Trails: North Western Trail (aka Petoskey to Mackinaw Trail) and the North Central State Trail in Michigan
Start: From a Motel in Mackinaw.
Route: Ride around Mackinaw then ride some of the North Western Trail south and back and then ride some of the North Central Trail east and back.
Distance: 28 miles round trip.
Weather: Mostly Sunny. Temp: 50-70 degrees.
Low Elev 600, Hi Elev 730. Feet Ascended: 330
Trail Material: Mostly Crushed Limestone except for asphalt on the trail in the City of Mackinaw.
Rating: Thumbs Down on both trails.
The thumbs down rating is because the North Western Trail was "Closed." Despite the closure I rode about 2-3 miles on it and found the straight trail boring due to lack of trail scenery. Not much to see.
The North Central Trail was like riding in a tunnel of tree cover. Despite the appearance on the map that the North Central Trail runs along Lake Huron, the lake could not be seen from the trail at all on the 6 or so miles I rode on it. Really dense overhead canopy trails with very little change in scenery bore me. I was really disappointed with these two trails after high expectations.
Highlights of this trip: Riding around the City of Mackinaw (Tourist Trap). The blue waters of Lake Huron / Lake Michigan were beautiful. The presence of vibrant Christmas Tree smell on the North Central Trail. It was interesting to see so many tourists carrying bicycles with them. Mobile certainly overlooks the value of bicycles when it comes to tourism.