Biking the Lakes of Northern Michigan

The Trip

Our road bicycle tour will take us from beautiful Traverse City to the famed Tunnel of Trees route along Lake Michigan. Along the way, we will pedal over rural roads, frequently skirting some of Michigan’s most beautiful lakes: Walloon Lake, Torch Lake, Lake Charlevoix, and, of course, Lake Michigan. Now and then we will make use of some of the paved bike paths that have helped make this area a mecca for road bikers. Foremost of these is the Little Traverse Wheelway, a 26-mile-long paved path that hugs Lake Michigan. We will spend time in the area’s many quaint small towns: Harbor Springs, Elk Rapids, Petoskey, and Charlevoix. And we will have the chance to visit unforgettable small villages: Cross Village and Goodhart. There will be nice parks to relax in and several signature restaurants that are fun and quirky. All of this will be just after the tourist season, in the warm days of early September.

Expect to ride between 30 and 60 miles a day on a variety of road types and bike paths. On longer days, there will be an option for somewhat shorter routes, but there will be a couple of days when the shortest ride option will be in the 40-mile range. The route has been selected to avoid vehicle traffic as much as possible. Roads will mostly be rural (with little traffic) or have wide shoulders; or we will be on bike paths. There will be times, however, when we will need to go on short stretches of semi-busy roads, and for this reason, riders should be experienced bicyclists. Also, due to the different speeds of the bikers, we will not always stay together as a group, though we will meet at specific places for lunch or breaks.

In the evenings, after supper, we will have chances to go on short hikes, as well as explore some of the interesting towns along the way.

Day 1: Our route begins by heading out of Traverse City on the TART Trail, and then accessing the rural roads of northern Michigan. We will then pedal through farmland, have lunch in Elk Rapids, and then ride on the west side of Torch Lake to our hotel in Eastport. Distance: 42 miles.

Days 2-6: We will continue to work our way north, mostly along or near Lake Michigan. For 26 miles, we will be on the Little Traverse Wheelway, a paved bike path that “is one of Northern Michigan’s most scenic trail rides with sparkling views of Lake Michigan and little Traverse Bay,” according to one writer. On our route we will explore such classic Michigan towns as Petoskey, Charlevoix, Bellaire, and Harbor Springs. Another highlight will be the Tunnel of Trees route, which runs along Lake Michigan and goes to such interesting spots as Goodhart, Cross Village, and the infamous Legs Inn restaurant. Ride options on these days will be from as little as 30 miles a day to 60 or longer. In some cases, rides of 40 miles will be the shortest option.

Day 7: After a short ride in the morning, we will be arrange to have a shuttle transport our bikes back to Traverse City, where the trip will end around 4:00 p.m.

Getting There

Traverse City, Michigan will be our starting and ending point for our trip. Located on the beautiful Grand Traverse Bay, Traverse City is a wonderful, scenic town with good beaches, restaurants, and wineries. There is a nice airport for those flying in. Traverse City is about five hours north of Chicago and five hours northwest of Detroit. The leader will help with travel arrangements as needed.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

We will stay in nice hotels each night. The price is for double occupancy. Those wishing to stay in a room by himself/herself will have to pay a single supplement rate of approximately $360; the leader will let you know the exact price upon sign-up. We will change hotels probably three times on the trip. All breakfasts and lunches are included in the trip price, while dinners out will be on your own. Dinners will be at a variety of restaurants, usually in mid-range of prices, with perhaps one pizza night at our hotel.

Trip Difficulty

The biking portion of the trip will be challenging. Distances will range from 30 miles a day to 60 miles—on some days, longer rides are available if there are people interested. On two of the days, the shortest ride option is just over 40 miles. On longer days of over 40 miles, there will be options for shorter loops. Roads will be a mixture of flat and hilly.  We will ride during inclement weather, unless it is unsafe to do so. Bike surfaces will be paved, and roads will range from very rural and little traffic, to semi-busy and busy -- mostly with wide shoulders, though not always. Bikers should be willing to ride in all of these conditions. Bikers should also be able to change their own tires and take care of routine bike maintenance issues.

Equipment and Clothing

You will need your own road bike, or one you rent, and the necessary clothing, including rain gear. You will need spare tubes and the tools needed for changing a flat tire. Bikes helmets are mandatory and must be worn at all times. In case of a major bike problem, there are many bike shops in the area and we will do our best to get your bike serviced quickly. Because we have van support, you will only need to carry what you need on each day’s trip, so only a small fanny pack and day pack are needed. The leader will discuss equipment and send out a gear list to those who sign up.

References

• Downes, Robert, Biking Northern Michigan. The Wandering Press.  
• Bicycle Map of Northwest Michigan, Cherrycapitacyclingclub.org.

Conservation

We will discuss a number of issues that the Sierra Club is working on in Michigan: Climate Change, Beyond Coal, Clean Energy, and factory farm legislation, as well as the Flint Water crisis. We will also look back at some of the great successes of the Sierra Club in Michigan: the creation of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in 1970, and the Michigan Wilderness Act of 1987, which forever preserved 90,000 acres of Michigan forests and dunes.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.