Mountain Bike Trails in Michigan
- Michigan offers more than a thousand miles of mountain biking trails.mountain bike downhill image by Maxim Petrichuk from Fotolia.com
Mountain biking is an individual sport which requires core strength, balance and endurance. It consists of riding mountain bikes, designed for high performance in rough terrain, over off-road trails. The state of Michigan offers the mountain biking enthusiast more than 1,300 miles of trails ranging from easy to advanced. - The sandy trails at Wakely Lake in northern Michigan are a good workout for beginner bikers. The scenic trails consist of three loops that run 4 1/2, 5 and 7 miles around the lake.
Seven Lakes State Park in northwestern Michigan offers the beginner 7 miles of trails that wind between and along the various lakes. All trails are open to mountain biking with the exception of the Dickinson Nature Trail Loop.
Wakeley Lake Foot Travel Area
M-72 West
Huron-Mainstee National Forest
Grayling, MI 49738
800-937-8837
dnr.state.mi.us
Seven Lakes State Park
2220 Tinsman Rd.
Fenton, MI 48430
248-634-7271
michigantrailmaps.com/Oakland/7LakesSP/ - Intermediate bikers will enjoy the challenge of the single track trail at Ruby Campground, located 9 miles west of Port Huron. This 7-mile trail includes two water crossings and numerous steep climbs. Ruby is located on a privately-owned campground which charges about $2 to ride the trails.
A short but varied biking trail can be found at Olson Park, in an old gravel pit outside of Ann Arbor. You'll find a good mix to keep you challenged as an intermediate biker - hardpack, bluffs, logs for jumping, tight switchbacks and sand traps.
Ruby Campgrounds
770 Imlay City Rd.
Kenockee, MI 48006
810-324-2766
rubycampground.com
Olson Park / Northeast Park
1551 Dhu Varren Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-994-2780
a2gov.org - Yankee Springs State Recreation Area, in southwestern Michigan offers the enthusiast 12 miles of challenging trails. This is a wooded area, full of ravines, so trails include a variety of steep uphills and downhills with plenty of roots, logs and rocks.
The roller coaster hills on the 11 miles of trails at Pontiac Lake will give your legs and lungs a workout. This is one of the most popular trails in the Detroit metropolitan area due to its location just 38 miles from downtown Detroit. You can take a dip in Pontiac Lake after a day of sweaty fun on the off-road trails.
Yankee Springs State Recreation Area
2104 Gun Lake Rd.
Middleville, MI 49333
269-795-9081
dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails
Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area
7800 Gale Rd.
Wateford, MI 48327
248-666-1020
dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails/
