The Tri-Chapter Trail Challenge is complete for this large melon-ed rider. All the SE Michigan MMBA/IMBA sanctioned trails have been ridden. As everyone loves a list, I ranked the trails below. It doesn’t have to be an expert or beginner trail to be ranked higher or lower. I am looking at the whole body of work. Some of these I have ridden quite a bit over my 25+ years of pedaling; some for the first time. Regardless of where your favorite trail falls, we all are very fortunate to have so many riding options in the area.
One of my pet peeves during the challenge (heck, anytime) are trail map links that produce a ‘page not found’ response. I’m talking to you Poto chapter!! And it wasn’t just one trail link that this occurred. The little things make a difference.
Another pet peeve I have but really can’t point fingers is the lack of trail markings on certain trails. Some are probably the result of some uneducated wanderers removing said markings and being idiots. It sucks though being at a fork in the trail and ending up backtracking because you took a left when you should have taken a right.
Being a Motor City Mountain Bicycling Association (MCMBA) member, I am obviously biased but give all our chapter volunteers (including yours truly) a gold star for the trail maintenance and signage. As a whole, the MCMBA trails are second to none in the area.
I'd like to thank my sponsor, Chamois Butt'r, for keep my ass un-chapped during the rides as nobody likes someone with a chapped ass. I laughed when my mom bought me a bottle of it awhile back for Christmas but it really makes a difference!
Butt cheek lotion talk aside, my trail rankings, best to not-so-best:
Butt cheek lotion talk aside, my trail rankings, best to not-so-best:
Potawatomi (Pinckney) - Poto Chapter
The 16+ mile granddaddy of them all has it all, including the ‘really’ hills. The hills where you come up to them and say, “A hill here. Really!?!” The Crooked Lake and Silver Lake trails offer some shorter loops but don’t send a boy here. Post ride dips in Silver Lake are a treat.
As witnessed by the parking lot always being crowded, the outstanding trail design and the clear markings, this one is a must for every rider to experience. On a side note, the trail is part of Waterloo Recreation Area but don’t try to drive to the Waterloo Recreation Area headquarters like I did; you will drive some back roads for quite a while and not find any resemblance of a trailhead.
Brighton (Brighton) – Poto Chapter
One of my favorites in the area as the Poto chapter seems to add on each year. If my recall is correct, they now have the Appleton (beginner), Murray Lake (intermediate), Found (intermediate), Lost (intermediate), and Torn Shirt (most difficult) loops. All are well designed and allow for all riding types to get their endorphin release in.
Island Lake Recreation Area (Brighton) - MCMBA
The trail for all. The Strava-addicted riders can zoom-zoom in search of beating yesterday’s time while the beginning riders can get through either the Blue or Yellow loops without cracking their helmets (well, most beginners…).
Highland Recreation Area (Highland Township) - MCMBA
One of the first trails in the area when it was on the east side of Duck Lake Road (now on west side), I always compare it to the prom date dressed to the nines that nobody seemed to like. So very beautiful but what a bitch. Hills, logs, rocks; more hills, more logs, more rocks. Don’t send your beginning riders as I saw a pair in Capri pants with kickstands a few weeks back asking where the trailhead was. I didn’t hear of any bicycle accidents later that day so I assumed they got through it somehow with a splash of F###!!! and Holy F###!!! for good measure.
Pontiac Lake Recreation Area (Waterford) - CRAMBA
A challenging 9-10 mile loop that will have you enjoying the post-ride beverage or a jump in Pontiac Lake. The first four or five miles, including the heart attack hill right around mile two, are the hardest. If you get through that, you get to finish with a ‘kind of hard’ four to five miles.
Holly-Holdridge Mountain Bike Trail (Holly) - CRAMBA
The Potawatomi of the CRAMBA chapter as Gruber’s Grinder allows for a 15+ mile journey with smaller loops via North, East and West trails. Hardcore or softcore riders are covered either way. I am, however, waiting for one of those large trees on Hess Road leading up to the trailhead parking lot to fall and trap everyone in there. We’ll just have to ride if that happens!
Lakeshore Park (Novi) - MCMBA
The trail has come a long way since the very early days of “I think the trail goes this way.” Well marked with a very dedicated group of volunteers keeping this trail up there in there in terms of riding enjoyment. It still doesn’t dry the quickest but has improved in that area.
Addison Oaks County Park (Leonard) - CRAMBA
The closest resemblance to Island Lake for the east side trail riders. Zoom-zoom.
Heritage Park (Adrian) - Poto Chapter
A great trail layout and thankful to the Poto chapter for riding with a bunch of MCMBA’ers and showing us the way. It was worth the drive down.
Maybury State Park (Northville) - MCMBA
The former sanitarium (kick that tuberculosis and breath the fresh air!), Maybury is not necessarily the longest trail in the area (6-10 miles depending on one loop or a loop and a half) but makes up for it on the number of switchbacks. A technical trail so make sure the brakes are in good working order.
Milford Trail (Milford) - MCMBA
A great trail for all riding types with the paved option if you aren’t feeling it or the storm clouds have soaked the dirt. A guarantee you will come upon one of the many tame deer drifting in from Kensington.
Hickory Glen Park (Commerce Township) - MCMBA
A beautiful beginner trail that is incredibly well maintained by volunteers and the trail coordinator. I miss the teeter-totter that used to be in there that you could ride over but that was unfortunately an MCMBA insurance claim waiting to happen and we don’t need any of those. Don’t park too close to the ball fields during baseball season unless you want a foul ball to the windshield.
Bald Mountain Recreation Area (Lake Orion) - CRAMBA
North unit. Put your climbing shoes on because you will be climbing. One of my favorite east side trails; it will challenge you.
Bloomer Park (Rochester Hills) - CRAMBA
Loved the ledges; and almost fell off of said ledges.
Stony Creek Metropark (Shelby Township) - CRAMBA
I have ridden Stony Creek a handful of times and get flustered each time I ride it. Some great terrain to work with but horribly mapped out as one (or two) large loop(s) versus 10 or so very small ones makes for too much stopping and crossing paths with others.
Hines Park (Plymouth Township) - MCMBA
My first time riding it this year and would say it is the Clinton River/River Bends of the MCMBA chapter with better markings. I enjoyed it.
Clinton River Park Trails (Sterling Heights) - CRAMBA & River Bends Park (Shelby Township) - CRAMBA
I lump these two together as they are very similar. Both beautifully designed but wish there was some more terrain.
Ruby Campground (Avoca) - CRAMBA
A great little trail that is out there; wayyyy out there. I’ll be happy to donate to the CRAMBA chapter and help but the creek crossings over rocks are an ankle break waiting to happen. As the Zeppelin song says, “Where’s that confounded bridge?” It needs one.
Seven Lakes State Park (Holly) - CRAMBA
Has some great potential and some beautiful terrain but didn’t like the lack of signage when the trail crossed paved portions.
Ortonville Recreation Area (Ortonville) - CRAMBA
The mountain bike trail only encompasses maybe 1/20th of this large park. So much potential to push that three mile loop to many more miles.
Rolling Hills (Ypsilanti) - Poto Chapter
The trail has some great potential with a little more TLC to it.
Proud Lake Recreation Area (Commerce Township) - MCMBA
The red-headed stepchild of the MCMBA. It just doesn’t get the traffic that other trails not even five miles away receive. There have been preliminary talks of separating the mountain bike and horse trails but unfortunately it is just talk at this point. Sharing with the horses doesn’t help (look out for the poo!!). It might rise up in list one day and would love to see it but I’ll be riding the big tire tricycle at the old folk’s home by then.
Olson Park (Ann Arbor) - Poto Chapter
Nice little beginner trail with the soothing sounds of a pond on one loop while also experiencing the soothing sounds of M-14!! Yes, you are pretty close to the highway.
Munson Park (Monroe) - MCMBA
A basic beginner trail that works well with its limitations but honestly, I wouldn’t have ridden it if it weren’t on the challenge. The orange and red loops are well marked and enjoyable. I wouldn’t waste time on the plowed field trail areas as they are more or less a mirror of Sharon Mills in Manchester. Get some General Custer history while you are in town.
Rouge Park (Detroit) - MCMBA
It is limited to three miles; one large oval on the west side of the park through the woods. Not bad but not one I'd try to ride more than once.
Holly High School (Holly) - CRAMBA
Great design and a good beginner trail but too short.
Orion Oaks County Park (Lake Orion) - CRAMBA
If you like two-track riding, this park is for you. I don't.
Kensington to Proud Lake Connector (Milford Township) - MCMBA
Yes, it is a trail but should probably be lumped in with Proud Lake as it is so short. A nice change I guess for those riding the paved Kensington Trail and want to take a short dip in the mountain bike waters across Milford Rd.
Hewen’s Creek (Ypsilanti) - Poto Chapter
The trail recently had an addition put on but unless the addition has an additional five miles of well-marked/traveled terrain, it needs one more addition. Traffic. It has potential but can only call it a nice parking spot to pedal over to Rolling Hills up the road for now.
Morton – Taylor (Canton) - Poto Chapter
Similar but not as bad as Sharon Mills. Great jogging area; not so great to pedal.
Sharon Mills (Manchester) - Poto Chapter
Unless the Poto chapter has plans to add something to it, you might as well donate the land to a jogging group as it really has no mountain bike purpose at this time.
