Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Alden, Michigan

Townline Trail is a really fun and exciting bidirectional trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located directly off Highway M-72 between Kalkaska and Williamsburg, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the eastern end, you'll start on a gravel road for the first half mile....
Learn more about Townline Trail

Richardson Road Northwest is a tighter two-track that traverses rolling hills littered with beautiful views of the surrounding forest. There are a couple of mud holes and some sandy washes, but most vehicles equipped with 4WD will be just fine. With 139 feet of elevation gain and 174 feet of elevati...
Learn more about Richardson Road Northwest

Old 72 Trail is a neat bidirectional trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just northwest of Kalkaska near highway M-72, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the southern end of Old M-72 Rd, you'll start on a thick section of the forest with lush vegetation edging ...
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Rapid River Camp Trail is an exciting and fun bidirectional seasonal road within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just north of Kalkaska near highway US-131 & M-72, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the northern end of Seeley Rd NW, you'll start on a thick section of th...
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Dockery Road East begins off State Highway 72 and is a well-maintained two-lane gravel road that provides access to many great trails. This is a great road to use to begin your adventure for the day. The north end has private land, but that quickly falls away to sprawling state land and other great ...
Learn more about Dockery Road East

Oil Pump Trail is a unique and scenic short out-and-back trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just north of highway M-72, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from Rice Rd NW, you'll start on a sandy gravel road that leads into the thicker section of the forest. As you...
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Haynes Lake Trail is a beautiful route that loops around Haynes Lake, connecting Haynes Road Northwest and Dockery Road Northwest. This trail has a very fun elevation change with a couple of hills, and one section of this route you will be driving along a ridge on the northwest corner of Haynes Lake...
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Kalkaska North Mountain Bike Trail is a fun bidirectional trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just west of Kalkaska near highway US-131 & M-72, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the western end of Brown Fire Lane Northwest, you'll start on a thick section of t...
Learn more about Kalkaska North Mountain Bike Trail

Kalverse Trail North is a unique and scenic out-and-back trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just south of highway M-72 between Williamsburg and Kalkaska, you'll find the trail off Lackey Road, making it easily accessible. Starting on the trail is very grassy and overgrown...
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This route starts off State Highway 72 on the north end and begins as a well-graded two-lane gravel road with some private property on both sides. As you continue into Traverse City Forest Management Land, you will notice the road becomes tighter and less maintained. This route is still a nice drive...
Learn more about Brown Fire Lane Northwest

Island Lake North Trail is a classical Michigan two-track bidirectional trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just west of Kalkaska near highway US-131, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the northern end of Brown Fire Lane Northwest, you'll start on a thick sect...
Learn more about Island Lake North Trail

Smith Lake Trail is an exciting and fun bidirectional trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just west of Kalkaska near highway US-131 & M-72, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the western end of LP 55 Trail, you'll start on a thick section of the forest with lus...
Learn more about Smith Lake Trail

Traverse Trail is a small part of the LP55 snowmobile route. This trail is a great ride to see beautiful stretches of timbered forest. This trail has a good mix of sand, dirt, and a couple of small mud holes. There is a good amount of elevation changes that makes this a very fun trail to drive. Most...
Learn more about Traverse Trail- LP55

Bowman Trail West is an exciting, short, and scenic bidirectional trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just south of highway M-72 between Williamsburg and Kalkaska, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the east end of the power line row, you'll start on a sandy, g...
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Samels Trail is a classical Michigan bidirectional two-track loop trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located off Samels Road, just less than 2 miles south of highway M-72 and Williamsburg, makes this track easily accessible. Starting from the southern end, you'll start on a dirt ...
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Dockery Rd NW is mostly an unmaintained two-lane gravel road that offers scenic views of the surrounding state land. If you follow state forest guidelines, you can hike along this route and do dispersed camping. As you travel across the rolling wooded hills, you can also access other great trails th...
Learn more about Dockery Rd NW

LP 55 Trail is a unique bidirectional trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just west of Kalkaska near highway US-131, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the eastern end of Smith Lake Rd, you'll start on a gravel/rocky portion of the trail. Immediately upon start...
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Kalkaska South Mountain Bike Trail is a fun bidirectional trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just west of Kalkaska near highway US-131 & M-72, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the eastern end of W Kalkaska Road, you'll start on a thick section of the forest ...
Learn more about Kalkaska South Mountain Bike Trail

Lackey Trail South is an exciting and scenic bidirectional trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just south of highway M-72 between Williamsburg and Kalkaska, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the southern end of Bowman Trail W, you'll start on a very thick sect...
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Brown Farm Trail is an easy bidirectional seasonal trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just west of Kalkaska near highway US-131, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the southern end of Island Lake Rd NW, you'll start on a gravel road with thick and lush vegetat...
Learn more about Brown Farm Trail

Townline Trail is a really fun and exciting bidirectional trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located directly off Highway M-72 between Kalkaska and Williamsburg, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the eastern end, you'll start on a gravel road for the first half mile....
Learn more about Townline Trail

Richardson Road Northwest is a tighter two-track that traverses rolling hills littered with beautiful views of the surrounding forest. There are a couple of mud holes and some sandy washes, but most vehicles equipped with 4WD will be just fine. With 139 feet of elevation gain and 174 feet of elevati...
Learn more about Richardson Road Northwest

Old 72 Trail is a neat bidirectional trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just northwest of Kalkaska near highway M-72, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the southern end of Old M-72 Rd, you'll start on a thick section of the forest with lush vegetation edging ...
Learn more about Old 72 Trail

Dockery Road East begins off State Highway 72 and is a well-maintained two-lane gravel road that provides access to many great trails. This is a great road to use to begin your adventure for the day. The north end has private land, but that quickly falls away to sprawling state land and other great ...
Learn more about Dockery Road East

Townline Trail is a really fun and exciting bidirectional trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located directly off Highway M-72 between Kalkaska and Williamsburg, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the eastern end, you'll start on a gravel road for the first half mile....
Learn more about Townline Trail

Richardson Road Northwest is a tighter two-track that traverses rolling hills littered with beautiful views of the surrounding forest. There are a couple of mud holes and some sandy washes, but most vehicles equipped with 4WD will be just fine. With 139 feet of elevation gain and 174 feet of elevati...
Learn more about Richardson Road Northwest

Old 72 Trail is a neat bidirectional trail within the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. Located just northwest of Kalkaska near highway M-72, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the southern end of Old M-72 Rd, you'll start on a thick section of the forest with lush vegetation edging ...
Learn more about Old 72 Trail

Dockery Road East begins off State Highway 72 and is a well-maintained two-lane gravel road that provides access to many great trails. This is a great road to use to begin your adventure for the day. The north end has private land, but that quickly falls away to sprawling state land and other great ...
Learn more about Dockery Road East