Trails: Little Traverse Wheelway Trail, Charlevoix Township Bike Path and Petoskey to Mackinaw Trails in Michigan
Start: Petoskey Bayfront Park Trailhead in Petoskey.
Route: Ride west to Charlevoix and back, then East to Alanson and back, then northwest to Harbor Springs and back.
Distance 82 miles round trip.
Weather: Overcast to Sunny. Temp: 50-75 degrees.
Low Elev 580, Hi Elev 730. Feet Ascended: 1800
Trail Material: Asphalt and some Concrete.
Rating: TWO Thumbs Up.
Note: Much of the ride was NOT on a true "Rails-to-Trail" route but rather on a paved bike trail with curves and a few hills. Hills can get steep if you get off the main trail to ride in some of the resort areas.
I liked the trails because of the widely varying scenery, the beautiful views of Lake Michigan and some of the resort areas like Bay Harbor and Petoskey State Park. This was one bike ride I did not want to end.
The day started off overcast but eventually cleared up to a bright sunny day. The Little Traverse Wheelway trail has a sign that says "NO TEAMING." In other words, Lycra Assholes that love to speed while drafting on the wheel of the rider in front of them are NOT welcome to ride on the trail. Remarkably, I saw none of those speeding bike Lycra Asshole groups.
At the start of the ride I was pedaling into occasional clouds of flying insects. The insect clouds were so thick you dare not breath in through the mouth lest you inhale bugs and that did happen a couple of times. Luckily the bug clouds were localized to a small area along the trail and most of the trip was bug free.
Trail wise, the asphalt on the trail was nice and smooth for the most part. The only issue was from East Petoskey to Harbor Springs when the trail became a narrow sidewalk along busy roads (Hwy 31 and 119) with lots of road crossings. Most of the road crossings had curb bumps that put a world of hurt on the ass.
Highlights of this trip: Clear waters of Lake Michigan, wildflowers, garden flower plantings, resorts, lighthouses, animals, number of bikes, friendly people and much more. Awesome area to ride.