Plus – A Bike Trail For All Cycling Abilities
Our visitors love our area bike trails! The intimate nature of bicycling makes it the perfect travel mode for the Wickwood Inn’s adventuresome guests. With no planned barriers or turn offs required, cyclists can opt to stop. Or they can proceed whenever they’d like, and for as far as they’d like. Not everyone wants to tackle the 500-mile U.S. Bicycle Route 35 which runs from Indiana through Michigan. But we do have quite a few inn guests who are eager to follow our local portion of this cycling trail along the lovely Michigan shoreline via pedal power. Some even jump into the lake for a refreshing dip throughout their journey. A few innovative folks are even using bikes adapted with super-fat tires to ride along in the sand!
“Life is like riding a bicycle. In order to keep your balance you must keep moving.” ~ Albert Einstein
Some of our Wickwood visitors are eager to enjoy a day pedaling along our winding country roads. They roll past the farms, fields and flowers of the region. Others opt for a destination trip. As if anyone needed a reason to stop for a wine tasting at Fenn Valley Vineyards or a pint of cider at Virtue Ciders. Other stops along the way can include Evergreen Goat Farm and Creamery or Crane’s Pie Pantry. Bicyclists enjoy quiet rides on roads that are quite lovely and largely empty of traffic…unless you count the wildlife.
“The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine.” ~ John Howard, US cyclist
But whatever your goal, skill level or bike preference happens to be, here are a few of the bike trails we think make biking in Saugatuck such an enjoyable experience.
Downtown Area – Enjoy seeing Douglas and Saugatuck’s amazing shopping options up close and personal by pedaling on a Cruiser through our friendly shopping districts. Let your free spirit be your guide to decide when to stop as you wheel past the quaint galleries, shops and stores in our communities. Bikes are allowed on Saugatuck’s Chain Ferry, so save yourself some mileage on the way to the beaches. And if that all that exercising makes you hungry, be sure to stop in at any one of our many wonderful restaurants along the way. Or, make sure you return to the Inn in time for Sips & Small Plates at 6.
Shore Acres Bike Trail – This three-mile mountain bike loop trail is a great getaway for riders who want to work on skills – especially tight turns.
Located right next to Saugatuck Dunes State Park, it offers intermediate challenges, mostly due to the tight turns. The ascent and descent are not that challenging, but the mid-way open stretch is a welcome respite from the rigors of the demanding windy sections. This trail also winds around (not through!!) a disc golf course and, for the bi-pedaled tricksters in the group, there’s also a BMX track on site.
The Saugatuck-Holland Bike Trails – This roughly 11 mile route is one of the most popular for visitors who want to see the beauty of the two towns, enjoy a little exercise and breathe in the fresh air of western Michigan. There are two options (bike lane along 64th street or paved trails on side of 62nd Street – often referred to as the Beeline Trail) and the route can be extended for folks seeking a longer ride, by hopping on the Blue Star Highway trail.
The Blue Star Trail – opened the first stage of their ambitious effort to connect Saugatuck to South Haven. After building a series of trail-way boardwalks over marshy areas long Blue Star Highway, they began creating well marked bike lanes through the city of Douglas. The Friends of Blue Star, upon finishing the 20-mile project, will have cyclists safely travelling a convenient stretch of bike trails throughout Allegan County.
The Lakeshore Harvest Ride – held on Sept. 15 this year is a great way to explore the riches of West Michigan by actually stopping in the wineries and farms rather than rolling past them (all purchases are delivered to riders at the end of the ride). Hosted by the Friends of the Blue Star Trail this ride starts and ends in nearby Douglas, and has optional distances ranging from 15-60 miles, making this a popular option for riders of all abilities.
Kal-Haven Trail State Park – this 34-mile trail stretches from South Haven to Kalamazoo and includes beautiful bridges over scenic rivers and streams. Up-close views of the farmland make this a memorable ride any time of year, but especially in fall, when the harvest season is under way. The path is made of crushed limestone and offers a safe riding environment for new bicyclists wanting to put in some distance.
BIKE RENTALS:
Just Add Water has a variety of bike rentals (Including a popular “bucket bike” where children can be pulled behind a traditional adult bike. And Big Lake Outfitters also can supply all your biking needs.
OTHER TRAIL SOURCES:
One of the best resource of Michigan trail info can be found in the Michigan Trails website.