Thompsonville Area Trails?

[Dirtzilla]

Thompsonville Area Trails? Traverse City / Cadillac / Manistee

My family is going to be renting a "cabin" near Thompsonville the week after next. Any suggestions on area trails would be greatly appreciated.

We'll be riding the "Sodd Couple" ; a Honda XR650L and a KTM Mini Adventure 50. Since I'll have a passenger on the XRL and my son on the 50 is 6 years old, we're gonna need some pretty "light" trials.

Thanks, Crew.

 

[2TrakR]

Made me get Google out to figure where you were going to be...

Nearest are the Grand Traverse Trails and the North Missaukee Route/Trails.
North Missaukee, once you get a bit east of US-131, has some nice trail that's not too sandy. Getting to them involves much sand and I'm not sure on your Mini being able to stage out there and back on fuel.
The Route on the south end of Grand Traverse trails would be ideal, just not much of it. I'd start with that and then look to move up to some of the Grand Traverse #1 or #2 trails.

 

[Dirtzilla]

Made me get Google out to figure where you were going to be...

Oops...didn't think about how small that town was. :coocoo: I guess I'm going to be in that area South of Traverse City, NW of Cadillac and E of Manistee!

Thanks for the trail advice, 2TrakR :worship:

 

[Dirtzilla]

Lincoln Hills? Missaukee #2?

What about Lincoln Hills?

The CCC trail guide lists Missaukee #2 as being used for the Pine Cone kids enduro. What about this trail?

 

[2TrakR]

I'd think Lincoln Hills and Missaukee #2 as being quite a drive from where you'll be at. Of the two, Lincoln Hills would be more favorable. Missaukee 1&2 are mostly older single track that is _very_ whooped out (exception is extremely tight new piece of trail on one of them).

 

[Dirtzilla]

The Route on the south end of Grand Traverse trails would be ideal, just not much of it. I'd start with that and then look to move up to some of the Grand Traverse #1 or #2 trails.

Where is (are) the trailhead(s) for this section? Need to park a small trailer.

 

[2TrakR]

The main trail head for that "southern" area is on old US-131. Just south of the Manistee river.
There are two parking lots on the Grand Traverse 1 & 2 trails (see your new CCC mapbook).

 

[Dirtzilla]

The Route on the south end of Grand Traverse trails would be ideal, just not much of it. I'd start with that and then look to move up to some of the Grand Traverse #1 or #2 trails.

Not sure if I used the correct trailhead (went in off of Brownbridge / Knight Rd.) but the GT #1 didn't work out for my little guy. The sand just killed him. He fell about 5 times in a 1/2 mile and turned around in frustration.

We ended up riding State Forest 2 tracks, which was a ton of fun.