After Team GB picked up 24 cycling medals at the Invictus Games last week we are sure you have been inspired to get on your bike. We all know Michigan as the home of the American car industry, but with rolling hills, stunning lakeside paths and unique architecture, there is no better way to experience this Great Lake State than on two wheels and a little pedal power. There are over 1,300 bike trails throughout the state, but you don't just have to go off road to get on your bike in Michigan.
Rock and Ride
Michigan may not be the first place that springs to mind for mountain biking, but it really should be. Find comfort in the rustic backdrop of Northern Michigan, where trails wind through secluded forests, rolling hills, and soaring dunes suited to all ages and abilities. Located at the tip of Keweenaw Peninsula, Copper Harbor, is a mecca for mountain biking, with one of the top ranked trail systems in the world. Copper Harbor boasts a very unique terrain for the mountain biker, which is rocky, rugged, and mountainous.
Marquette County, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, has been recognised as having some of the best mountain biking in the Great Lakes region. If you'd prefer a more leisurely ride, the new Iron Ore Heritage Trail offers a bike experience for the whole family. Marquette hosts a number of competitive races and festivals to celebrate their biking, including the Ore to Shore Mountain Bike Epic, which is the Michigan's largest start point-to-point mountain bike race.
Biking back in time
One of the most iconic bike rides in Michigan is Mackinac Island's coastal pathway. This paved, family-friendly route is the best way to appreciate Mackinac Island's classic architecture, dazzling Lake Huron views, dramatic limestone bluffs and vibrant wildflowers.
Bikers will find over 70 miles of paved, road-friendly path and bona fide mountain bike trails. But you won't find cars! Yeah, you read that right. Cars have been banned from Mackinac Island since the last century. Beyond weaving around horse apples in the road, biking on Mackinac Island is a cyclists dream.
