Mountain Biking Michigan

Mountain Biking Michigan
by Erin Fanning and Keith Radwanski
2002

This book, part of the Falcon Guide series, describes 67 mountain bike destinations throughout the state of Michigan. The rides are grouped by region: Southeastern Michigan, Southwestern Michigan, Northwestern Michigan, Eastern Upper Peninsula, Western Upper Peninsula. Each trail is introduced with a list of its distance, difficulty, hilliness, and access, followed by a a brief description and trail map. Many trails are illustrated with black & white photos.


Mountain Bike Trails in Southwestern Michigan

1. Fort Custer Recreation Area
16.8 mile loop
"offering a rainbow of loops, this well-organized and popular 16-mile multiple use trail system offers something for everyone."
2.5 miles from Augusta

2. Yankee Spring Recreation Area
13.1 mile loop
"Bopping in and out of trees and rolling along a picturesque ridgeline, this fun adn fast mountain-bike-only trail cruises among the tall red pines and past the Devil's Soup Bowl, a sunken area surrounded by thick trees."
4.5 miles south of Middleville.

3. TK Lawless Singletrack
10.4 mile loop
"Popular county park holds a wallop of a fun trail with whoop-de-doos and tight, twisted singletrack."
4.5 miles southeast of Vandalia

4. Bass River Recreation Area
5.4 mile loop
"Twisting continuously, this tight, mostly flat trail system was designed by mountain bikers for mountain bikers."
18.6 miles south of Grand Haven

5. Cannonsburg Ski Area Singletrack
3.7 mile loop
"Cannonsburg offers panoramic views, which come at the end of the rout. A fast, plunging downhill ends the ride with an exclamation point."
10 miles northeast of Grand Rapids

6. North Country Trail: Michigan 20 to South Nichols Lake
35.6 mile loop
"Combine buffed singletrack and fast, twisting downhills with the natural beauty of the North Country Trail and you have the perfect mountain biking mixture."
2.75 miles west of White Cloud

7. Hungerford Lake Mountain Bike Trail
7 mile loop
"Fast downhills on tight mountain bike-only singletrack."
7 miles west of Big Rapids

8. Ionia Recreation Area
7.9 mile loop
"boulder-strewn area unlike any other Michigan ride."
3.1 miles west of South Ionia

9. Jailhouse Trail [McNabb Park]
3.9 mile loop
"Located practically in downtown Ithaca, a small farming community, the Jailhouse Trail shares its space with the fairgrounds, giving it a folksy feeling."
Ithaca

10. Deerfield County Park
5.7 mile loop
"Tranquil river setting with suspension bridges, a covered bridge, and a rolling ridge."
6.6 miles west of Mt Pleasant

11. Sleepy Hollow State Park
10.9 mile loop
"It is an excellent trail for beginners looking for a longer, virtually obstacle-free, mostly singletrack ride."
12 miles southeast of St. Johns

12. Burchfield Park Singletrack
5.9 mile loop
"Challenging obstacle-strewn singletrack; perfect for bike control practice."
5 miles south of Lansing

13. Ella Sharp Singletrack
13.2 mile loop
"Connected by paved roads, the ride consists of thirteen different trails for all skill levels in a pretty urban park."
Jackson