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Keweenaw Mountain Lodge Loop

This cross-country loop ride on the south side of Copper Harbor's trail system showcases both the old school singletrack trails in the area while also providing a great taste of modern trail building techniques.

Mountain Biking Moderate

Distance
13 km
Ascent
235 m
Descent
235 m
Duration
1-2 hrs
Low Point
193 m
High Point
348 m
Gradient
Keweenaw Mountain Lodge Loop Map

This cross-country loop ride on the south side of Copper Harbor's trail system showcases both the old school singletrack trails in the area while also providing a great taste of modern trail building techniques.

Description

The ride begins by climbing up a stretch of Manganese Road to gain the initial elevation. Be sure to take a quick stop to enjoy the beauty of Manganese Falls on the left side of the road before carrying on with the rest of the ride.

The initial burst of a climb to get onto the Ma Maki trail is steep and rocky, but don't worry—that's essentially the hardest part of the entire ride! From here, Ma Maki undulates up and down along rooty, somewhat rocky singletrack—it is this section that highlights some of the original singletrack in the area.

The ride gains a bit of elevation on these classic cross-country trails before popping out at Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. This is a great spot to pedal up the hill and sit at one of the picnic tables to take in the expansive views while enjoying a snack. As you look out on the hills from your vantage point, you'll realize that you've actually been climbing most of the ride thus far... and now it's time to rip downhill!

The downhill romp begins on the sculpted Cabin Life trail. This machine-built flow trail keeps the adrenaline high with fantastic berms in the corners and sculpted rollers applenty! The downhill is over all too soon as you cross the road, but the Garden Brook trail keeps the flow high on even more machine-built singletrack. There are a few short climbs mixed in here, but generally, you'll be rolling along a beautiful bench above a stream bottom.

The final descent drops back into downtown Copper Harbor on the smooth but fast Copper Harbor Loop Trail. If you're not ready to be done yet, you can always head out to pedal another loop.

Alternatively, if you want to tack a bit of extra mileage onto your ride, right after crossing the highway after finishing Cabin Life, you could take a left turn on Bullwinkle instead of a right on Garden Brook. This is a great extension option for this route.

Difficulty

Moderate

Mostly stable trail tread with some variability, with unavoidable obstacles 8in/20cm tall or less. Other obstacles such as rock gullies and steep sections may exist. Ideal for lower intermediate riders.

Medium Exposure

2 out of 4

The trail contains some obstacles such as outcroppings and rock which could cause injury.

Remoteness

1 out of 4

Close to help in case of emergency.

Best time to visit

between June and October

Features

  • Flow
  • Singletrack
  • In the forest
  • Road sections
  • Roots
  • Rock Gardens

Similar routes nearby

Guidebooks in this area