Michigan Ride Trip

[mj4trax]

Heading to the N. LP next weekend (March 27-29) to do some single track riding with a couple of my buddies.

We do this a few times a year, so I'm fairly familiar with what exists for trails. .. but could use a bit of help for lodging.

We normally ride when it's more suitable for camping and use some of the state campgrounds, but this time around will be looking for a notel motel with some good trail systems around.

Any advice?

If no advice on the lodging, I'm always open to meeting new folks. If you are planning to ride that weekend, where? .. if you see a group of 3 with two big guys on RM250's and a CR250 rider in the back. .. say HI!!


Happy Trails ;-)

 

[ellandoh]

check this out

http://www.wolflakemotel.com/

 

[2TrakR]

Bluffs Resort has some cabins (haven't heard any complaints) and there's another (I hear "better") cabin resort just north of there. Direct trail access to Black Lake, Bummers Roost and can trailer or ride over to Red Bridge. There's some single track in there, but mostly 50" stuff.

Rose City has several motels, roads are open to ORVs, can hit Rose City, MCCCT and up to Meadows/Bull Gap or south to Ogemaw Hills and St Helen. Some single track on the MCCCT through the Meadows, rest is ATV-sized.

I concur with ellandoh about Wolf Lake Motel. Road access to Little Manistee/Lincoln Hills. Tin Cup, MCCCT, Little O & Big O (if plated) all right there.

South Boardman motel (not sure if that's the name) is a very basic motel, road access to Grand Traverse trails; Ranch Rudolf has cabins and also road access to the same system.

Cabins and Motels in Indian River to get road access to Tomahawk (some may need to be trailered from). No suggestions there, but plenty to choose from.

 

[ulmanb]

Depends on where you are going.

Up in Rose City there is a place called the badlands. Lots of trails around there.

Ambrose Lake
Bull Gap
Luzerne
Mio/Hunt Creek
St Helen

A couple directly accessible, others would need some trailering.

Let me know if yu hit this area, I might try to sneak out, but with the wife due date April 2nd, might be a no go.

 

[mj4trax]

Wow, thanks for all the good advise. I need to concur with the other guys on where we want to be, but these are some nice, solid leads.

I'll let you guys know what area we end up planning to ride.... and if anyone's interested in meeting up to ride (keep in mind that our group isn't all together too fast) feel free to PM me and we can exchange cell numbers (our day-to-day plans change on the fly when we're on these trips)

 

[mj4trax]

Bluffs Resort has some cabins (haven't heard any complaints) and there's another (I hear "better") cabin resort just north of there. Direct trail access to Black Lake, Bummers Roost and can trailer or ride over to Red Bridge. There's some single track in there, but mostly 50" stuff.

Rose City has several motels, roads are open to ORVs, can hit Rose City, MCCCT and up to Meadows/Bull Gap or south to Ogemaw Hills and St Helen. Some single track on the MCCCT through the Meadows, rest is ATV-sized.

I concur with ellandoh about Wolf Lake Motel. Road access to Little Manistee/Lincoln Hills. Tin Cup, MCCCT, Little O & Big O (if plated) all right there.

South Boardman motel (not sure if that's the name) is a very basic motel, road access to Grand Traverse trails; Ranch Rudolf has cabins and also road access to the same system.

Cabins and Motels in Indian River to get road access to Tomahawk (some may need to be trailered from). No suggestions there, but plenty to choose from.

The ones you say are accessible by roads. .. is that only with a road legal enduro.

Looking at your VVmapping website, it seems that headlights may be necessary on the roads. None of the bikes in our group have a headlight nor an SOS liscense. .. just the ORV stickers.

Anyway, so that I can make an informed decision, what specifically are the laws in these counties??

Thanks!!

 

[ellandoh]

accessible by road means stay on shoulder of road on a stickered trail legal bike


this list supplied by GLFWDA

Passed Ogemaw 9-11-08

Delta 9-24-08

Roscommon 10-08-08

Mackinac 10-09-08

Chippewa 10-13-08

Missaukee 10-14-08

Arenac 10-14-08

Clare 10-15-08

Schoolcraft 10-21-08

Ontonagon 10-21-08

Houghton 10-21-08

Gogebic 10-22-08

Dickinson 10-27-08

Alpena 10-28-08

Osceola 11-04-08

Luce 11-13-08

Marquette 11-18-08

Iron 12-23-08

Menominee 12-23-08

Iosco 1-07-09

Presque Isle 1-09-09

Keweenaw To & From Trail

Kalkaska 2-10-09

Gladwin 3-10-09

Charlevoix 4-09-09

Oscoda 4-14-09

Crawford 4-15-09 Under Revision

Wexford 4-15-09

Montmorency 4-28-09

Lake 5-13-09

Benzie 5-13-09 affective 7-1-09

Baraga 5-14-09

Otsego 5-26-09

Alcona 6-0?-09 affective 6-11-09

#35 Cheboygan 6-09-09 affective 7-09-09



IT IS THE USER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THE LAW. READ THE LOCAL

COUNTY ORDINANCE BEFORE RIDING! County ordinances are not identical!



To obtain a copy of a county ordinance, visit Michigan Association of Counties - Home. Some are now posting roads open to ORV use along with their county ordinance. For further info, contact the county Clerk.



Additions or corrections to the above list are welcome.
__________________

 

[2TrakR]

The ones you say are accessible by roads. .. is that only with a road legal enduro.

Street license is not required on the ones I mentioned specifically.

it seems that headlights may be necessary on the roads.

Correct, you need head/tail lights to run on the roads now (as of Jan 1, 2010). Lights not needed on the trails unless after dark.
Without lights, you'll not be able to (legally) use the county roads to connect the trails. Exception is where the trail is marked down the road, ie "designated trail sharing the road".

Anyway, so that I can make an informed decision, what specifically are the laws in these counties??

Copies of the ordinances, maps based on the same showing which roads and summary of the legal-ness of it all free here:
http://www.vvmapping.com/micounty

Nutshell version:

Need ORV sticker, USFS spark arrestor for riding trails
and
head/tail lights if riding on open county roads.
Roads are hard to tell if they are county or forest. See maps linked above.
Forest roads are not open - these are roads on State land that are not claimed by the county as county roads.

If riding on roads, far right, but not on the shoulder; 25MPH is the speed limit, single file.

Only county roads would be open, not State highways ("M" roads, like "M-33" or Fed roads, like "US-2"). Which county roads are open vary by county and are generally not marked on the ground.

 

[mj4trax]

Thanks for the help.

With the headlight/taillight deal, we'll stick to the same plan we've done for the past 5 or 6 years of Michigan riding. . ... trailer to a designated parking area, ride the trails . .. when we're done, load up and head somewhere else.

Right now it looks like we'll be staying either at Wolf Lake or somewhere in Cadillac. .. we'll be hitting some combination of Tin Cup, Little Manistee, Long Lake, Missaukee Junction, Evarts and possibly Grand Traverse. . .

Best way to tell if it's us is if there are "Just-Add-Dirt" stickers on the bikes. .. that would be us.

Hope to see you out on the trails ;-)

 

[mj4trax]

Heading to the UP this upcoming weekend to ride Sandtown, Newberry-Rexton and Moss Lake . .. hoping for an epic ride.