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TRY MICHIGAN’S EASTERN UPPER
PENINSULA FOR UNIQUE TRAILS AND AWESOME SCENERY
By Rick Fowler
The clearance
of the trail and the fact that it has well
marked, visible trail cues, maintain the
popularity of this trail near Curtis.
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The snowmobile trails north of the Mackinaw Bridge
which connects Michigan’s peninsulas, are well known
throughout the Mid-west. There are literally hundreds
of miles of them occupying the Upper Peninsula of
this Great Lake state for winter enthusiasts to
enjoy. However, there are fewer people who realize
that though less, there are also miles of trails
available for ATV’s. Since 1989 the State of Michigan
has expanded and regulated this unique opportunity
for off-roaders with the development of specifically
designed trails.
According to the “Summer Guide to the Tahquamenon
Area”, “the number of trails has not expanded significantly
over the last fifteen years, yet the quality of
the paths with specific standards of maintenance
observed through the system which are funded through
a Department of Natural Resources grant program”.
For instance, in the Newberry area much of the upkeep
of trails is done by local ATV enthusiasts like
the Tahquamenon Motorcycle Club whose members perform
a variety of maintenance work. Because of their
unselfish work an eight-foot by fifty inch opening
for ATV’s and an eight-foot by forty inch opening
for motorcycles is consistently available. They
also brush the trails and remove hazards like fallen
logs.
In addition, placing confidence markers, five
by five inch triangle signs (bright orange) are
in place. These signs are posted every one tenth
of a mile and are an important and environmental
precaution for riders to stay on the trail from
start to finish. According to Wayne Wheeler, off-road
vehicle specialists for the Michigan Department
of Natural
Many of the
trails in the Eastern Upper Peninsula offer
a myriad of views of wetlands, streams,
rivers and lakes. This is one such stream
near the trail off of H-33 near Curtis.
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Resources, “The off road vehicle program tries
to impact the environment as little as possible.
After all, riding snowmobiles across frozen ground
cannot do the same damage as ATV’s, so we have to
be conscious of where trails are placed. Off-road
trails are carefully planned, and can include all
types of terrain, including open areas, dense pine
forests, hills and two-track straight aways. In
the Upper Peninsula, State Forest roads are always
open to off-road traffic unless otherwise posted.”
Five trails are open to riders in the Eastern
Upper Peninsula. The Naubinway-Sandtown, Silver
Creek, Newberry-Brevort, Trout Lake, and the Pine
Ridge-Two hearted trails. In addition, many county
roads permit ORV’s if riders are single file within
the outer five feet of the road.
For more information about off-roading regulations
and detailed maps, contact the DNR’s Newberry Operational
Service Center at (906) 293-5131.
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