Can you really build a true backcountry mountain bike route in the Midwest? Thanks to the expansive wilderness blanketing Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the Copper Harbor Trail Club unequivocally answers “yes!”
The Copper Harbor Trail Club (CHTC) has been slowly building a long-distance backcountry loop over the past 10 years. Known as the “Keweenaw Point Trail,” once it’s finally completed in 2026, the trail will stretch for 30 miles, allowing riders to begin pedaling directly from downtown Copper Harbor. The epic loop (recommended in the clockwise direction) passes through a vast tract of wild land that was previously inaccessible to the public.
“It’s cool — for the Midwest […] it’s true wilderness out there, it’s big tracts of protected lands,” said Adam Yeoman, Interim Executive Director of the CHTC. “It feels like nowhere else in the Midwest.”
This 32,000-acre wilderness is home to incredible natural sites
The large tracts of protected land Yeoman refers to were once used for mining or logging and have since become unproductive for those extraction purposes. The Nature Conservancy purchased 32,000 acres on the Keweenaw Peninsula, subsequently transferring 10,000 acres to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The remaining 22,000 acres will be transferred to a new local recreation authority in Keweenaw County.
Within this 32,000-acre wilderness are innumerable locations with incredible natural beauty, and the new backcountry trail has been designed to access the best spots. Among the most beautiful locations are two beaches that were difficult, if not impossible, to access before: Big Bay Beach and Keystone Beach. Big Bay has previously been mostly inaccessible, except by water. Keystone Beach is “absolutely gorgeous,” and while “you could get there on a two-track, it’s been hard,” according to Yeoman. “The road is in rough shape.”
“It feels like nowhere else in the Midwest.”
Adam Yeoman, Interim Executive Director, CHTC
The new trail also provides access to Montreal Falls, “a waterfall that pours directly into Lake Superior. We lost public access to that a few years ago, and it was a really popular hiking spot,” said Yeoman. While mountain bikers will be able to access the falls while on a big backcountry circuit, the CHTC also plans to build a new trailhead parking area near the falls, providing a beautiful day hike opportunity.
In addition to water, the rock features along the trail are absolutely gorgeous, with outcroppings galore and natural rock rolls built into the trail tread. The route even passes beneath a massive sea arch, an impressive rock formation found in certain places along the Lake Superior coastline.
What’s the character of the trail tread?
The CHTC is designing the entire Keweenaw Point Trail as a blue-rated intermediate trail, “and a lot of that is due to its remoteness,” said Yeoman. The singletrack offers a classic backcountry XC experience. While most of the trails we’re seeing built around the country provide steep, fast, gravity-style mountain biking (whether flow trails or tech trails), the choice to build a backcountry-style epic is a welcome departure from the norm.
“There’s some meandering, flowy sections of the trail, but that’s interspersed with some cool rock features,” he continued. “The Keweenaw is full of different rock geology — it’s pretty cool here. So whether that be a chunky, human-built rock garden, or natural rock rolls.”
“Mile after mile after mile, it just keeps putting smiles on your face or [offering] new reveals around every corner.”
An epic trail, 17 years in the making
Building a brand-new 30-mile trail is no small feat, and the CHTC began construction on the trail in 2015. The vision dates back even further, to the founding of the club around 2008.
The first phase was built in 2015, with the second phase completed in ’17. The CHTC then progressed into phase three, which is divided into segments, including one from High Rock to Keystone Beach and another near Big Bay, which is currently under construction.
The Big Bay section that’s currently under construction runs for five miles along the coastline, offering incredible views along the way. “You’ve got Lake Superior on your left and this massive swamp on your right, and you’re on this 25- to 50-foot spit of high and dry land between them,” said Yeoman. “So it’s really thick. It’s beautiful. It’s absolutely gorgeous.”
After the spit of land between the swamp and the lake, the new section runs beneath the aforementioned sea arch. “So yeah, it’s got all sorts of stuff. It’s really cool,” he concluded.
The final phase is expected to be completed in 2026. The CHTC has seven miles left to build, “and it’s by far the most challenging build and some of the most rewarding trail, and it’s pretty amazing through a pretty ecologically sensitive area.” Permits are still pending for the project, as the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) asked the CHTC to complete a threatened and endangered plant species review of the trail, in addition to acquiring wetland permits. “We are a lot of money into permitting this thing, and we think we are a couple of weeks away from a permit — is what we’re hoping here,” said Yeoman during our interview.
A $3.5 million endeavor
CHTC has secured several grants to fund the trail, including a Michigan DNR Trust Fund Grant. To date, Yeoman estimates they’ve invested $2.5 million in the Keweenaw Point Trail. The tough trail build and infrastructure investment slated for next year will total an additional $1 million.
The entirety of the Keweenaw Point Trail has been built by Rock Solid Trail Contracting, which has one of its two headquarters in Copper Harbor. The company’s second headquarters is in Bentonville, AR.
Future connectivity plans
While completing the 30-mile loop will be a substantial achievement, the CHTC isn’t stopping there. The massive land acquisition by the Nature Conservancy has opened up the opportunity to build connector trails through the middle of the loop, allowing riders to pedal shorter rides without committing to the entire 30-mile epic. This additional trail development will also open up more route options and total trail mileage for more endurance-minded riders.
In addition to the backcountry trail builds, the CHTC, in partnership with Rock Solid, is still building gravity-style trails, most notably at the East Bluff Bike Park. All told, the club has another 115 miles of singletrack already included in the area’s master plan once the Keweenaw Point Trail is completed next year.
The mountain bike scene in Copper Harbor has long been heralded as one of the best in the Central USA. With the completion of this new backcountry epic and ambitious plans for the future, this renowned destination promises to just keep getting better.
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