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Area Resource
Links
Lake
Gogebic Chamber of Commerce - 906-842-3611
Delta County Michigan - http://www.baysdenoc.com
MICHIGAN'S UPPER PENINSULA
Serene beauty is one way to describe
the trails in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Riders can enjoy seemingly endless
trails and forest roads through the wilderness of the national and state
forestlands.
Challenging trails can be found throughout
the Eastern Upper Peninsula. Luce County invest riders to enjoy their trail
systems; 33 miles in length is the Two-Heart Trail, and the Pine Ridge
Trail which is approximately 44 miles combine to take riders through heavily
treed forestlands and around pristine lakes. Camping accommodations can
be accessed directly from the Pine Ridge Trail and fine dining and lodging
can be found in nearby Newberry. While visiting the area be sure to take
a road trip to see the Tahquamenon Falls, the second largest waterfall
east of the Mississippi River.
Drummond Island, located off the eastern
tip of Upper Michigan in Lake Huron, provides advanced ATVer's with the
challenge of the 60-mile Drummond Island Trail. A challenge for even the
most experienced rider, on the trail riders will encounter narrow trails,
very rough terrain and steep grades. Extreme caution should be taken when
riding this trail.
Riding opportunities abound
in Michigan's Central Upper Peninsula. Just west of Schaffer in
Delta County begins the Felch Grade, approximately 30 miles of
trail flows along an abandoned railroad grade northwest to the
Dickinson County line. In south central Dickinson County, the
Norway Trail loops around lakes and rivers for a near 50 mile
excursion. The Republic Champion route is a near straight 8-mile
jaunt between the two towns in Marquette County. The Forest Islands
Trail in Delta County is a 33-mile trail on which along the way
you can view the splendid beauty of the Cedar River. The trail
can be accessed either northwest of Cedar River in Menomonee County
or 1 miles south of Escanaba in Delta County.
The Western Upper Peninsula offers
off road enthusiast's nearly infinite riding possibilities. Hundreds of
miles of scenic and historic trails abound. The Bill Nichols Trail begins
in Greeland in Ontonagon County and travels northwest for 35 miles to south
of Houghton. Riders will enjoy an exciting trek across the Fire Steel Bridges;
each trestle is well over 100 feet above the river! Another route, the
Hancock-Calumet, is a fun-filled trip between the two cities. An abandoned
railroad grade from Iron River east to Watersmeet and on to Marenisco provides
riders with nearly an 80-mile journey.
Maps & Trail Information Hiawatha
National Forest 906-786-4062 Newberry Chamber of Commerce 800-883331-7292
Ontonagon Chamber of Commerce 906-884-4735 Ottawa National Forest 906-932-1330
(For 906 & 715 area codes) 800-562-1201 Recreation & Trails Section
517-373-4175 (Forest Management Division MI DNR)
MICHIGAN'S UPPER PENINSULA'S MULTI-USE
TRAIL SYSTEM
Imagine a multi use trail system that
was built with the services and cooperation of the Michigan National Guard,
U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Forest Service, Michigan Department of Natural
Resources, private corporations and private landowners, and you can well
imagine the magnitude of one of the largest multi use trail projects in
the Midwest. This truly remarkable cooperative effort between Federal,
State, and Local authorities is a National Role Model project coordinated
by the Ontonagon County based organization of Trails and Recreation Alliance
of Land and the Environment of the Upper Peninsula, better known as TRALE-UP.
TRALE-UP was founded in the early 90's
by a group of ATV enthusiasts. Originally called the Ontonagon County ATV
Club, the clubs founding members organized to ensure that the thousands
of acres of Federal and State land would remain open to ATV's In the Western
Upper Peninsula the mode of transportation to get to and from deer camps,
stand, and blinds is via the ATV. Thus, it was important that ATV travel
continued to be permitted on public land.
From ATV access on public lands to
building a National Role-Model multi-use trail, system has been the dream
and hard work of TRALE UP President Jim Firkus. As the organizations "founding
father", the first President, Firkus has been the key to the success of
bringing Federal, State, Local Government and private parties "together".
"If the National Guard and the Reserve
wants and needs the experience of building a road in the middle of nowhere,
I know exactly where and how they can get that valuable training. By working
with TRALE-UP, they'll get the training and we'll get their expertise,
equipment, and most of all, the workers!" commented Firkus.
"The Guard and Reserve used their summer
training in building roads, bridges, and laying culverts."
Everything they did was with the cooperation
of the Forest Service and DNR" After all, these roads will become environmentally
friendly multi-use trails that generations will be able to use and enjoy
for many, many years." Per Firkus.
The multi-use trail system has been
planned to incorporate one of the nations must scenic areas, Ontonagon
County, along with the regions' rich mining history. The trail system leads
the ATV enthusiast to remote mining areas of the later 1800's and early
1900's. The trail system also features rest and picnic areas, and interpretive
geographic and historical trails.
If this isn't enough to show you why
Ontonagon County's multi-use trail system has generated the interest of
people all over the U.S., read on.
With the help of the R.L. Ryerson Company
and Polaris, TRALE-UP has been working with the organization Outdoors Forever.
Outdoors Forever is a Michigan-based organization that works with different
public and private organizations in building off road access areas for
the physically challenged. An organization that has been an instrumental
part of the planning and development of many facets of this multi-use trail
system.
TRALE-UP President Firkus once again
led the way in providing access to the physically challenged by building
a wheel chair accessible overlook to the remote Agate Waterfalls in Southern
Ontonagon County, along with the beautiful "Deer Marsh" area in Baraga
County.
According to Firkus, the R.L. Ryerson
Company and Polaris not only provided ATV's to be raffled off but also
a Big Boss 6 Wheeler that was used to bring in tons of rock and other materials
to build these sights for Outdoors Forever.
Ontonagon County's multi-use trail
system plans on linking up with the hundreds of miles of pre-existing multi-use
trails, trails that include the use of numerous abandoned railroad beds
and trestles. It is a trail system that has been built to be environmentally
friendly.
Per TRALE-UP member Skip Schultz, "The
trail system has more culverts to correctly move and drain water than the
City of Milwaukee. It is amazing to see how much long range planning has
gone into this trail system. The last thing TRALE-UP wanted was for someone
to say were'hurting the beauty of the Western U.P.
Ontonagon County was hit with a major
economic impact when one of the largest copper mines in North America,
Copper Range, ceased operation in White Pine a few years ago. This meant
the loss of over 1000 jobs. This past year another major employer, Lakeshore,
also moved their operations. Ontonagon County recognizes the value of the
growing ATV community as a valuable tourist attraction.
From bluffs that overlook thousands
of acres, to trails that wind through virgin forests, here is an ATV enthusiast's
ultimate destination.
The Ontonagon County Chamber of Commerce
welcomes ATV riders and encourages you to ride their multi-use trail system.
For more information, please contact the Chamber at 906-884-4735.
Before traveling in the UP please be
sure to check the area maps that show routes and trails to be sure they
are designated ATV trails. More information can be obtained by calling
the numbers in the Map and Trail information.
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