Look UP to Find Mt. Biking Heaven

by Tony Schwenn

May 30th, 2007 in Biking, Great Lakes, Houghton / Hancock, Lifestyle, Newsletter, Outdoor, The Lake Town Issue, Travel, Upper Peninsula

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Moab, British Columbia, Sedona, Fruita, Asheville, Durango. These are some of the destinations that come to mind as the premier North American mountain biking locales. Consider adding Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (U.P.) to that list as it’s progressively recognized as one of those great places to ride by those in-the-know. The Keweenaw Peninsula at the northern most tip of the state offers trails and terrain unlike anywhere else in the Great Lakes Region.

Surrounded by Lake Superior on three sides, the Keweenaw Peninsula is a must for all sorts of outdoor sports. Kayaking, hiking, fishing, camping, wind surfing, rock climbing and of course, mountain biking are among some of the local favorites. The area’s mountainous and rocky terrain consists of a series of undulating ridges and valleys and provides riders with a genuine mountain bike experience, with a big emphasis on the mountain. It’s truly unique to the Midwest and the riding is more similar to what you might expect to find out West, some even say “BC-esque.”

Copper Harbor currently holds almost 25 miles of designated singletrack trails with all trailheads within easy riding distances of the village limits. The CH Trails Club has an ambitious agenda underway to develop another six to eight miles of singletrack by the end of the 2007 season. To complement an aggressive itinerary of mountain biking in the Keweenaw, check out the Michigan Tech Trails (Houghton), Churning Rapids (Hancock) and Swedetown Trails (Calumet), all within an hour’s drive, combined to host over 100 miles of sweet singletrack riding options. If you’re up for some friendly competition, be sure to look into each trail’s mountain bike races during the riding season.

If the pavement is your thing, the Keweenaw is home to some of AAA Michigan’s top-rated scenic drives, ideal for a spin on the road bike. Brockway Mountain Drive is the highest elevated paved road between the Rockies and Appalachians, almost 800 feet above the majestic Lake Superior. Lakeshore Drive hugs the lakeshore and travels through historic harbor-side communities highlighting the area’s mining and maritime heritage. And don’t miss the Tunnel of Trees for the first 11 miles of US 41 out of Copper Harbor. And if you’re on a roll, continue south on the interstate until it dead ends in Miami, Florida!

More Resources:

Bike Races Keweenaw Chain Drive Festival (Houghton)
The Great Deer Chase (Calumet)
Copper Harbor Fat Tire Festival (Copper Harbor)

Local Resources:

Keweenaw Trekkers (Local riders forum)
U.P. Mountain Biking (Whole U.P. region info)
Keweenaw Adventure Company
Cross Country Sports
Downwind Sports