Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Sanford, Michigan

A scenic, easy-going trail through the woods in the Gladwin Forest area west of Midland. One of the few dry trails in the area, especially in the spring. The trail winds through woods and wetland.…
Learn more about West Isabella Bypass

This out-and-back trail starts off as a two-track through a logged area with a few lone oak trees still standing before getting sandier and heading into the woods. The first half of the trail is…
Learn more about Lone Oak

The trail starts at the intersection of West Olson Road and Geneva Road. There are large yellow turn signs on either side of the trail marking the normal roads. It is 1 to 2 vehicles…
Learn more about West Olson Trail

This narrow and scratchy trail will leave a mark. This sandy trail is off a longer trail in the Gladwin Forest. This trail can be run either direction, but we found the overhead branches favored…
Learn more about Scratchy Trail

This is a fun, sandy trail with multiple whoops providing the opportunity to test out your high-speed suspension. The trail is two vehicles wide when entering from Grim Road, but narrows to just over one…
Learn more about Gladwin Forest Baja

This stretch of Wildwood Road is a narrow, sandy, and unmaintained road. It is easy in difficulty, and its only obstacle during the summer season is some whoops. The surrounding scenery varies between dense woods…
Learn more about North Wildwood Road

Center Fireline Trail is a part of the Gladwin Scramble, a mixed-use riding area in the Gladwin Forest Management Unit. This trail is a two-lane dirt trail with mixed access and cross-traffic. You can expect…
Learn more about Center Fireline Trail

Mosquito Alley Truck Trail is a flat and sandy trail that parallels the Molasses River. It is a wide trail that easily accommodates both directions of traffic, and it is an easy, non-technical trail during…
Learn more about Mosquito Alley Truck Trail

Michigan DNR ORV Route is open to full-size, 50-inch, and motorcycles with ORV permits and Trail permit stickers. This is a small ORV Route but is surrounded by many more miles of 50-inch trails. The…
Learn more about Gladwin ORV Route

A simple sandy trail in the Gladwin ORV area with the most beautiful wetland views. This trail has thick sand, many turns and curves, and is relatively flat, but the various wetland views along it…
Learn more about East Fireline Trail

Sterling Truck Trail is a seasonal road that is a great connector trail for many of the trails in the Gladwin area. The terrain is sandy and flat, and it is easily wide enough for…
Learn more about Sterling Truck Trail

Lame Duck Truck Trail is a seasonal road that borders the north edge of the Lame Duck wetland area. The terrain is sandy and flat. It is very easy in difficulty, but it is unmaintained…
Learn more about Lame Duck Truck Trail

This connector trail runs north and south between Lame Duck Truck Trail and Sterling Truck Trail. It can drastically vary in difficulty depending on trail conditions. On a dry summer day after the groomer has…
Learn more about North Sterling Truck Trail

Wildlife Drive, located in Schiawasse National Wildlife Refuge, is a scenic, flat dirt road designed for a leisurely drive in a clockwise direction. Take your time to enjoy the stunning views, hiking trails, and beautiful…
Learn more about Wildlife Drive

Hilly adventure awaits on this unmapped trail in the Roscommon Forest. This trail is South off of Sandy Trail, and is just West of the St. Helen's South ORV Route. There is a loop off…
Learn more about Hilly Trail

Heavily wooded trail in the middle of the Gladwin State Forest. The trail runs north and south and is dirt and sand. On the north section, trees hang over the trail, making for difficult passing.…
Learn more about Markey Road

This is a scenic ORV route near the St. Helen Motorsport Area. The trail features sandy terrain with occasional deep ruts (from ATVs and razors) but nothing a Jeep couldn't manage. When going around the…
Learn more about Denton Creek Trail

Michigan DNR ORV Route is open to full-size vehicles, 50 inch, and 24 inch with ORV and trail permits. The route is mostly soft sand. This section of the route is a connector between St.…
Learn more about St. Helen ORV Route - West

Aginaw Loop to Knoch is part of multiple trail systems in the area of the checkerboard. This trail is made up of pines and hardwood and starts as double-lane dirt and then drops to single-lane…
Learn more about Aginaw Loop

This Michigan DNR ORV Route is open to full-size, 50-inch, and motorcycles with ORV permits and trail permit stickers. This area connects with St. Helen ORV Route on the west side. The west side of…
Learn more about Ogemaw Hills ORV Route

The trail is nicely wooded with soft-packed sand, with a few sandier sections at intersections and in the corners. In August, mudholes are still possible. Little Leota has many intersections to hop back onto the…
Learn more about Little Leota Trail

Dow Road is a 2-ish vehicle-wide hard-packed road that will take you through older forest. This trail will take you to the West Branch area or the Clear Lake area for food and fuel. Plenty…
Learn more about Dow Road

This is a combination of ORV route and Forest Service roads. The trail can have numerous chatter bumps if it hasn't been groomed recently. There are some great views of the Muskegon River at 3…
Learn more about Leota South River Route

This trail includes 2 large bowls that can be climbed into and out of from many different paths. My trail only shows 1 of the options, but almost all are accessible in one way or…
Learn more about The Missing Bowls

St Helen Trail is a 3ish-wide vehicle sandy trail that will take you through new growth forest and older forest. This trail will take you to the St. Helen area or the West Branch area…
Learn more about St. Helen Trail

While it seems like a straightforward trail, there are many overgrown trees, which we attempted to groom back, and towards the end (depending on the direction you go) there is a little bit of an…
Learn more about Whisker's Trail

This loop covers a very nice area, incorporating a couple of State Forest roads and ORV routes. It's a state gaming area, so keep that in mind while traveling through. You'll find a spot for…
Learn more about Backus Creek SGA Loop

Beaver Lake Trail is a 3 or so vehicle-wide sandy trail that will take you through new growth forest, older forest, and recently clear-cut areas. This trail will take you to the St. Helen area…
Learn more about Beaver Lake Trail

This is a direct line to the Leota High Banks on the north side of the Muskegon River. This will take you through a mix of recently forested and older-growth forest. Along the way, you…
Learn more about Leota High Banks

This trail is a point-to-point section of DNR Trail 6, which is part of extensive off-road vehicle trails that branch out from the ORV-friendly community of St. Helen, Michigan. This short but popular section of…
Learn more about Sacred Chimney Trail