Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula
Mountain Biking a Finger of Land Jutting into Lake Superior
I rode the Keweenaw Peninsula in 2011. It took nearly two years before the article went to print in Dirt Rag, Issue #174. The editorial process can take time.
Below is how it appeared in DR back then. Note: I have not checked all of the URLs at the end to see if they’re still good. If this kind of guide is what you’re looking for, it is what, in part, MTBeer will deliver to paid subscribers. If you want, sign up for paid subscriptions here:
The DIY Guide to MTBing the Keweenaw
Out, far out, beyond mixed hardwood and coniferous trees that slope down off the ridgeline towards Lake Superior, I see the horizon meet the ocean-like water line. The pale white sun beams in the blue sky. The air is crisp, like autumn. It is summer here, however. I am where knobbed tires spin through the north woods on paths designed by human hands, hands that have built wooden trail segments that flow seamlessly with the dirt curves of the land. I think to myself, “I do not need all ten of my fingers to count the trail traffic that I have seen over the past four days of mountain biking up here.”
White pines whisper. The big lake shines. A couple of smaller ones shimmer. Pure, clean air fills my being. I breathe in the remoteness and the solitude. Thoughts of being anywhere else do not exist.
This is Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula. More specifically, this is a finger of land that juts out into Lake Superior. The Keweenaw.
First Nations. Followed by explorers, immigrant copper miners and timber harvesters. Followed by mountain bikers?
Copper Harbor, almost on the very tip of the Keweenaw, is a place that many a mountain biker seeks to ride. For those who have experienced it, once up on the mountain above town, there is no doubt that the journey was worth it. They assure themselves that they will go back. Still, the travels are long. It is a far off place that seems even farther when looking at the map.
“Bike the Keweenaw,” is a new campaign championed by roadies and fat tire fiends alike in these parts. If you think Copper Harbor is all that this Great Lakes woodlands stretch-of-the-world has to offer the mountain biker, you are woefully wrong. More than one hundred miles of trails await you from Houghton on up to Copper Harbor. From the Tech Trails to Maasto Hiito/Churning Rapids to Swedetown to the IMBA epic, the Keweenaw Peninsula has four solid days, or more if you want, of trail riding ranging from groomed single track to hand-crafted wood features to roots and rocks.
Throw in a few small-batch brew pubs, a pasty (pass-tee) or two, fish dinners caught on the lake earlier in the day, serene natural beauty, hiking, kayaking, and arguably the most laid-back local mountain biking scene around, and you have a place well worth every hour of the journey it takes for you to arrive.
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The Tech Trails, Houghton
Turning on to Sharon Avenue at the stoplight on route 41 at Michigan Technological University, the trailhead sign on the left side of the road was easy to spot after going up the hill through campus and around the bend. I drove back to the trailhead and immediately spotted the big sign laying out four possible rides to choose from, all marked by colored diamonds with black arrows in the middle of the diamond. I chose the orange loop, 11.5 miles of rolling groomed single track, highlighted by Outer Limits Loop. Called an Aerobic Adventure Ride, it can be a hammerfest, a cruise in the woods, or a beginner’s dream, if s/he is looking for a little bit of a workout. Well-marked, the loop undulated, though never really amounted to any kind of a white-knuckle descent or a lung-busting climb. It is a classic cross-country racer layout, with good-times flow.
Not quite mtb-satiated for the evening, I hopped on the 4.5 mile red loop, aka the technical ride. Again, the trail was well-marked and pretty much impossible to get lost on, but the red loop was the antithesis of the orange loop. Wood features, including skinnies, a high ramp that twists quickly back down (Dorkscrew) to terra firma, some bridges with drops and other unique carpenter’s art crafted for mountain bike riding (The Dragon), baby head rocks and thick tree roots made for a strenuous pedal requiring nimble balance. Hairy Toad lived up to its name, indeed. The rocks that chocked-full the trail were a blast to this east coast rider. The pump track demonstrated the cleverness of the trail builders, while the mounds threw me a little, as big air is not something I seek out.
As they say throughout the Keweenaw, “If you can ride the Tech trails, you can ride Copper Harbor.”
Maasto Hiito/Churning Rapids Trails, Hancock
The guys at The Bike Shop on Huron Avenue in Houghton suggested parking up at the Christenson Road trailhead on the Churning Rapids side of the trail system, but I had intended to ride both the Maasto Hiito and the Churning Rapids sides, so I opted to park on the lower end by Maasto Hiito to not have to drive to the other side. Clipping in, I followed the doubletrack clockwise and a couple minutes later jumped on the singletrack heading back counterclockwise. The unmarked trail wandered along the forested hillside with a few quick ups. White birch was prevalent. The trail then dropped back down to the double track, though it had single track shooting off here and there along a stream, all of which eventually joined back in on the double track. A little more challenging to navigate than Churning Rapids, I basically rode the right side of the Maasto Hiito map following marked trails 3 and 4 up to Ruby Marsh, slipping onto single track that went off in the same direction as the numbered trails whenever I saw it.
Up on Churning Rapids, the trails were signed and easy to follow. Pow Pow Trails and Great Oaks had the feeling of deep north woods riding, reminiscent of the CAMBA trails over in Wisconsin. Continuing on to the Basswoods and then back around to Finney Creek to the Oaks Crosscut, the trail was rising up to meet me the way the old Irish blessing calls for the road to rise up and meet you along your way as you set out to parts unknown. From there, sport-pace pedaling, I made way down Sunset to Tom’s Bypass and on to Yooper, followed by a few more turns and landscape readings to get back to where I started; in other words, the lower end of Maasto Hiito got me turned around a little, but I made it back to my car somewhat easy enough.
Swedetown Trails, Calumet
Ask any local mountain biker in the Keweenaw about Swedetown and a smile will come to their face. They will likely say something like: It’s fast and fun! Go check it out. You won’t get lost.
Follow the signs to the Swedetown Ski Trails parking area on the south side of Calumet just west of route 41. From the parking lot, head in the direction of the dirt hill in front of you, but do not ride up it.
I turned right onto Applesauce, a single track ribbon that connected me to the other trails meandering across through Swedetown. Two Hoots met up with Bunker Hill which spit me out at the Adventure Trail, signed as a difficult trail. It is for Swedetown, but it likely is something that an adventurous beginner could roll on, with maybe a couple of dismounting spots here and there.
At the warming shack, I took the Cable Connector up to Lake View, which was the grand boulevard of Swedetown MTB. Super flowing single track went on and on, inducing zen-like riding in mid-morning air. Back at the warming shack after some waterfront riding, I took Burly Trail, which did not seem all that much so, to the other part of Applesauce that goes back to the parking area.
Swedetown is a crowd pleaser, no doubt. Oh!—don’t pass up Poor Rock Pocket. It will make you smirk.
IMBA Epic and Some New Trails, Copper Harbor
When you get into town, go to Keweenaw Adventure Company (KAC). Everything you need to know about riding Copper Harbor is there. KAC and friends built the trails you are about to ride. Buy a map because your five bucks goes directly to trail maintenance, trail building, and trail advocacy. Sign the petition.
Now you are ready to ride. The IMBA Epic is mapped out on the trail map you just bought at KAC. Once up on the mountain, follow along using the map as you come to the trail intersections. No doubt Woopidy Woo and Stairway to Heaven will be trails you will not soon forget, but for me, the highlights of the epic ride were Red Trail and Paul’s Plunge.
Red was one of the original trails local riders ventured out on back in the 90s. Built as a hiking trail in the Depression era by the Work Projects Administration, it is rocky and feels far away from the trails on the front side of the mountain, giving it a back-country/all-mountain flavor. There are some drops that are able to be ridden if you lean way back, and the rubber on rock riding is tacky like fly-catching paper.
After Red, a couple turns of the cranks on a gravel road connects the epic to Paul’s Plunge. A sign warns of the impending drop over the ridge. I leaned back and sliced my way through roots and rocks of the steep cut/wash out that certainly feels like a plunge. For a minute or so, I was reminded of mountain biking in Appalachia.
Be sure to ride the new trails over by Brockway Mountain Drive. On the Edge has a great vista to gaze out at while riding, and is where you will find a series of wood bridges and berms that snake their way down the mountain and connect to Woopidy Woo. On the other side of the Brockway Mountain Drive trailhead area is The Flow. For nearly three miles, the trail slopes back and forth down the mountain with several breathtaking views of Lake Superior that will have you wanting to pull hard on the brakes. Do it. Stop and enjoy your surroundings.
Sidebar info….
Houghton
Lodging: Several motels and hotels are located downtown. Super 8 has rooms facing the waterfront. The Downtowner Motel is simple, but cheap.
Beer: Keweenaw Brewing Company is on Main Street downtown. They can their beer, which can be found where beer is sold, and in most bars and restaurants throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula.
http://www.keweenawbrewing.com/
The Library is a restaurant with a brew pub that makes a great IPA. Entrees are on the pricey side, but they have burgers, etc as well.
Coffee: Cyberia Café is open later into the evenings and serves up quality brew, and WiFi too.
Food: Next to The Bike Shop, The Suomi is a local diner that delivers hearty breakfasts at a fair price. Lunch is served too, but it is their breakfasts that locals talk about.
Eat a pasty (pass-tee) at Kaleva Café in Hancock. It will fuel you for any riding you may do after you finish eating it! (Add ketchup or gravy?)
Bike Shop: The Bike Shop is located on Huron Avenue downtown. Any trail beta you may want/need for the Tech trails, Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapids trails can be found here. The staff is very knowledgeable and will gladly talk with you about their local mtb offerings, as well as what to expect at Calumet and Copper Harbor.
Calumet
Beer and Food: Red Jacket Brewing is located inside the Michigan House, a historic building that is a restaurant and bar. It is a great place to grab a post-ride beer and a bite to eat in a very low-key setting that feels like you stepped into the early 1900s.
http://www.michiganhousecafe.com/
Coffee: 5th and Elm Coffee House is located at 501 Elm Street.
http://www.5thandelmcoffeehouse.com/
Bike Shop: Cross Country Sports is around the corner from the Michigan House. They will fill you in what’s going on at Swedetown and get you on your way.
http://crosscountrysports.com/
Copper Harbor
Lodging: If you want a motel room with a view of the water, go with the Bella Vista Motel or the King Copper Motel. There are several places that offer cabins in town, including Mariner North Resort and the Pines Resort.
http://www.bellavistamotel.com/
http://www.kingcoppermotel.com/
Camping is available at Fort Wilkins State Historic Park and at Lake Fanny Hooe Resort and Campground, both not quite located in town. Fort Wilkins would be a little quieter, and you can access the trails from the park that lead back into town.
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?type=SPRK&id=419
Food: Mariner North has a restaurant and bar, as does the Pines. Zik’s Bar is located adjacent/is attached to the Pines.
Harbor Haus sits on the waterfront, and has a great beer list and sunset views. It will set you back a few bills for a full dinner, but the chef is considered one of the best in the Midwest.
The General Store has anything that you may have forgotten to bring, or developed a need for.
Stop in at the fish market on the dock where the ferry for Isle Royale is located and ask to sample the smoked fish sausage. Then buy some for later on.
Coffee: Boreal Beans, Michigan’s northernmost coffee shop, is located inside the Brockway Inn just west of the blinking stop light. Excellent coffee and some baked goods are available at 8 a.m. daily. Carryout only.
http://www.brockwayinn.com/coffee.html
Bike Shop: Everything, yes, everything, you need related to riding the world-renowned trails can be found at Keweenaw Adventure Company. Group rides are held Thursday evenings at 6:30. They have bike rentals and run a shuttle to the top. Sign the petition when you stop in. http://keweenawadventure.com/
Eagle River
Stop in this little town for dinner at Fitzgerald’s, located in the Eagle River Inn, while the sun sets on Lake Superior. Make a reservation if you would like a window seat. At the least, stop in for a drink and take it out on the deck. The beer/wine/whiskey list is world class. Talk with Marc about beer and Mike about whiskey. Order something from the smoker!
Eagle Harbor
If you have a hankering for pizza, the restaurant at the Eagle Harbor Inn serves up some tasty ‘za. Check out the locally made tile bar.
http://www.eagleharborinn.biz/index.html.html
Races and Events
Keweenaw Chain Drive, www.chaindrive.org, Cross-country race in June at Maasto Hiito/Churning Rapids in Hancock, MI.
The Miner’s Revenge, www.adventuremine.com, Cross-country race in July in Greenland, MI.
The Great Deer Chase, www.greatdeerchase.org, Cross-country race in August at Swedetown in Calumet, MI.
Copper Harbor Fat Tire Festival, www.copperharbortrails.org, Cross-country race and festival in early September (Labor Day Weekend), Copper Harbor, MI.
Rondevous, www.mturonde.org, Cross-country race in August at the Michigan Tech Trails in Houghton, MI.
**All things MTB in the Keweenaw, including trail maps, can be found at a newly created website: http://bikethekeweenaw.com/
The Keweenaw Peninsula is on eastern U.S. time. In the peak of summer, there is light in the sky until around 10:30 p.m.
Give yourself at least two hours for riding the Tech trails, Massto Hiito and Churning Rapids, and Swedetown. Give yourself at least two days to ride in Copper Harbor.
Cell phone service is spotty-to-non-existent in Copper Harbor. You can get a signal by driving up the Brockway Mountain Drive. Be sure to go as far as the big parking area at the very top. The view is spectacular.
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