My wife and I recently returned from our first vacation to Northern Michigan. We took our e-bikes with us and got to experience some of the amazing bike trails in this charming summer resort area.
It’s hard to beat cycling in Northern Michigan in the summertime. Pleasant temperatures, exceptional outdoor recreational amenities, attractive lakefront towns, and an outstanding trail network make Northern Michigan a true paradise for summer cyclists.
Even though this region of Michigan is known as a popular summer vacation haven, enjoying the area’s trails isn’t limited to the summer months. The fall months bring outstanding autumn color on Northern Michigan’s trails, along with harvest time and festivals in the communities. In the winter months, Northern Michigan’s trails are opened up to snowmobiles.
The State of Michigan has plenty of bragging rights when it comes to its well-developed network of bike (multi-use) trails. Nearly 10 percent of all the rails-to-trails in the United States are in Michigan. With 2,488 miles of rail trails ideal for biking, Michigan has more miles of rail trails than any other state, according to the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy.
You can find excellent bike trails to ride throughout Michigan, but for the overall experience and the broad diversity of trails to choose from, Northern Michigan is an excellent choice.
Michigan and e-bikes
As an e-bike enthusiast, I was apprehensive at first about this trip after learning that the state only allows Class 1 (no throttle) electric bikes on its trails, unless a local jurisdiction rules otherwise. I ride a Class 2 e-bike. I’m pleased to say that after riding multiple trails there, not once was I questioned by anyone. I’ve heard from numerous other e-bikers who had the same experience.
I’m not a fan of banning classes of e-bikes from trails. To me, it’s a misguided effort. For e-bike riders, however, the good news is that enforcement is rare. The secret seems to be to respect trail speed limits, slow down in congested areas among other cyclists and pedestrians, and practice good trail etiquette. I only use my throttle for starting and occasionally for passing slower traffic or crossing intersections, so I don’t draw undue attention to the fact that I have one.
To be safe, it is wise to know how to disable your throttle, in case you are stopped. Many e-bikes allow you to do this through the controller’s settings, while with others the easier method is to simply disconnect the throttle’s cable.
Interestingly, I passed a Pedego Electric Bikes dealer in Petoskey along the first trail described below. To my knowledge, all of Pedego’s e-bikes have throttles. This is further evidence that sensible and courteous e-bike riders have little to fear from the state’s e-bike regulations.
Little Traverse Wheelway
Our summer-vacation destination was the lakefront town of Petoskey. It is located midway along Little Traverse Bay, off Lake Michigan, on the northwest coast of Michigan. We found lodging with easy access to Little Traverse Wheelway, which hugs the shoreline and offers spectacular views of the bay.
Little Traverse Wheelway is one of the most popular trails in all of Michigan. It’s easy to see why. In addition to the views of the bay that on a clear day are as blue as the Caribbean Sea, this 26-mile trail connects summer resort towns including Harbor Springs, Petoskey, and Charlevoix. Each town has its own charm, with miles of stately old homes looking over the bay and plenty of interesting shops and restaurants to explore.
This trail has an interesting history. The term “Wheelway” comes from the period between the 1890s and 1910s, when a “wheelway” or bike path was first built along a portion of the bay. While we may think of bike paths as something relatively new, a number of cities had bike trails (“wheelways”) during the boom in cycling that occurred more than a century ago. Unfortunately, the introduction of automobiles cut short the heyday of cycling. Wheelways, including the Little Traverse Wheelway, were mostly abandoned as interest in cycling waned.
Want to learn more about the history of cycling, including the history of electric bikes, see Chapter 3 of my new book, “E-Bikes: Putting the FUN Back into Cycling (and Life) at Any Age.”
If you plan to ride the full length of the Wheelway, be aware that one small section is closed. Erosion from high water damaged a portion of the trail between Magnus Park and East Park, west of Petoskey. While some cyclists have found alternatives, officials advise to avoid detours due to traffic and simply skip over this section of trail.
Fun Diversions from the Wheelway
In addition to the main trail, there are appealing side routes to allure you. These include the 1.1 mile Bear River Trail that connects with the Little Traverse Wheelway and takes you through a natural area including the Bear River rapids.
The Little Traverse Wheelway goes through Petoskey’s beautiful Bayfront Park (definitely worth a visit and a great “photo op” spot) and includes a tunnel which connects you to the city’s downtown. A small spur trail cuts through downtown. When I rode through the tunnel and into downtown, however, I found no directional signage for the trail and was lost. Not wanting to venture into city traffic, I retreated back through the tunnel to the main trail.
If you ride a lot of trails like I try to do, it’s a common experience to find trails where signage is inadequate. While overall Michigan’s trail network is excellent and its trails are in good shape, I did notice that several of the trails I rode in Michigan could benefit from more and better directional signage.
Another interesting diversion off the Wheelway trail is on the ride from Petoskey toward Harbor Springs. This alternate route proved to be one of my favorite Michigan rides. Rather than continuing to follow the Wheelway, which parallels (very close at times) the busy M-119 Highway, you can turn left onto Beach Road just past Petoskey State Park. Beach Road is a relatively low-traffic street that more closely hugs the bay. It passes through several nature preserves and through the elegant summer estates in Wequetonsing.
Stay on Beach Road and you will arrive in the heart of Harbor Springs. This bayside town is postcard perfect, a real charmer. Here you can find ice cream shops, upscale dining, marinas, and a family-friendly park with a nice beach. This alternative path is quieter and more scenic than staying on the Wheelway. At the same time, be aware that this is a road shared with motorists, not a bike path. Regardless, I felt perfectly safe riding on this route. Speed limits are low, traffic is not heavy, and locals seem accustomed to sharing this road with cyclists.
One final diversion, time permitting, is to cycle into Petoskey State Park. While motorists must pay to enter the park, bicyclists are allowed access for free. Simply follow the sign and ride to the right of the guard shack. This large park has several miles of roads weaving through the heavily wooded landscape, but the highlight is its sandy beach, one of the more popular ones in the area. If you want to enjoy the sun or just people watch, take a break from your bike riding and enjoy the beach at Petoskey State Park.
North Western State Trail
It sometimes seems that you can go almost anywhere by bike in Northern Michigan. An example of this is the North Western State Trail. It starts across the street from the Little Traverse Wheelway in Petoskey (start at Spring Lake Park) and takes you 32 miles to Mackinaw City, at the northern tip of Lower Michigan where two Great Lakes (Michigan and Huron) meet.
This mostly rural trail offers a nice contrast to the scenic-but-busy Little Traverse Wheelway. While many sections are still close enough to Highway 31 to hear and see motorists, the trail offers plenty of shade and has a more serene feel to it than the Wheelway trail described above. If you are more of a fitness and endurance cyclist, you can travel at a higher average speed, with fewer stops, on this trail compared with the Wheelway.
Only the first seven miles are paved, from Petoskey to Alanson. The rest of the trail is crushed limestone, which still offers a smooth enough surface for most e-bikes. Like other Michigan trails I sampled, this one seemed clean and well maintained.
Alanson and Pellston make good pit stops when riding this trail. You will find restaurants, convenience stores, and lodging in both towns.
The North Western State Trail passes through a region that includes Michigan’s inland waterway. If you are a fishing enthusiast, you may want to stop at the Oden State Fish Hatchery Visitor Center, located off the trail between Petoskey and Alanson.
Cycling on Mackinac Island
No cycling-focused trip to Northern Michigan would be complete without spending time on Mackinac Island, located between the lower and upper Michigan peninsulas. What makes this island of special interest to bicyclists is that it is car free. That’s right, NO cars, motorcycles, or trucks are allowed. As a result, bicyclists are a dominant form of transportation here for residents and visitors alike. Horse-draw carriages are also popular with tourists.
Visiting Mackinac Island gives a rare glimpse into how quiet and peaceful a town can be when cars are banned. No honking horns, no street lights, no loud traffic sounds. The island has more than 70 miles of roads that cyclists are free to explore, but the most popular route for tourists is the scenic Lake Shore Trail, also referred to as “the loop.” This eight-mile-long paved trail (Highway M-185) follows the island’s perimeter, offering spectacular water views of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The trail is mostly flat and provides numerous opportunities for pulling off for a lakeside picnic lunch, sunbathing, or swimming. Mackinac Island State Park, the state’s oldest, is also accessible along this trail.
Cycling the Mackinac Island Lake Shore Trail is one of the more enjoyable bike trail rides I can remember. The views are awesome and it’s so nice having zero worries about cars and trucks.
Now for the bad news: You can’t bring your electric bike onto Mackinac Island, unless you have a valid written medical excuse. Plenty of rental bikes are available, and since the perimeter road along the island is mostly flat, riding with a regular bike isn’t difficult.
Cycling gets more challenging when exploring the island’s interior roads. Some of these roads are quite hilly, including the long incline leading to the island’s iconic Grand Hotel. It would have been nice to have an e-bike’s pedal assist on these hills!
While tourists can’t bring e-bikes onto the island, it appears residents do, whether legal or not. I saw numerous e-bikes in operation, both by individuals and by small businesses running delivery services. I spoke to one resident who said she had her e-bike shipped to her home on the island. So far, the authorities seem to be tolerating residents with e-bikes.
Try to visit Mackinac Island on a weekday if possible, especially if visiting during the busy summer vacation season. Crowds can be heavy on weekends. Cycling through busy Main Street (part of the Lake Shore Trail) can get congested at times. This is the heart of the tourist district, near to where ferries bring people to the island each day. The good news is that once you get a mile outside of town, the bikers thin out and congestion is not an issue.
To get the best photo opportunities, visit on a sunny day. The lake’s blue waters will be at their shimmering best when the sun is shining.
North Central and North Eastern State Trails
I didn’t get to ride these trails, but two more bike trails worth mentioning in Northern Michigan are the North Central State Trail and the North Eastern State Trail. They are the two longest trails in the region.
The 75-mile North Central State Trail starts at Mackinaw City, located just south of the bridge to Mackinac Island, and cuts through the middle of the state going south to Gaylord. It passes through Cheboygan, which also connects with the North Eastern State Trail. With the exception of the paved portion within Mackinaw City, this trail is crushed limestone.
In 2008 the North Central State Trail was named as one of the top five autumn destinations in the nation by Rails to Trails Conservancy.
The Mackinaw City trailhead for the North Central State Trail also serves as the northern trailhead for the previously discussed North Western State Trail. In other words, these two trails connect, making it possible to ride both trails for a 100-plus mile one-way ride, or to ride to a destination of your choice, such as riding from Petoskey to Cheboygan. If you want to do a century ride (100 miles) in Northern Michigan, this may be your best choice.
At 70 miles, the North Eastern State Trail is nearly as long as the North Central State Trail. It starts in Cheboygan in the north and follows a rural path south through farm and timberland to Alpena. This is the most desolate of the trails, passing through only a few small towns including Onaway, Millersburg, and Posen.
Since both of these trails meet in Cheboygan, it creates opportunities for long-distance cyclists to be creative. For instance, if someone wished to tackle it, a cyclist could start in Petoskey, ride north to Mackinaw City, then pedal down to Cheboygan, and finally to Alpena. Or do the reverse. While in Alpena, be sure to check out the Alpena Bi-Path, a 14-mile paved trail with scenic views.
You can do some truly long, multi-day rides in Northern Michigan without leaving the ever-expanding trail network.
Traverse City and Suttons Bay
There’s another set of outstanding bike trails to explore just south of Little Traverse Bay along Suttons Bay and Traverse City. On my next trip to Michigan, this is the area I most want to concentrate on for bike riding.
If you wish to explore this area, follow the links to these popular trails:
- Leelanau Trail: 17-mile paved trail from Traverse City to Suttons Bay
- Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail: 16.5 miles, passing through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
- TART Trails: 10.5 miles of paved trails through Traverse City. It connects with the Leelanau Trail.
- Boyne City to Charlevoix Trail: A new connector trail linking existing trails in Boyne City and the Little Traverse Wheelway in Charlevoix.
State and Regional Resources
When doing research before traveling to Michigan, I was impressed by the availability of excellent state and regional cycling information. Michigan takes cycling, and its trail network, seriously.
Here are some of the cycling resources you may find helpful in planning your next trip to Michigan, including the Northern Michigan areas described in this story:
Top of Michigan Trails Council (This is your best resource for planning a cycling trip in Northern Michigan. They have an office in Petoskey on the Little Traverse Wheelway, across from Spring Lake Park. Be sure to drop by, say hello, and pick up some maps and brochures.)
Michigan Trails Magazine (An excellent resource for bike trails statewide, with maps and descriptions.)
Pure Michigan Trails and Trail Towns (Top-ranked trails and trail towns across Michigan)
Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance
Rails To Trails Conservancy (See list of Top Ten Trails in Michigan)
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Also read these related stories:
Pasties and Yoopers: What Makes Northern Michigan Unique
Summer Travel in Michigan: Cool and Wonderful
You start off by saying you broke the law by using your throttle. Stay off the trails and keep on the roads if thats how you roll. Bike trails don’t need to be congested with mopeds, which is essentially what you have. REAL bicyclist find it extremely annoying when people, who have little to no experience on an e-bike or bicycle in general, decide to get on the bike trails and in the way.
Thanks for sharing your opinion, Joe. I understand the concerns about throttles on e-bikes, but they also provide safety benefits and make it possible for more senior adults to keep riding. That’s why in America the majority of e-bikes sold have throttles.