Village of Ontonagon on the shores of Lake Superior, and at White Pine, the inland home of Hamilton’s North Coast Adventures where most of the Ranger tours originate.
The stops are strategically located so that travelers can continue to enjoy the U.P. while the Ranger charges. They may walk from the Bergland station to Lake Gogebic, the largest inland lake in the Upper Peninsula. Or they may opt for a visit to the Adventure Mine Co. in Greenland, where visitors can don a hard hat and rappel down a mine shaft like a 19th-century copper miner. The mine operated from 1850 to 1920 and now hosts tours, educational workshops, and a gift shop selling authentic copper nuggets.
Our three-hour, abbreviated tour includes just one charge, at the station in Bergland. We park, plug in, and head across the street for lunch at Antonio’s Restaurant & Pizzeria, a popular stop along the route for pizza, oversize sandwiches, and ice cream. By the time we leave, the Rangers are nearly topped up again. We head east to pick up the North Country Trail, a far-ranging scenic trail popular with long-distance hikers. (It stretches across eight states, but Michigan boasts the bulk of it.) Here we cruise in silence beneath lush cover to our final stop: the spectacular scenic overlook where the Ontonagon River cascades over the Victoria Dam. The waterfall, roaring into the quiet with nary an engine idling, is the tour’s showstopper.
This is what Hamilton wants visitors to appreciate most: the region’s natural sound and beauty. Our trip provided a much gentler, more spiritual experience than a typical gas-powered utility terrain vehicle could deliver. According to Hamilton, “You check out and check into your environment in a way that really hasn’t been available before.”
Along with Michigan’s State officials, Hamilton is hoping to transform Ontonagon into a hub for innovation in outdoor recreation, which prevails in the area from May to October. But the most magical part of the calendar has yet to come. “Fall is the forest’s last big show as she dons the sharpest reds, oranges, and yellows,” he says. “The rain brings trailside waterfalls back to life, and the short hikes to overlooks reap the season’s greatest views.”
