", TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails conservancy, We're a non-profit all about helping you enjoy the outdoors, Waller Rd. And on our last day we biked into Petoskey, a 12 mile round trip ride, and walked around the marina and downtown (loved Roast & Toast). After this portion of the trail, the path ends up coming in behind Northern Michigan Hospital where it begins to incorporate the City of Petoskeys sidewalks for some distance. Wow. Go 9.2 miles, and turn left onto US 31/Burr Ave. After 0.7 mile, turn right onto Powers Road. Next day we rode from the campground to Harbor Springs and that made for a 14 mile round trip ride, also very nice. First time bikers, we went about 9 miles on this trail - very nice, several places to stop and check out the water and look for Petoskey stones and take a break. The Little Traverse Wheelway (LTW) is a 26 mile, non-motorized paved trail that extends from Charlevoix to Harbor Springs. You are almost always near the highway and some of the trail is on city sidewalk and shoulder of the highway and a few short moderate climbs. I personally did not enjoy all the road noise that was there for about 98% of the ride. From the airport, a 3-mile section of trail continues west along MI 119 to a trailhead at Kosequat Park near the heart of Harbor Springs, a deep moorage at the head of the bay. The "restrooms" on the way to downtown are always locked though well marked :(. The 26-mile Little Traverse Wheelway bike path (pictured) links Charlevoix, Petoskey and Harbor Springs and offers stunning scenery (and no hills!). This is a beautiful trail. An overview behind D&W's Shopping Plaza on US 31 North offers a convenient rest stop, a beautiful mural of the Wheelway and great views of Little Traverse Bay. and US 31 (Charlevoix) and Kosequat Park at Park Ln. It runs along Lake Michigan with great views and a wonderful breeze. The road noise is a little much, but the scenery makes up for it. At one time, Traverse City's (now-defunct) asylum held more inmates than the town had residents. The trail traverses a wetland along a boardwalk two-thirds of a mile long before it meets Little Traverse Bay. (If you ride the undeveloped trail instead of the U.S. 31 shoulder, you'll meet up with the bike route again at this campground park. The undeveloped trail is absolutely gorgeous, as it stretches halfway up a big bluff overlooking Little Traverse Bay. The Wheelway is a lovely 26 miles long, connecting Charlevoix to Harbor Springs, with the Petoskey section . After leaving the Pub we traveled across the lift bridge, but not before watching it go up for the ferry returning from Beaver Island. I started my day with a run on the LTW from Bay Harbor to Petoskey. Northern Michigan is tops for road and trail riding and the scenery on Little Traverse Bay is as captivating as any. All and all this could be Michigan's best trail if it had built and maintained properly. Your donation will help us to continue connecting more people to trails around the country. All asphalt and flat and not heavily used as you might expect. Charlevoix Township Hall, 12491 Waller Road, Charlevoix, MI. Little Traverse Wheelway, Charlevoix, MI 49720, USA. Will love to return and ride the full length. Wander the beautiful town of Charlevoix then head back. Charlevoix has good restaurants, great shopping, plenty of hotels and B&Bs, and is a pleasant place just to hang out for awhile.Susan and I had lunch (whitefish) at the Villager Pub on Bridge Street and wandered around town a little, then retraced our route back to Petoskey and Harbor Springs.Our total ride was just a little under 50 miles and a little over four hours of actual riding time. It was the most beautiful day of the entire tour. from. (231) 439-9346 0:04 0:40 There's little doubt that one of the more popular activities among many Northern Michigan residents and visitors alike is using the Little Traverse Wheelway and. Find Your Way Connecting Charlevoix, Bay Harbor, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs, the Little Traverse Wheelway offers several entry points and stops. )The unpaved trail becomes asphalt again, after traversing a cul-de-sac. The view of Lake Michigan (and sunsets) from the Inn's porch is fabulous! There are a few overlooks around Bay Harbor. This is more of a trail for a tourist/vacationer than a cycling enthusiast. things to do with your family in the Petoskey Area: PETOSKEY. Asphalt all the way with some hills. and US 31 (Charlevoix) and Kosequat Park at Park Ln. (On the return trip, take Fern 'til it loops around to Beach Rd. Absolutely gorgeous! We also took it north toward Harbor Spring, but our youngest rider got too tired on that ride so we didn't make it quite into town. The views are outstanding and Petoskey stone hunting even better! 0:30. Descending through East Park, youll view Little Traverse Bay from a bluff for about 1.5 miles before arriving at the Magnus Park public campground. It's quite a transition. Getting back up was challenging, but worth the views. WE only rode to Petoskey, did some gift shopping, then headed back. Big Rock PointMDOT Roadside ParkThe Little Traverse Wheelway runs through two MDOT roadside parks between Charlevoix and Bay Shore. We encountered roller bladers, joggers and other bikers. This trail is an absolute gem. Had a good time. Become a member and wear your FREE T-Shirt with pride. Other sections are on a widened shoulder of the road. Rode on the trail twice on my first visit to the Lake Charlevoix area. MDOT Roadside ParkBack to top. No fee entry when riding a bike (yea)! Cross-country Skiing. " Sep 2020 We rode from Petoskey State Park to Harbor Springs. Home Little Traverse Wheelway. We just had to ride along the wide shoulder of the highway for a while. The Wheelway is surfaced with 8 to 10 wide asphalt or 6 wide concrete sidewalk and is open for non-motorized use only. From the SP out to the airport you're riding on a rather busy road and not all the traffic is watching for bicyclists, so be wary of cars turning in and out of driveways. We chose to ride the Little Traverse wheelway for our 1st venture out. South of Spring Lake Park into Petoskey going towards town you get to ride along another Heavy Use highway (US 31) on what it basically a side walk. Its a shame that there are few fundraising events or even donation boxes along this very heavily used trail so money could be raised to fix the many issues. One of the most beautiful paved paths in Michigan, the 23-mile Little Traverse Wheelway provides cyclists, inline skaters, walkers and joggers with a smoothpath, incredible scenery and a non-motorized link between three of the most popular resort towns in northern Michigan; Charlevoix, Petoskey and Harbor Springs.Much of the trail skirts Little Traverse Bay, featuring open views of the water. There are two very sandy sections of the trail where you'll have to walk your bike a very short distance.If you have a road bike, or don't want the adventure of the unpaved section of the trail, follow the bike route out of the campground and up to the top of the bluff, and continue south along U.S. 31. Downhill Skiing. After you have finished the Little Traverse Wheelway, cruise up the North Western State Trail. Not sure if a bike pass is required; we didn't see any signs indicating as such. Breathtaking views. There are places to picnic and fill our water bottles and use the restroom all along the way. (I had a great lunch at the Flat Iron Deli, adjacent to a downtown park in Petoskey. Beautiful. We stop in Petoskey for a cold one! Considering the weather, I think that construction of this portion will soon have to be delayed till spring. As the calendar turns to March, thoughts up north begin to turn to spring and walking, running, and biking along the Top of Michigan Trails Network in the warm sunshine. The only time we would suggest taking a young rider on these sections of this "trail" is if they were VERY accomplished road riders with multiple hours of rush hour traffic under their belts. Little Traverse Bay. Much of the trail skirts Little Traverse Bay, featuring open views of the water. The Charlevoix County segment of this trail is approximately 9 miles long and runs along the north side of US-31 from Charlevoix to the Emmet County line at Bay Shore. Hats off to the planners, engineers and builders. By Trish W " Beautiful Day, Beautiful Ride " Sep 2020 Keep your eyes open for deer and other wetland wildlife! Attraction Location . Turn left into the trailhead parking lot. )I started at the Charlevoix Country Inn bed & breakfast on W. Dixon Street (just north of the U.S.-31 drawbridge). The weather was wonderful -- low 70s & sunny, with a breeze off of Lake Michigan. If you take that route, you'll get to a winding, downhill bike route just before the intersection of U.S.-31 and U.S.-131. Best Things to on Mackinac Island with Kids. The nice part was Harbor Springs, what a picturesque little town on the water. Places to shop, eat, or rest and people watch. (This was not my first ride on the Wheelway --see my earlier review of 6/6/03. The scenery is magnificent. The official trail starts as Waller Road in Charlevoix Township and goes Bay Shore. The Chicago and West Michigan Railway and the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad adopted the corridor for rail traffic in the 1890s, but by the 1970s the surviving railroads were no longer using segments of rail bed. It was mind blowing beautiful! Shortly thereafter, you will reach the boardwalk that bridges a wetland area.Trailhead at Charlevoix Township HallBoardwalk InformationThe boardwalk is approximately 3/4 mile long and was established to protect the wetland ecosystem in the area. With the optimism of spring in our hearts we at the Trails Council thought it would be a good time to update you on our work to restore the washed out section of the Little Traverse Wheelway. The best views are south of Petoskey, but head the other way to reach pretty Waterfall Park. The trail itself is 23.4 miles and is surfaced with 8' to 10' wide asphalt or a 6' wide concrete sidewalk and is open to non-motorized uses only. Very little of this trail is on the old rail bed if any. Best For: Little Kids 3-6. I prefer to ride out in nature and listen to the sounds of nature rather then hear all the traffic. The trail is very well maintained and fairly flat with the exception of a view rolling hills. The Little Traverse Wheelway offers comfortable biking and rewards you with panoramic views of the lake, roadside parks and a comfort stops along its 26 mile stretch. Would park my truck at Glen's Grocery in Bayview and ride the trail to Charlevoix and back. The "Bike Path", as it is locally called, runs 26 miles from Charlevoix to Harbor Springs in Charlevoix and Emmet Counties. This worries me greatly. Little Traverse Wheelway 5 286 #1 of 31 things to do in Petoskey Biking Trails Visit website Write a review What people are saying " Great place to walk or bike " Jun 2021 Going north toward Harbor Springs you can look for Petoskey stones at Petoskey State Park Beach. A few stretches close to the road where you could smell the car fumesbut the scenery everywhere else made that worth it. These rich folks from the cement plant/Bay Harbor are riding thier horses right down the asphalt path and allowing them to make a discusting mess of the path. The ""accessible curbs"" at some of the cross roads are a little rough, but the views are excellent.Near the south end of the trail, there is about a mile-and-a-half stretch of boardwalk over some fragile soil & wetland areas. "I rode this trail for the second time yesterday. Much of the paved pathway hugs Lake Michigan and Little Traverse Bay shorelines, offering incredible scenic vistas. The George. The plant closed in 1997 at which time Consumers Energy began a decommissioning process (Big Rock Point Restoration Project) to dismantle the facilities and return the site to green space. Sometimes a narrow grass strip separates you and the traffic, other times it is simply a curb at the edge of the road. 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