Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Lansing, Michigan

West Schafer Trail is an easy 1.5-mile bidirectional trail. Located off Pingree Rd, you'll find the beginning of the trail, making it easily accessible. Starting from the western end, you'll begin on a mostly dirt road with towering trees completely surrounding it. Shortly into this track, the trail...
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Hinchey Trail is an easy 2.5-mile bidirectional trail just outside of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Located between Cedar Lake Trail and Pigmee Trail, you'll find this trail, making it easily accessible and easy to combine with other nearby trails to make for a fun day. Starting from...
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East Schafer Trail is a unique and scenic 1-mile bidirectional trail. Located between Cedar Lake Trail and Bently Lake Trail, this trail is easily accessible and breathtaking. Starting from the western end, you'll start out on a mostly dirt road that slowly transitions to dirt/gravel. There are a fe...
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Glenn West Trail is an adventurous and fun bidirectional road within the Waterloo State Recreation Area. Located just off Highway 94, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the West end, you'll start on a smooth dirt road that leads into some lush trees on a dirt/gravel road. This area is ab...
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Bently Lake Trail is a 4-mile bidirectional trail within the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Located just south of Marion Township between Highway 96 and 94, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the northern end of Bently Lake Road, you'll start out in a thick section of trees wi...
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Pingree Trail is a unique and scenic 2.5-mile trail just outside of the Gregory State Game Area. Located just to the west of Putnam Township, you'll find the trail off M-36, making it easily accessible. Starting out the trail is a mixture of dirt and gravel. Shortly after, the trail transitions into...
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Katz Trail is a very fun and scenic bidirectional road within the Waterloo State Recreation Area. Located just off Highway 94, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the north end, you'll start on a smooth dirt road that leads along this Natural Beauty Road. Towards the beginning of the trai...
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Graves Trail is a fun and entertaining bidirectional trail near the Pinckney State Rec Area. Located just north of Sayles Lake off of M-36, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the northern end, you'll start out on a mostly dirt road in a section of the forest with lush vegetation edging t...
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Glenn East Trail is a classical Michigan bi-directional trail within the Waterloo State Recreation Area. Located off Mount Hope Road, shortly off Highway 94, you'll find the west end of the trail, making it easily accessible. Starting from the western end, you'll start out on a dirt/gravel road next...
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Doyle Trail is an easy bidirectional trail within the Pinckney State Recreation Area. Located off Patterson Lake Rd between highway 96 and 94, you'll find the west end of the trail, making it easily accessible. Starting from the western end, you'll begin on a mostly dirt road full of thick trees lin...
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Spears Trail is a unique and scenic bidirectional trail within the Gregory State Game Area, right off the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Located directly off Cedar Lake Road, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the eastern end, you'll start out on a gravel and dirt road. This t...
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Green Trail is a very interesting scenic bidirectional Natural Beauty Road within the Waterloo State Rec Area. Located between Jackson and Ann Arbor near Highway 94, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the west end at the intersection of Maute Trail, you'll start out on a dirt/gravel road...
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Camp Trail is a fun bidirectional trail just on the outskirts of the Waterloo Rec Area. Located east of Jackson near Highway 74, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the eastern end of Cedar Lake Road, you'll start out next to an overgrown tree with lush vegetation edging the trail towards...
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Gawley Trail is a unique and scenic 2.5 bidirectional trail. Located close to Bently Lake and south of Pleasant Lake, you'll find the trail off West Schafer Road, making it easily accessible. Starting out, the trail consists of both dirt and gravel. There are quite a few sections of trees, but also ...
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Brighton Trail is an exciting and fun bidirectional 3-mile road just outside of the Brighton State Rec Area. Located just south of both Coon and Pardee Lake, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the western end of Pinckey Road, you'll start out in a thick section of trees with lush vegetat...
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Maute Trail is an exciting 2.5-mile scenic bidirectional trail within the Waterloo State Recreation Area. Located near Highway 94 between Jackson and Ann Arbor, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the south end off Morrisey Road, you'll start out on a dirt road that quickly turns into a d...
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McClure Trail is an easy 2.4-mile bidirectional trail, yet scenic in its own way. Located within the Waterloo State Rec Area near Highway 74 between Jackson and Ann Arbor, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the western end at the intersection of Loveland Trail, you'll start out on a dirt...
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Kelly Trail is everything you would think it is based on its name. This 2.7-mile bidirectional scenic trail has many things to offer. Located within the Pinckney State Rec Area between highway 96 and 94 near Hell, it's easily accessible. Starting from the southern end at the intersection of Patterso...
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Leach Trail is a really fun and exciting bidirectional trail within the Waterloo State Recreation Area. Located just off Highway 74 between Jackson and Ann Arbor, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the eastern end, you'll start out on a dirt road where you may be able to see a glimpse of...
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Silver Hill Trail is a unique Michigan bidirectional trail within the Pinckney State Recreation Area. Located just south of Hell between Highway 96 and 94, this trail is easily accessible. Starting from the northern end of D-32, you'll start out right next to the city of Hell. If you haven't checked...
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Starting on the south end of Fulton St East, you will quickly encounter a well-maintained two-lane gravel road. You will also see a thick forest surrounding you. This trail cuts directly through state land. There are many pull-offs to park and enjoy the public land. Halfway through this trail, you w...
Learn more about Montcalm Ave Northeast

This an an out-and-back trail. The access is off Potters Rd. The beginning of the trail has public land on one side and private residences on the other so be courteous. Half a mile into the trail it turns from a gravel road into a two-track. Along the route, there are pull offs for the public land. ...
Learn more about Montcalm Ave Northeast Trail

West Snow Lake Road is a fast two-lane dirt road that rips through the north end of the Flat River State Game Area. Along this route, you will see lots of different terrain ranging from thick dense forest to open clearcuts. You'll have a multitude of turnouts to access the game area. There are also ...
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This trail is mild and weaves in and out of trees. There are a couple of off-camber spots, especially the exit. This trail also intertwines with Rookie Run and signage can be confusing but won't lead you into anything extreme. The exits are easy to find. The one entrance/exit has a large water hole ...
Learn more about Deer Run

Starting on the south end of Fulton St East, you will quickly encounter a well-maintained two-lane gravel road. You will also see a thick forest surrounding you. This trail cuts directly through state land. There are many pull-offs to park and enjoy the public land. Halfway through this trail, you w...
Learn more about Montcalm Ave Northeast

This an an out-and-back trail. The access is off Potters Rd. The beginning of the trail has public land on one side and private residences on the other so be courteous. Half a mile into the trail it turns from a gravel road into a two-track. Along the route, there are pull offs for the public land. ...
Learn more about Montcalm Ave Northeast Trail

West Snow Lake Road is a fast two-lane dirt road that rips through the north end of the Flat River State Game Area. Along this route, you will see lots of different terrain ranging from thick dense forest to open clearcuts. You'll have a multitude of turnouts to access the game area. There are also ...
Learn more about West Snow Lake Road

This trail is mild and weaves in and out of trees. There are a couple of off-camber spots, especially the exit. This trail also intertwines with Rookie Run and signage can be confusing but won't lead you into anything extreme. The exits are easy to find. The one entrance/exit has a large water hole ...
Learn more about Deer Run