Located about 8 miles from downtown Cheboygan, this nature preserve is groomed for both classical and skate skiing, with a total trail system of 2.75 miles. The neighboring property owner graciously invites the public to ski the loops on his land -- but please be aware that this is private property and is only open to the public during the skiing season. The preserve has a mix of wooded wetlands and old agricultural fields, easily traversed by wide former logging roads. The trail loops, which are on flat terrain, pass through both open fields and wooded uplands. Click here for map and directions.
Looking for some opportunities to get out and ski or snowshoe close to home? We've featured some of the properties recommended throughout our five-county service area:
Current Trail Conditions Reports:
Goodhart Farms: 2/19/10: Groomed for classic skiing this morning. Trails in great shape.
Birge Preserve: 2/17/10: Two inches of fresh snow 34 degrees. Fresh groom. After freeze tonight will be a flat hard base. (from John Griffin)
Reed's Alverno: groomed regularly.
Emmet County |
Emmet County | Emmet County | |||
 |
 |
 |
|||
Goodhart Farms Preserve (595 acres) A special "winter-only" parking lot at the east end of this Preserve is plowed to provide parking for access to 5.2 miles of groomed trails. Trail difficulty ranges from flat to hilly, with several options to loop around. Click here for a trail map. |
The Headlands (600 acres) Situated along the Straits of Mackinac, the trails of this beautiful property are groomed for skiing and snowshoeing. A plowed parking area is also available. This incredible property was purchased by the county with assistance from Little Traverse Conservancy. Click here for a map and directions. |
Elmer Johnston Preserve (220 acres) One mile east of Goodhart, and just north of the Goodhart Farms Preserve, the Elmer Johnston Preserve is located on Church Road, which is plowed in the winter. Old two-tracks and farm lanes wind through open fields and forest. Though not groomed with equipment, the 1½ miles of trails are used throughout the winter, providing a consistent track for cross country skiing.The steep slopes create frustrating, challenging, or extra fun skiing, depending on your ability level. Great for snowshoeing. Find your way to the top of the hill for one of the best views in Emmet County, looking out over Lake Michigan to Beaver Island.
Click here for a map and directions. |
|||
Emmet County |
Emmet County |
Emmet County |
|||
 |
 |
|
|||
McCune Preserve
(168 acres) Winter snow plowing will occur at the McCune Preserve. Please note that this parking lot is on a slope and it gets slippery at times throughout the winter.Trails are not groomed, but they are used quite regularly by school groups and neighbors. Click here for map and photos. |
Offield Preserve |
Round Lake Nature Preserve (60 acres) LTC's headquarters, located equidistant between Harbor Springs and Petoskey, offers two trail loops and a boardwalk and deck on the shore of Round Lake. Used by many of the Conservancy's Environmental Education snowshoe programs, the trails are firmly packed by mid-winter, and can be skied or even walked. Click here for a map and directions. |
|||
Charlevoix County |
Charlevoix County |
Cheboygan County |
|||
 |
 |
 |
|||
Nathan "Barry" Driggers Preserve |
Charles A. Ransom Preserve |
Agnes A. Andreae Preserve (181 acres) The six-room Andreae cabin is available for overnight use by community groups such as scouts, church groups, and outdoor clubs. There is no charge, but reservations are required (please call 231.347.0991 or go here). Non-cabin users are also welcome to visit the preserve and hike the trails - just keep in mind that someone may be using the cabin (usually on weekends) and please respect their privacy. The trails here are not groomed, and are more suitable for snowshoeing than for skiing. The Pigeon River is beautiful in the winter. Click here for more information, maps, and directions. |
|||
| Cheboygan County | Chippewa County |
Chippewa County |
|||
 |
 |
 |
|||
|
Reed's Alverno Preserve
(160 acres) |
-
Round Island Point
(1,024 acres) This winter, a couple of neighbors will be plowing the access road to just inside the preserve boundary on Winding Ridge Drive (the West side of the preserve). The access drive will not be plowed all the way to the trailhead (1/4 mile beyond the limit of this winter's plowing), because of costs this year. But you can still hike in on the road and enjoy this trail system. The viewing platform and north part of the loop trail provide excellent views of Round Island Point, the St. Mary's River, and the hills of Canada. Click here for a map. |
Williams Nature Preserve
(80 acres) The trail system at the Williams Preserve offers one of the few non-motorized trails on Drummond Island, making it a nice skiing or snowshoeing destination. The parking lot is not plowed, but there is enough room to park on the shoulder of E. Tourist Road, near the gate on the power line right of way. Hike in along the power line just a few hundred feet to get to the trailhead. The Williams Preserve has a 1.3 mile trail system that winds through a variety of forest types, including some big old specimens of hemlock, white pine, and beech. Click here for map and directions.
|
|||
| Mackinac County | |||||
 |
|||||
| Oliver and Edna BirgePreserve (435 acres) |
|||||
| A two-mile loop trail is found at the 435-acre Birge Nature Preserve located southwest of Hessel. The trail complements an existing short trail leading to an overlook at Loon Lake. The trail follows the route of the " Old Wheel Road," an old logging road reported to be the first road constructed for wheeled vehicles in the Les Cheneaux area. It then winds through a dense conifer swamp, looping at the far end through a rocky upland. The trail runs through great wildlife habitat, giving visitors opportunity to see deer, grouse, snowshoe hare, and a variety of birdlife. Volunteers will be grooming the trails for snowshoeing and skiing during the winter 2009-10 season. Click here for flyer with map and directions. |
|||||