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5 of the best mountain bike trails in Michigan

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If any state epitomizes the Great Lakes region, it is Michigan. This two-part state, conjoined by a 5-mile bridge, touches four of the five Great Lakes, providing endless coastlines with expansive views across what might as well be inland seas. While the lakes may long have been the main recreational focus in Michigan, dirt-based recreation in the form of mountain biking is on the rise.

Mountain bike trail building has boomed in the Midwest over the past decade, and Michigan is no exception. While the state has long boasted renowned destinations such as Marquette and Copper Harbor, new trail developments are adding a greater diversity of destinations and trail flavors for local mountain bikers.

Previously, the northern portion of the state, known as the “Upper Peninsula,” was the region’s mountain bike mecca. The UP, as it’s often referred to, is a wilderness filled with steep hills, exposed slabs of bedrock, and endless forests. Lower Michigan is much more developed, both with farmland and metropolitan areas. But in recent years, we’ve seen dramatic trail developments, such as the 45-mile-long Dragon Trail, in Lower Michigan as well. Now, the millions of residents in Michigan’s largest cities have more suburban trail options to choose from than ever before.

If you’re looking for the best of the best in Michigan, you can’t go wrong with these five trail choices.

Marquette NTN South Trails, Marquette

The renowned destination of Marquette lies directly on the shores of Lake Superior, and the Noquemanon Trail Network (NTN) South trails are the most well-known trail network in the region. Located less than three miles from downtown Marquette, NTN South boasts roughly 45 miles of singletrack that’s been lovingly crafted by local riders. “Our trails are built by the community, for the community,” said Lori L. Hauswirth, NTN Executive Director. “Each mile is the product of local hands, shared passion, and a deep love for this landscape.”

“The design and layout of the South trails feels like a bike park or trail network in BC,” wrote Matt Miller, former Managing Editor for Singletracks.com. “Most of the trails on this side are bike-only, downhill-only trails. They’re shorter, but they are easy to lap and knock out a bunch of loops. The South trails are exceptionally well-built and fun, with a diverse network suitable to beginners and experts.”

The trail system has everything from high-speed flow trails to gnarly tech lines, with Down Dogger, Off-Grade, and Pipe Dreams standing out as must-ride trail segments.

East Bluff Bike Park, Copper Harbor

Copper Harbor has long been known as one of the gnarliest mountain bike destinations in the Midwest, and it just keeps getting better.

The East Bluff Bike Park “is Copper Harbor’s latest gravity zone, with new trails being added each year,” said Adam Yeoman, Interim Executive Director for the Copper Harbor Trails Club. “Funded and maintained by the Copper Harbor Trails Club, ‘The Bluff’ has a little bit of everything — flowy blues, jump lines, rock slabs, natural tech, and even a skills area to warm up on. There’s a paid shuttle if you want it, but the trails are free and open to everyone.” The trails were built by renowned trail building company Rock Solid Trail Contracting, which has one of its two headquarters in Copper Harbor.

The East Bluff trails integrate seamlessly into the greater Copper Harbor trail system, allowing riders to sample the rugged backcountry XC trails that lace the region or pedal over to the classic flow and downhill trails off of Brockway Mountain.

DTE Energy Foundation Trails, Chelsea

The DTE Energy Foundation Trails are a shining example of modern, machine-built flow trails in the Midwest. The 22-mile network consists of four interconnected loops offering a full range of difficulty levels from beginner through expert. The work was spearheaded by the Potawatomi Mountain Biking Association (PotoMBA) in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), and the trails were built by Spectrum Trail Design.

The DTE Trails provide “a fast XC bike park experience that’s smooth enough to be ridden on a gravel bike but has high speed berms and mellow jumps that can be fully enjoyed on a trail bike,” as characterized by Thomas Hosford, DTE Trail Maintenance. While primarily an XC trail system, there are optional technical lines with rock gardens and drops on the advanced segments, such as the Sugar loop.

Thanks to its modern, purpose-built construction, the trail network is known for being well-signed and easy to navigate. There are also plenty of facilities at the trailhead, including a pavilion, bike repair station, and often a food truck during events and on busy weekends.

The Dragon, Newaygo

The Dragon is an epic 45-mile bike-optimized singletrack loop around Hardy Dam Pond that was officially completed in 2024. While this is a fairly long-distance ride, it’s far from a “humdrum” cross-country trail. “We’re talking purpose-built, feature-rich, natural surface… like berms, turns, rock features, everything. So when you ride it, it is, to me, 45 miles of an absolute dirt roller coaster,” said Dan Frayer, President of the West Michigan Mountain Biking Alliance (WMMBA).

The 45-mile loop is divided into 11 different segments, each of which has unique characteristics. Some segments are easier and flowier, while others are rockier and more feature-rich. “Section seven, which was the last piece to get completed, has I don’t know how many tons of rock outcroppings… it’s rock-armored as far as you can see,” said Frayer. “Sections eight and nine are probably, to me, the most feature-rich. We’re talking professionally built stuff that you can get a little rowdy if you want.”

“There are three ravines back in there that are entirely rock, big slabs of sandstone that we had to bring in. It’s just freaking beautiful,” said Martin Hall, Trail Coordinator for the Dragon. “You’re looking down the ravine, out to the pond. There’s 13 major overlooks [where] you can stop on your bike. It’s pretty damn nice.”

This long-distance masterpiece was designed by Jeremy Wimpey of Applied Trails Research and constructed by Alex Stewart of Spectrum Trail Design.

Palmer Woods Forest Reserve, Glen Arbor

Palmer Woods has quickly gained acclaim as the newest must-ride trail system in Michigan. Trail building began at Palmer Woods in 2018, and the network currently boasts 21 miles of singletrack. “By the end of the year, the full 24-mile system should be open,” said Caleb Garone, Land Steward for the Leelanau Conservancy.

This expansive trail system has been built solely for mountain bikers — there is a separate trail system in the area for the hikers. The trails have been constructed “within a glacially influenced landscape of ridges in valleys,” according to Garone. “This landscape creates a good balance of downhill and climbing, typically getting about 100 feet of climbing per mile ridden.”

Most of the trails are one-way directional, with the direction of travel alternating daily. The main exception is a couple of one-way downhill trails, which offer “white-knuckle, fast as you please downhills,” according to Justin Simpson, Director of Progressive Trails for WMMBA. The “jumps and berms rival some of the best bike parks,” Simpson raved. “Countless side hits let rider creativity show. Unique trail features that aren’t just repetitive table jumps and rollers, but proper shark fins, hips, step downs, jumps in and out of berms, etc. It’s so darn pretty and located near some great beaches for a post-ride dip.”

Palmer Woods was also built by Spectrum Trail Design — the third trail system on this list built by the Midwest-based company.