“Iron Mountain’s mountain bike scene has absolutely exploded since Dickinson Trail Network (DTN) broke ground on our first trails in 2019,” Chad Susott, President of DTN, told Singletracks. “The enthusiasm and support from riders was already simmering for over a decade, thanks in part to the inspiration and momentum created by other trail networks across the Upper Peninsula.”
For quite some time, “mountain biking” and “Upper Peninsula” were synonymous with the popular destinations of Copper Harbor and Marquette. Now, Iron Mountain is being added to the conversation.
The Iron Mountain mountain bike scene
The city already had popular riding at the Pine Mountain Ski Resort and over six miles of trails near downtown at Millie Hill (yes, there is a trail named “Millie Vanillie”). But Pine Mountain and Millie Hill are just the tip of the iceberg.
Over its nearly two decades of history, DTN has been busy, adding trail systems to its portfolio. Along with the above-mentioned projects, DTN has also been involved with trail development, expansion, and maintenance at places like the Ogee Trail System (19.5 miles) and the Fumee Lake Natural Area (15 miles).
“In our first season alone, we hand-built over ten miles of trail. In our second year, our supporters helped us obtain a Bobcat E20 mini excavator, which dramatically increased our trail-building capacity,” Susott told us.
Susott attributes much of the organization’s success to innovative and strategic planning in DTN’s early days. While they felt an incredible surge of support and energy from the community, they made sure to be intentional and strategic. This meant slowing their pace at times to ensure projects were planned and executed properly — the vision was long-term and sustainable, not just quick trails.
DTN’s high standards and patience appear to be paying off as their efforts culminate in their latest project: the Pewabic Hill Trail System.
The new trail system on Pewabic Hill is 90% complete
The Pewabic Hill area is roughly 100 acres of land owned by the City of Iron Mountain. Susott told us that around 80 acres of Pewabic Hill are suitable for trail development. Historically, the land was the site of the Walpole and Pewabic Mines, the remnants of which can still be found at the site today.
With both the Pewabic and Millie projects, DTN was involved in the reclamation of former mining land. This has been a core value of the organization — taking mine-scarred, unused, and uninviting land that would likely be a land manager’s liability, and transforming it into vibrant recreational destinations.
DTN’s first trail system project was the six-mile network at Millie Hill, located on the east side of Iron Mountain’s downtown area. After completing Millie Hill, DTN looked east to their next opportunity — Pewabic Hill.
“Back in 2020, we had the volunteers, the motivation, and the energy to build an entire system ourselves,” Susott said. “But we also understood that our skills at the time, while strong, weren’t yet at the level needed to fully honor the potential of Pewabic’s terrain. That property deserved something exceptional.”
For DTN, this would mean entering into a new phase of trail development — working with a contracted trail builder. In 2019, the organization first worked with Chad Landowski of Traction Trailworx. Landowski led the professional development of the system, conducting a site analysis, flagging, and mapping trails. Ultimately, this allowed for the creation of a comprehensive blueprint and bid sheet.
Fortunately, DTN would find another partner in Steve Veihl, owner of Iron Goat Trail Construction.
“There’s been a strong push [for trails] here since [Susott], myself, and several others became involved. Personally, there’s a feeling of catching up when looking at [places like] Marquette and Copper Harbor,” Veihl said.
And it seems like they’re doing just that. Iron Goat led the charge on the recent trail development at Pine Mountain Resort and will also be leading the construction at Pewabic Hill.
Veihl and team have been hard at work on the trails at Pewabic Hill, and the new system is over 90% complete. Veihl gave us the details on what the nearly six-mile trail system will consist of:
- Five full trails
- Three are XC loops with rocky, tech options
- Two are DH-only flow/jump trails — one intermediate, and one advanced
- Pewabic Hill has roughly 200 feet of elevation
Veihl explained that the hill has quite a bit of rock, which can make the overall trail-building experience a bit of a challenge. “At the same time, it provides endless building blocks for features and tech,” he said.
Of the three XC trails, one will be a “main loop,” taking up two of the system’s six miles. This beginner-friendly loop will flow downhill from the trailhead, descending roughly 200 feet before climbing back up. The main loop also serves as a launching point for the other loops and trails at Pewabic.
Two other XC loops will be just over one mile each. Both will be beginner-friendly, but will also have intermediate and advanced options along the way.
There will also be two downhill-only jump lines, one intermediate and one advanced. The intermediate downhill trail will have tabletop jumps, berms, and optional rock and wooden features as it cuts nearly half a mile down Pewabic Hill. Stepping things up a bit, the 0.6-mile advanced flow trail will have a bit of the same, but dialed up to match its higher skill rating. Rock and wooden features are taken out of the “optional” category, with the trail being built on the steepest part of the hill.
Both downhill trails will connect to Pewabic’s main loop, with a quick climb back to the top. This will give riders the ability to lap the DH trails relatively easily. The build also incorporates an old boat that was dumped in the area years ago. Wood planks were added to make a unique jump feature.
“Yes, the infamous Pewabic Boat. Ironically, it was abandoned at one of the highest elevation points in the area,” Susott told us. “It has kind of a cult following in the area with a lot of people using it as a landmark. The City of Iron Mountain offered to dispose of the vessel, but we insisted that we had plans for it if allowed.”
As the project nears completion, Susott couldn’t be more pleased. For him, it represents more than great trails in the area, but organizations and municipalities working together for the betterment of the community. The partnership is clearly demonstrated by DTN collaborating with the City of Iron Mountain to secure a $183,200 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant. The grant required a 20% match, which DTN committed to paying in full.
And the community of Iron Mountain showed its support.
“My wife and I stuffed and mailed over 100 large envelopes to local businesses and potential supporters throughout the region,” Susott explained. “This initial capital campaign raised over $35,000 toward the required $64,000 match.” DTN was able to secure the remaining funds over the following years.
Iron Goat and DTN hope to have the project completed by fall 2025.
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