PLAN YOUR NEXT RIDE AT A HIGHER LATITUDE.
With over 1,500 miles of designated trails to blaze, there is always a great ride in reach of your favorite Dunegrass location.
Betsie Valley Trail
(formerly Ann Arbor Railroad) is a scenic 22-mile route from Frankfort through Elberta and Beulah to Thompsonville in Benzie County Michigan. This trail is excellent for bicycles and pedestrian use. Pets are permitted on most parts of the trail as long as they are on a leash, but are not permitted on the portion of the trail between Mollineaux Road and Beulah. Plan ahead and stop in at Beulah Dunegrass before you hit the trails.
Hungerford Recreation Area
A non-motorized area, over 6,500 acres of national forest system lands. The area provides opportunities for great mountain biking plus hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and horseback riding . There are two loops for mountain bikes, creating a 10-mile trail. The trail is marked with blue diamonds for the mountain bike trail with a bike symbol, look out for horseback riders as the trails cross. Riders will experience a range of scenery going through the heavily forested areas and into open fields and meadows to stop, take rest, take a puff and recharge.
The Dragon Trail
Dragon Trail at Hardy Dam is a premier adventure sports destination providing world-class mountain biking, hiking, and running experiences. The first 21.75 miles of trail are complete and open to the public while others are under development. All trail specifications use a full bench design to minimize water runoff and impact on the natural environment. Dragon Trail Has something for everyone, from hard core mountain bikers, beginners, and even those with physical challenges. Check out Dragon Trail’s website, this place is the real deal.
Cadillac Pathway
Just 10 minutes outside of Cadillac are 200 miles of multi-terrain trails for all types biking adventures year-around. Amazing fat-tire biking in the winter, challenging climbs and descents in any season. The pathway is also open to hiking and winter sports. Plenty of places to stop and explore, rest up and spark up if the mood strikes you.
North Country Trail – Marilla Trailhead
There are several trails in the forest open to mountain biking, including portions of the North Country National Scenic Trail which is 127 miles long. Many parts of the trails have a sandy base and/or topography, trails range from moderate to difficult, so while blazin’ the trails, you might find a place or two to stop and do some other blazin’!
Aspen Park
Ride your heart out right in Gaylord on one the six, mostly shaded trails ranging from half a mile to a five-mile single track. Keep an eye out for the herd of approximately 40 elk, yes, elk, that are maintained by the City of Gaylord. This park is one of the two places where you can mountain bike in Michigan and see elk.
The Shingle Mill Pathway
This is the other trail to spot the larger herd of elk, numbering around 500. Located in Vanderbilt, about nine miles north of Gaylord and offering five loops, from a short walk or ride to a more intensive day, the loops range from ¾ miles to 11 miles. Bikers and hikers share the path, so stay alert! There are also campsites along the route in case you overestimated your daily progress where you can just Dunegrass and chill.
North Central State Trail
Now here’s a real ambitious goal. This 61-mile trail runs from Gaylord to Mackinaw City. Pack a lunch and your Dunegrass and call it a road trip! The marked, flat trails will take you through Vanderbilt, Indian River and Cheboygan to name a few stops before ending up in Mackinaw City.
Big M Cross-Country and Mountain Bike Trail
Enjoy almost 40 miles of mountain biking trails located in a canopy of Manistee National Forests off of M-55 between Cadillac and Wellston. The trail offers a variety of terrain to challenge every biking and skiing experience level as you traverse up and down hills through the woods.
Magoon Creek Natural Area
Great for the outdoor enthusiast. Magoon Creek is a large natural recreation area with hiking and biking trails, and is a great spot for an afternoon picnic at the beach, as it’s generally fairly quiet. You can see the dunes to the south and Manistee North Pier Lighthouse to the north.
Manistee Non-Motorized Trail Park
Manistee Non-Motorized Trails Park is a City of Manistee Park that offers mountain bikers or fat-tire bikers a variety of boards, trials and obstacles that are great for the beginner/intermediate biker. This is a great place to spark a fatty and ride your fat tires.
Marquette Mountain Trails / NTN
The NTN North Trails include over 30 miles of non-motorized singletrack that follow the Dead River on the North side of the City of Marquette, easy – intermediate level trails are flowy, scenic, and fun for all abilities. In the summer you can find some rugged, rocky and rooty challenges on the WildCat and Pine Knob Trails.
The NTN South Trails include over 45 miles of non-motorized singletrack that wrap around the south portions of Marquette featuring waterfalls, big views, purpose built flow trails and techy lines. With some big free ride trails, the South Trails are the foundation of mountain biking in Marquette. North or South Trails, all part of the Higher Latitude.
Iron Ore Heritage Trail
This entire 47-mile trail is open to mountain bikers. The trail offers urban areas with paved trails through Ishpeming, Negaunee, and Marquette city limits. After some crushed aggregate, the trail is natural surface, ideal fat-tire riding for about 14 miles, featuring Lake Superior Shoreline, historic mining regions, wetlands and forested areas. This is a great 2-day ride for those looking for a Higher Latitude Adventure.
Marji Gesick
(June 9 -12, 2022) – This is no joke. This is not a leisurely or even a fun ride through the woods. It is a race that, by their own account, is meant to find your limits and destroy them. The categories include 15-Mile Bike or Run, through the 100-Mile Men’s Open, and a variety of soul-crushing races in between. Put on by the 906 Adventure Team, this non-profit organization gives back by providing programs benefiting kids to learn and connect to nature and the outdoors, and have provided funds to trail-builder organizations.
Vasa Single Track
Located on state forest land, the Vasa Pathway features a series of loops (3K, 5K, 10K, 25K) that offer users a variety of challenges from easy to difficult. Cross-country skiers, runners, hikers, mountain bikers, walkers, and naturalists enjoy the Vasa Pathway. The Vasa Pathway is maintained and groomed by TART Trails under an agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Grand Traverse County. It is the home of the North American Vasa cross-country ski race, and the annual Iceman Cometh mountain bike race uses a portion of the trail. Learn More →
Traverse Area Recreation Trail
The TART Trails network currently consists of multi-use trails in Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties as well as a cross-town bike route. Learn More →
Lost Lake Pathway
The Lost Lake Pathway is a multi-use trail that spans 6.5 miles. It passes three lakes and several bog areas. It is a popular trail for beginning mountain bikers. Pere Marquette State Forest, Interlochen, MI, 49643