The community grew around the sawmill and also became a dairy producing area, as well as including its own school, hotel, saloon, and other businesses.

In 1906, the Hudson Lumber Company began operating a steam-powered sawmill and electric plant near the railway in order to harvest the area's vast supply of hemlock trees.

With a lack of highways and amenities, Garnet never benefited from the tourism boom that followed World War II.

[9][10] There is still a small population of residents living in Garnet, but by some accounts, it can be considered a ghost town.

[7] Garnet is centrally located within Hudson Township in Mackinac County in the state's Upper Peninsula.

[1] U.S. Route 2 runs along the northern shores of Lake Michigan about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) to the south.

Other smaller communities nearby include Naubinway to the southwest, Epoufette to the southeast, and Millecoquins and Engadine to the west.