An Old West Town Hidden in the Wilderness: Coopersville, Michigan

The Michigan ”town” of Coopersville in Montmorency County is not to be confused with the other Coopersville in Ottawa County.

No, sir. This Coopersville is not an incorporated town or village, but is more like an amusement park...but with no rides. It's an old-time western town, smack in the Michigan wilderness for all to come visit. There's not another town around; its address is listed as Lewiston, but it's actually 16 miles south of that town hidden down a dirt road. This little-known tourist attraction survived the shutdowns of the past few years and still welcomes visitors.

Spike Cooper was the man responsible for Coopersville. He was a huge fan of western movies, especially John Wayne films. So he built himself his own wild west town, complete with a bank, boarding house, Boot Hill cemetery, brothel, feed & grain store, gallows, general store, gun shop, jail, livery stable, saloon, sheriff's office, trading post, and undertaker, along with a few other little western-style shops.

Get our free mobile app

You will not find this Coopersville on a map, since it's not a real town...but Google Maps does have it listed when you search. The address is listed as 1860 Fire Tower Road, (sixteen miles south of) Lewiston. If you go there in an attempt to interview the man himself, Spike Cooper, you're out of luck – he passed away in 2020.

It's a seldom-advertised roadside stop that deserves to be checked out by all...the more visitors, the more likely it will stay open for more to enjoy. Now take a look at some photos of Coopersville, taken during winter when it was closed...