Author Archives: Bri

Grand Haven – Fat Bike Beach Ride

21.5 miles – Sand Beach – Grand Haven to Port Sheldon, Michigan.

Highlights: 11 miles of the finest beach riding in West Michigan.  

Trailhead: This ride starts at the Grand Haven City Beach which is located just to the south of the State Park on South Harbor Ave.  In season there are restrooms available next to the parking area.  If this parking is full you can try next door at the State Park.  A Michigan Recreation Passport is required to enter the State Park, but there is no fee for the the City Beach.

Driving Directions >>

The Ride: This section of Lake Michigan shore from Grand Haven to the channel at Port Sheldon is a favorite for fat bike beach riding.  You can expect smooth sand with only a few break-walls to navigate around.  The only big obstacle is a creek crossing that may require getting your feet wet.

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Beach riding near Grand Haven, MI.

To start the ride hop on the fattie, head down to the waterline and take a left.  About a 1/2 mile up the beach, Harbor Drive turns inland and the cottages and lake homes start to line the shore.  After 2 miles of pedaling you come to the north border of Rosy Mound Natural Area. This Ottawa County Park protects 164 acres of Lake Michigan Dunes that includes 0.6 miles of shoreline.  Near the north end of the park you will see 2 big stairways with viewing decks on top of the dunes.  At the top of the second set of stairs there are rustic toilets if you need to make a pit stop.  This beach area is usually not as busy as others because it can only be accessed by a 0.7 mile hike that includes climbing up and down over 400 steps each way.

breakwall-grand-haven-beachThe next 4 miles of beach is all homes and cottages with no public access points,  There is one breakwall section that may require you to get off the bike and climb over in high water years.  After 6.5 miles of pedaling the beach is cut by Little Pigeon Creek.  In the summer the crossing is usually shallow enough to keep your bottom bracket dry.  However, in early spring we found the water to be at least a couple feet deep.  To get around this, you can ride up along the edge on the stream for a couple hundred feet and cross on a 2-track over a culvert.  It looked like this may be trespassing, but we did not see any signs, so proceed at your own risk.

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Little Pigeon Creek

Continuing south about 1 mile past the creek you will see taller dunes rising up on shore at Kirk Park.  This county park is fairly small in size with just 68 acres and 0.3 miles of beach, but it has some nice overlooks along the 1.5 miles of hiking trails.  Just a short distance up the path from the beach you will find a seasonal restroom building and picnic area.  This park would make a good access point for exploring the southern portion of this ride.  There is a small entrance fee from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

At about 9.3 miles watch for a big wooden stairway and viewing platform up on shore.  This is Olive Shores County Park.  This park was opened in 2012 and just prior to this, scenes from the Tom Hanks movie Road to Perdition were filmed here.  You will find a sign on the lower viewing platform detailing this.  There is not good access for fat biking here as the parking area is separated from the beach by a steep dune and over 300 steps.

header-gh-beach-rideFrom here it is about another 1.5 miles to the Port Sheldon Channel.  The 650 foot stack from the J.H. Campbell Generating Complex will soon come into view.  This coal-fired power plant uses water pumped under ground from about 1,700 feet offshore to cool it’s turbines.  The water is then run through a series of cooling canals and sent back out into Lake Michigan.  Back in 2005 a women was scuba diving in the area and was sucked into the intake pipe.  It was reported the she was carried for a half mile under ground at about 6 feet  per second.  She was then dumped out into a lagoon at the end of the pipe and was lucky to escape the ordeal with only a bloody nose.  This must have been quite a ride.

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Turning around at Port Sheldon Park.

About 0.7 miles from the channel is Port Sheldon Township Park.  This park is a little hard to spot because the parking lot and restroom building are partially hidden behind a low dune.  Watch for trails coming down through the dune grass right inline with the main stack for the power plant.  This is a good place to stop and take a break before heading back to Grand Haven.  We turned around  here on our early spring ride because the sand got really rough as we neared the channel.

The map below is from a ride we did a couple years ago that went all the way to the channel and back.

I should also mention that If the riding conditions change you do have the option of bailing out at one of the parks mentioned above and taking Lakeshore Drive back.  This is a popular roadie ride between Holland and Grand Haven State Parks.  There is a wide shoulder and also a bike path along the entire route.

Map:

Ride Photos:

A GoPro time-lapse video of the ride.

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Not much beach left with the high water levels in 2015.

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The Little Pigeon Creek Crossing.

Post Ride Beverage Burrito: When you get back make sure to ride over and checkout the Grand Haven pier and then head about a 0.5 mile up the boardwalk to Butch’s Beach Burritos.  Butch’s has been serving up seasonal Mexican takeout since the late 80’s, so they must be doing something right.  Eating a burrito on the patio while watching cars cruise the strip and boats in the channel is the perfect way to refuel after your ride.  If you still need an adult beverage (you might have a problem) try the Kirby House for a good beer selection and great food.

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The Grand Haven Pier.

In the Area: Taking a relaxing stroll on the 2.5 mile Boardwalk along the harbor is a popular summer evening activity in Grand Haven.  Start at Chinook Pier and then walk out to the fog signal building at the end of the pier to catch a Lake Michigan sunset.  Along the way there are plenty of shops, restaurants and ice cream stands to check out.  On the way back you will probably notice all the old people sitting on the grass above the boardwalk.  They are waiting to see the Musical Fountain which starts every night at dusk in the summer.

Links:

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Twelve Mile Beach – Fat Bike Ride

15+ miles – Sand Beach – Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan.

Highlights:  12 miles of undeveloped Lake Superior shoreline.

The Hurricane River

The Hurricane River

Trailhead:  This ride starts at the Hurricane River Campground in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  The campground is about 12 miles west of Grand Marais on H-58.  Here you will find 21 rustic campsites split between 2 loops.  The lower loop is right by Lake Superior while the upper loop is closer to the road.  All campsites are first-come, first-served in the National Lakeshore.  Parking for this ride is at the picnic area by the Hurricane River at the entrance to the lower loop.  There is also an overflow lot closer to H-58 that you will pass on your way in.  In the campground there are pit toilets and potable water if you need to fill your bottles before your ride.

Driving Directions >>

The Ride: From the parking area follow the path out to the shoreline.  At the bottom of the short set of stairs go to left and immediately cross the mouth of the Hurricane River.  Every time I have been here in the summer I have been able to find a spot to cross that is not more than a few inches deep.  In early spring the water is probably a little higher.  After the river, the smooth sand of 12 mile beach begins.  Expect to find a mix of soft sand and small cobblestones along most of this route.

After about 0.7 miles you get to a section where the H-58 road runs right along the shore for just over a mile.  You will be able to see and hear the road traffic and you are also likely to encounter more beach walkers and rock hunters in this area.  In the middle of this section Sullivan Creek flows out to Lake Superior.  Just before the stream crossing you will see stairs coming down from a new beach access that was opened in 2012.  At the top of the steps there is parking for about 20 cars and a rustic restroom.  This would also be a good access point for this ride.

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Smooth sand riding on Twelvemile Beach.

After the road bends back away from the Lake you will likely have the next mile of beach all to yourself until you reach the Twelvemile Beach Campground at about 3 miles into the ride.  This is one of my favorite rustic campgrounds in Michigan.  There are 36 campsites on top of a sandy bluff overlooking Lake Superior.  I encountered a few more people on the beach near the campground.  After this I had the beach all to myself for the rest of the ride.  The Lakeshore Hiking Trail also runs parallel to the shore for all of Twelvemile Beach, but I did not see any hikers during my ride.

At about 2.5 miles past the campground or 5.6 miles into the ride you will cross Sevenmile Creek.  When I rode through it was only about 4 inches deep.  Just before the creek a bald eagle flushed from top of a tree and flew up the shore in front of me.  About a half mile later I saw him again and he did the same thing.  On the third time he started up shore again, but then turned and headed way out over the lake and circled around behind me.  I was lucky to get 3 close up encounters on the same ride.

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It is hard to see, but the dark spot over the end of the trees is the bald eagle on Twelvemile Beach.

The next 2.4 miles of beach after the creek is more smooth riding on a mix of sand and cobblestones.  At 7.5 miles into the ride you come to a small point where there are some bigger sandstone rocks on shore.  I tried to stop and take a break here, but I was immediately attacked by a swarm of  biting black flies.  It was a really cool spring and I think this pushed bug season in the Upper Peninsula into July on this year.  From what I have heard the bugs are usually the worst from the middle of May through late June.  I tried to out run the flies and when that didn’t work I decided that it was time to turn around.

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The rocks at the turn around point for this fat bike beach ride.

I originally hoped to continue on another 4.5 miles and ride the entire entire length of Twelvemile Beach up to where the Pictured Rocks Cliffs begin.  The biting flies changed this plan and also made the ride back a little less enjoyable.  When I was heading out I didn’t really even notice it, but I was riding into a very light lake breeze.  It must have been just enough to keep the flies from bothering me.  After I turned around I think they were able to ride the breeze and keep up with me.  For some reason they really liked my right shoulder next the strap of my Camelback.  I must have taken at least 20 hits in the exact same spot.

Even with the flies this still ranks as one of my favorite beach rides on my fat bike.  I can’t wait to get back up here and try to do all of Twelvemile Beach.

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Crossing Sevenmile Creek on the Twelvemile Beach fat bike ride.

Map:

Ride Photos:

A GoPro time-lapse video of the ride.

Post Ride Beverage: Lake Superior Brewing Company is one of our favorite “up north” restaurants and we always make at least one stop here when we are in the area.  The food is good, the beer is good and the atmosphere is perfect for relaxing after a day exploring Pictured Rocks.  If it is a busy weekend they may be out of some of the beer and a couple things on the menu, but I think this is just part of the charm of a small town brewery.

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The Au Sable Lighthouse

In the Area: The Au Sable Light Station is a 1.5 mile hike (or beach ride) east of the Hurricane River Campground.  You can either hike on the Lakeshore Trail or the beach to get here.  Bikes are not allowed on the trails so please take the beach if you choose to ride out.  I would recommend walking the beach because along the way you will pass the remains of 2 different shipwrecks on shore.

Links:

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Riley Trails – Winter Fat Biking

2.7 + miles – Winter Multi-Use Trail – Holland, Michigan

Highlights: Winter riding near the Lakeshore.

riley-trails-sign-2Trailhead: Riley Trails is located on the north side of Holland on Riley St about 4.5 miles west of US 31.  The entrance is on the south side of the road and is marked  with stone pillars holding a wooden sign with red letters.  At the trailhead there is a pit toilet and a few informational boards with maps.

Driving Directions >>

Riley Trails are on 300 acres of county land that was used as a land fill up until 1979.  There are now 7 miles of marked mulit-use trails at this park.  This is not a destination ride, but it is becoming a popular place for locals to put a few miles on their fat bikes in the winter.  Most of the time you will not even know that you are riding around an old dump.  The trails were originally used for mainly cross-country skiing in the late 1980s.  In 2006 management of the property was turned over to Ottawa County Parks and several improvements were made over the next couple years.  The trail system was also remarked and mapped.

After this was done the number of both summer and winter trail users really increased.  The trails are not groomed, but with all of the skier and snowshoe traffic they are usually packed well enough for fat bikes most of the winter.  Although, after significant snow you may want to give it a few days for things to get packed down again.  Also, if there is a big thaw and then a freeze the trails can get too rough to ride.  The warm weather always seems to bring out the walkers and runners and when their footprints freeze things get a little bumpy until they get filled with snow again.

All of the trails are open to exploring on fat bikes, but below I will describe a loop that is most likely to rideable in the winter. If you get out here and the riding conditions are not favorable there are  couple other options nearby.  See the “In the Area” section below for other rides.

The Ride:  in 2012 a 4.5 mile mountain bike loop was pieced together with many of the existing trails.  In the winter the beginning and end of this loop can usually be ridden.  The back half usually doesn’t get enough traffic to pack the snow.  I will explain how to connect the beginning and end of the bike trail with the service road for a winter loop of about 2.7 miles.

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This start of the mountain bike trail.

This fat bike ride starts in the southeast corner of the parking lot by a green sign that shows the map for the “Riley Trails Mt. Bike Course.”  Ride past the sign and follow the brown fiberglass posts with mountain bike trial markers.  This first section of trail is fairly straight and flat with just one small hill to climb over.  It makes a right angle as it follows the north and then east borders of the property.  You will see a few side trails heading off to the right, but you will want to stay straight following the bike markers.  At about 0.7 miles you climb a small hill up to a service road.

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The service road at Riley Trails

At this point the trails split off in several different directions and many of these are usually not packed well enough to ride.  However, the service road is usually plowed.  You will want to take a right on the road heading towards the hill from the old landfill.  After about 0.1 miles you will see the mountain bike trail markers heading across the open area to the left.  If the trail looks like it has had some traffic you can try to continue on the marked bike loop.  Most of the time this will not be good to ride and you will want to continue on the service road and go around the gate as it curves to the left.  You will be on this road for the next 0.75 miles as goes around the old landfill.  After a straight section the road curves to the right and then back to the left and you will see a chain link fence that is the southern edge of the property.  The road will go back to the right away from the fence, but you will want to go to the left of the snow pile and pick up the trail along the fence.  The trail will climb up a hill through some pine trees and then after you go back down you will be right next to the fence again.   Continue straight as the mountain bike trail joins back in from the right.  From here you will be able to follow the brown mountain bike markers for the rest of the ride.   After paralleling the fence for about 0.2 miles a marker points you to the right into the pines.

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Nearing the left turn off on the service road.

You will be in this section of fairly thick pines for about the next 0.6 miles.  This part has some small hills that keep the ride a little more interesting and is also really nice when there is new snow hanging in the trees.  At about 2.2 miles into the ride you turn to the left and leave the pines and enter the hardwoods.  In another 0.1 miles you climb a little rise and then you will want to stay to the right when the trail tees at the top.  Next you drop down the biggest hill of ride and soon you will see the trees opening up to the pond on your left.  This section is more open and tends to drift and be a little rougher than the rest of the trail.  At times you may have to push your fat bike for the last couple hundred feet here.  The bridge over the pond on the left takes you back to the parking area and the end of the loop at 2.7 miles.

Next you can go for another loop or check out the trail map and try to explore some of the other trails.  Staying on the trails closer to the the parking is usually best.

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Entering the pines section at Riley Trails.

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The mountain bike trail markers.

Ride Map:

Ride Photos: 

GoPro timelapse photos of the winter fat biking loop at Riley Trails.

Post Ride Beverage: Try Big Lake Brewing just 2.5 miles away at 977 Butternut Drive #4.  This place is all about the beer.  If you are hungry you can get takeout from one of the nearby restaurants.

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Big Red at Holland State Park

In the Area: About 1.25 miles west of Riley Trails you will find a Lake Michigan beach access off the end of Riley Street.  The township usually does good job of keeping the bike paths plowed, making this is an easy ride on the fat bike out to the lake.  If the beach is not snowed in you can ride south for about 3.5 miles to Holland State Park.  If the beach conditions are not good for riding the bike path along Lakeshore Drive is a good alternate route.  Combining the beach and bike path would also be a good option for a loop.

Links:

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