North Central State Trail Is Pure Or Take a Mile Walk the North Central State Delight
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Whether by foot, by bike or horseback Whether you travel the entire 62 miles the 62 mile North Central State Trail is pure or take a mile walk the North Central State delight. This newest of Michigan’s rail trails Trail offers its visitors full exposure to what offers its users unparalleled Michigan makes northern Michigan beautiful- water, scenery. Starting at its southern terminus in woods, and solitude. Traveling the trail by Gaylord the trail ventures north 7.6 miles bicycle is easy, the crushed limestone surface through wood and farmland to Vanderbilt. accommodates all types of bicycles—road or From Vanderbilt to Wolverine, 10.9 mountain. miles, the trail goes through beautiful Families particularly enjoy the trail, its marshland and along the Sturgeon River. The path assures even the youngest riders and 9.6 miles north from Wolverine to Indian walkers won’t be threatened by auto traffic River continue along the Sturgeon then into since it is entirely removed from area’s beautiful forests. The 5.6 miles from Indian highways but for crossings. The trail is River north to Topinabee takes you to the abundant with places to stop whether to shores of Mullett Lake that you travel beside watch wildlife, have a picnic or stop at a for approximately 10 miles, and then it is local restaurant. Camping is also available in across US 27 for a short trip into the City of areas near the trail. For those wishing less Cheboygan. spartan accommodations there are nearby From Cheboygan the trail goes 16.3 motels and B&Bs. miles northeast to Mackinaw City parallel to Lake Huron with easy views to the lake, Bois For more trail information, contact the Blanc Island, Mackinac Island and the TOP OF MICHIGAN TRAILS COUNCIL Mackinac Bridge. This stretch of the trail 445 East Mitchell • Petoskey, MI 49770 also gives you easy access to Historic Mill 231-348-8280 Creek Discovery Park just a few miles south www.trailscouncil.org of Mackinaw City. [email protected] Gaylord, Michigan – Trailhead on Court offers weekend entertain- to the North Central State Trail. ment, a twice weekly farmers mar- Located in the exact center of ket and a vast array of events and Northern Michigan, Gaylord is activities. unique because of its stunning sur- roundings, up north ambience and easy commuting access. Gaylord literally offers something for everyone. Known as Michigan’s Alpine Village our Alpine themed shopping dis- trict offers visitors a quaint, clean setting with a multitude of downtown shopping experiences. Our downtown Pavilion Aspen Park Single Track Trail in Gaylord Well known as a recreation seekers paradise, you will want to experi- ence the newly improved North Central State Trail which goes from Gaylord to Mackinaw City. Our City’s Aspen Park provides a quiet respite with 1.7 miles of paved pathway for walking, cycling or just wandering. For a big woods adventure, take a trip to the Pigeon River Country State Forest for just about any outdoor experience imaginable. One of Gaylord’s prime features is the area’s 21 championship caliber golf courses. The Gaylord Golf Mecca Close to Gaylord offers a range of conditions, from Trailhead rolling hills with endless vistas and sharp elevation changes to sweeping Redeem this ad for meadows fringed with towering forest 25% off one nights and deep marshlands. A round at the lodging. Mecca is a round to remember. No other discounts apply. Offer expires 11/15/09 For more information and to get a Gaylord Area Visitor Guide log onto www.gaylordmichigan.net or call our Gaylord Information Center at 800- 345-8621. For more information, visit www.gaylordmichigan.net The trail begins in Gaylord and moves along through rural views of rolling farmlands. This isthemostremotesectionofthe trail that includes no road cross- ing or industrial development. It isanexcellentareatoview wildlife in elk country and the trail crosses through the Stewart’s Creek Marsh and Stewart’s Creek. Parking is available in the vil- lage of Vanderbilt. Easy access to local businesses is available where the trail crosses Main Street and there is small park across Old US 27 on the north end of town. Planning has begun to improve the amenities in town. Thetrailcontinuesalongthefastest kayaking, canoeing and tubing as river in northern Michigan, the well as some of the finest trout fish- Sturgeon River, which is great for ing in the Midwest. Numerous bait shops are located along the trail watching, cross country skiing, bicy- that provide a variety of fishing cling, and mushroom hunting. For gear and bait supplies. Brian more information or to make a O’Connor says he often sees heavy reservation, contact John and traffic along the trail from his store Rhonda Smit at 231-525-6166 or front window. visit www.silentsportlodge.com. “I see people on bicycles with fishing rods and they go into the bait shops in town,” he said. “Then they can hop back on their bikes and go fishing 20 to 50 yards from the trail. There are many points along the trail that meet the river.” Toilet facilities and parking are available at the Wolverine Lumberjack Park within close prox- imity of restaurants and a grocery store. For more leisure and relaxation, check out the Silent Sport Lodge: Wilderness Bed and Breakfast on the banks of the Sturgeon River. The Silent Sport Lodge is a green lodging facility that practices sus- tainability and ecotourism travel. Available activities include fly fish- ing, hiking and snowshoeing, bird Spring - Summer - Fall Kayak - Canoe - Fish - Golf Hike - Bike - Explore - RELAX! Specialty Winter Packages Dog Sledding - Guided Winter Rafting Snow Shoeing - X-Country Skiing NEW! River Cabin Sleeps 4-6 231-525-6166 www.silentsportlodge.com All Trails Lead to Indian River - Burt and Mullet Lakes, the 4th and Your Experience with Nature. 5th largest lakes in Michigan. Welcome to Indian River, Experience miles of biking and named after the river which flows hiking trails and unforgettable fam- through it, the center of all that ily fun. Visit 625 feet of sandy makes Northern Michigan a treas- beach front at DeVoe Public Beach ured vacation destination and place on Burt Lake, hundreds of miles of to call home season to season. Located at the center of the North Central State Trail, access to the best of what nature has to offer is integral to the Indian River lifestyle. Enjoy over 180,000 acres of state forest suit-able for camping and exploring, two blue river trout streams ideal for float boats and kayak adventures, and Michigan’s longest Inland Waterway including 42 miles of the cleanest and largest lakes and rivers in Michigan. Indian River is located between snowmobile and ORV trails, 360 cle down the Sturgeon River. feet of boardwalk along the Indian Organized trips or bike, kayak, River, and 52 acres of sports and canoe and tube rentals are avail- fun at Cooperation Park. able. Kayak, canoe, tube or fish the Restaurants and shops through- Sturgeon River, the fastest flowing out Indian River complement the river in the Lower Peninsula, which natural surroundings with their runs along side the North Central fare and wares. Casual, family, State trail just south of Indian upscale and waterside dining River. Use two Michigan opportunities are found next to Department of Natural Resource unique shops and tourists stops. access sites, The Meadows and Other popular activities in Indian Rondo, located off the trail, along River include elk viewing, golfing, with a state forest campground camping, snow skiing, and the visit- each containing toilet facilities and ing the world’s Tallest Crucifix. launch decks. A fun and healthy For more information on Indian activity becoming popular in River, a place where visitors of all Indian River is Biking/Kayaking ages find many pleasures to enjoy trips. Trail users drop their kayaks all year long, contact the Indian off upstream (at the Meadows), River Chamber of Commerce and park their vehicle downstream (at plan your experience with nature, Rondo), bike to their kayak along 1-800-Exit-310 or visit the trail, then kayak to their vehi- www.irchamber.com. Canoe, Kayak, Raft & Tube! • Exciting trips on the beautiful, crystal-clear Sturgeon River! • Trips vary in length from 45 minutes up to 5 hours. • Great for all ages and skill levels • 18 Hole Adventure Golf, General Store & More! • Youth and group rates/packages. • Guided winter rafting trips and X-C Ski & Snowshoe rentals. 231-238-8181(231) 238-8181 www.bigbearadventures.com 4271 S. STRAITS HWY. • INDIAN RIVER • JUST OFF I-75 • Exit 310 Located across from the Burt Lake State Park Entrance • 1 mile from the “Cross in the Woods”. ©2009 Straits Area Printing Contributing Writer, Melissa Beard The Michigan’s North Central State Trail Guide is published by Straits Area Printing ©2009, Cheboygan, Michigan. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or duplicated without prior written permission of the publisher. vides an incredible view of Mullett Lake and mul- tiple lake access points. Parking and toilet facili- ties are available at the Inverness Township Park in Mullett Village along with a nice picnic and beach area. Jim Conboy, member of the Top of Michigan Take a break along the trail and Trails Council, describes stop for a meal at The Breakers Bar the trail from Topinabee to and Grill in Topinabee. This restau- Cheboygan as a terrific view. rant has a fun and exciting atmos- “This specific portion of the phere perfect for dining with fami- trail provides a variety of scenery ly and friends. such as Mullett Lake and glimpses www.breakersbar.com.