Head to Silver Lake Sand Dunes this winter in Northern Michigan for the most incredible and unique fat tire biking experience.
This article first appeared in Traverse Northern Michigan. Find this story and more when you explore our magazine library. Want Traverse delivered to your door or inbox monthly? View our print subscription and digital subscription options.
There’s a new place to tread on two (fat) wheels during our gnarly Northern Michigan winters, but you might be surprised to hear there’s nary a trail in sight. Instead, freewheeling riders can go a little wild, exploring atop, about and all around Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Mears.
The dunes, part of Silver Lake State Park, began a pilot program last winter to allow fat bikes into the ORV area during the off-season. After a successful first year, the program continues this year through March 15, allowing riders to tackle the partially frozen sand dunes and drifts from 8 a.m. to dusk each day on fat bikes. (ORVs are not permitted during these dates.)
Fat bike riding is allowed in a 450-acre area, where riders will find climbs of 80 to 100 feet, as well as fun sand “bowls” to race around and down into. It is, without a doubt, one of the most unusual fat bike experiences to be had anywhere in the world.
Photo by Dave Maclean
Dave Maclean, owner of Spindrift Cyclesports in Ludington, was instrumental in helping Michigan’s Edge Mountain Biking Association (MEMBA) bring the idea to the DNR. He compares the riding to the mountain bike destination of Moab, Utah.
“It’s a really unique experience to ride frozen dunes,” he says. “There’s nothing like it as far as biking goes. Frozen sand is like sandstone, so it’s similar to an experience you would only get in Moab.”
And there’s something else compelling about this kind of ride: The absolutely barren terrain.
“There’s nothing. No trail, no trees, no people. You can go anywhere you want. It’s wild and just wide open,” Maclean says.
However, riding on partially frozen dunes comes with its own set of challenges. The Shoreline Cycling Club offers tips for dune riding on their website and advises scouting dunes from the bottom up—looking for soft sand edges that might give way and pockets of soft or wet sand that will cause, shall we say, an unexpected dismount.
Photo by Dave Maclean
Maclean recommends riding bikes with 4- to 5-inch-wide tires. (“Nothing smaller, or you’ll be suffering!”) Like any other fat bike “trail,” the conditions are always changing. Watch for drifted sand, which can be soft and slow, or wet and deeper sand that can stop you in your tracks.
“And remember: if the sand isn’t frozen, the fun factor drops considerably, as you can imagine,” Maclean says with a laugh. “Ride in late winter and early spring if you can. After a few cycles of thawing and freezing, the sand tends to set up great for a nice ride.”
The best part of the outing is making your way to Lake Michigan, maybe a half-mile from the parking lot. And if you time it right, stay and catch the sunset (headlamps are recommended).
Rules to know: E-bikes aren’t allowed, and a Recreation Passport is required to park at the ORV lot at 8960 W. Fox Rd., Mears. michigan.gov/dnr
Kandace Chapple is a freelance writer and avid Michigan outdoor adventurer. mi-girl.com