Michigan trails
- Thread starter tjgoode
- Start date
Influencer II
Drummond Island in the U.P. You'll also find a lot of people in the U.P. into off roading. I know of a group out of Munising. I usually head up to Michigan once a year with my wife. Usually go to Traverse City, then Mackinaw, then to the U.P. for a few days. Hoping to get to Drummond Island next year. Not sure about the lower part of the state, but in the U.P. there seems to be more options for off roading. If you're just looking to get away, we usually stay in a cabin along the Manistique River in Germfask.
Influencer II
Let me know what you find and I'll let you know if I find anything. I'm trying to plan a trip for next year. I heard about Iron Mountain and areas like that. Crisp Point Light House is a cool location up on Lake Superior. It takes about an hour on wash board roads and trails to get there, but a beautiful area. Next year I'm looking at trying to plan a trip to remote lighthouse locations on the great lakes. I enjoy Michigan so much we're actually looking at moving to Southern Michigan next year.
Influencer II
Looking at Wayland, MI. If not Michigan, possibly Elkhart, IN, which is very close to the southern border of Michigan. I started working in the RV industry last year because I wanted a skill I could take on the road when my wife and I finally buy an RV and live in it. General RV in Wayland, and other places in Michigan is always looking for RV techs. If we don't move there, I'm looking at some of the manufacturers in Elkhart. Plan someday is live North in the summers and South in the winters. I lived a few years in Traverse City and really miss the area.
Influencer II
I'll have to check out those cities as well. I'm interested in General RV since they have shops in Florida as well. Hoping someday to do the North/South, Summer/Winter thing. Thanks for the info.
Enthusiast III
If you get a chance you should check this web site http://www.glfwda.org/content.php?s=4c0e0cb3e039dc1601d9431218a74bee . If you can join you will have several chances throughout the year to join in on trail rides and land cleanup events. They do so much ground work to expand off roading in Michigan and keeping our lands open that others want closed.
Hank
Hank
I want to go to Michigan someday. The pictures I've seen over the years have always looked so beautiful, and the older I get the more I hate being hot. I've lived in Arizona and Louisiana, but if I ever leave Illinois, I'm going NORTH !
Influencer II
I live next door in Iowa. Lived in Phoenix. Hate the heat. I've pretty much got my wife convinced we need to move North. I've taken her to Michigan a few times and she loves it. Not sure how she'll handle the winters though.
Check out the Michigan trail network. My wife and I drove a bunch from the Petoskey area back toward the Ludington area over the summer. They're mostly 2WD sand tracks (if you're aired down) but a few tricky sections required 4WD. You do need to have the ORV permit and ORV trails permit.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10365_15070-38330--,00.html
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10365_15070-38330--,00.html
Are you talking about the UP Overland/Roam group? I have been in with them since the UPO trips started back in '08. Tom & TJ have a few ventures going around there.
I tend to do most my trailriding in da UP. There are a few spots I hit in the LP on occasion. I was up around Gladwin/Sterling a couple weekends ago. A buddy bought a Rubi and wanted to go somewhere. We cut through the Pigeon River State Forest on our way home earlier this year. It looked like it has some decent exploring to offer. There is always Silver Lake Dunes but I am yawning after a couple laps. It is pretty asy to find some forest roads and 2-tracks up north to just wander on.
The only ORPs I have been to in Michigan are The Mounds by Flint. I got tired of running (or trying to) through the tractor-tired mud trucks ruts. Bleh. Rocks & Valleys in Harrison is pretty cool. There is something for everyone there. Ron that runs it is a good guy too. I went to Turtle Ridge ORP on Drummond once. I was stock and it seemed to be for SWB Jeeps (tight trails) and heavily-modded rigs. I stick to the ORV trails on the island.
I had a great time driving through the Huron and Manistee National Forests. They have miles and miles of great trails. I got a trail map from the ranger station.
Influencer II
Good info. I'm on the UP Overland forum but I don't get on there much. I need to try to get in on one of their outings someday soon. Wish I could live in the UP. Beautiful area, and peaceful.
From hat I have read, it sounds like the Michigan DNR is going to be opening the areas past Copper Harbor up more. The road out to High Rock Bay is just short of being a dirt highway now compared to 10 years ago. HRB is a great spot to camp but can be over run at times in the summer now. A little exploring may lead you to other places that are nice and less crowded.
BTW, stop at Brickside Brewery. Its a nice cozy place to grab a beer. Plus the owner is into overlanding/camping.
I go up north all the time especially in the winter to go snowboarding. On the way up I get off the freeway around West Branch and take trails all the way past Grayling. It's a ritual now and there are actually some great trails all the way up in the lower peninsula. About half way is St. Helen motorsports area…good times…fun trails. Heading up to Boyne Highlands tomorrow actually :) Some great trails around Petosky as well.
