You and your littles will love these bike trails in Traverse City, Petoskey and Copper Harbor.
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The 26-mile Little Traverse Wheelway that stretches from Charlevoix to Harbor Springs is sprinkled with delightful peeks and views of Lake Michigan, surprise beaches and Victorian cottages. This lengthy trail is best taken in bites—one of our favorites being the approximately 7-mile roundtrip between Bayfront Park near downtown Petoskey to lunch at Petoskey Brewing on M-119. Watch for a metal sculpture of a bicycle and two arches that bear signs reading “No Teaming or Driving.” The signs prohibiting horses and horse-drawn vehicles are replicas of originals that stood along this stretch of the LTW in the 1880s and ’90s—making this part of the Wheelway one of the oldest bike paths in the country. For a deeper dive, pop into the Little Traverse History Museum located a mile up the trail in Bayfront Park.
The Keweenaw Peninsula is rugged, remote, raw. The mountain biking scene here is equally epic, but you’ll also find some fantastic beginner trails, too. The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge sits at the top of the Copper Harbor Trail System and offers public access to multiple trailheads. Chipmunk Run, Moose on the Loose and Little Loon are all excellent for wee ones. Lodge staff at the outdoor activity center will set you up with a rental bike and they also offer free skills rides on Saturdays at 10 a.m.
Take a leisurely spin around Traverse City’s Boardman Lake this summer for a lollygagging good time. The four-mile Boardman Lake Loop has an extended boardwalk over the water with bump-out sections where you’ll want to stop and look for fish. End your ride at family-friendly Right Brain Brewery with its impressive lineup of more than 30 vintage pinball machines and arcade games. Order dill pickle popcorn and a soda, then play the silver ball.