Bicycling in Isabella County
- The Pere Marquette Rail Trail follows the Midland to Clare route of the old Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad. This railroad once moved timber to the sawmills and supplies to the thriving logging industry that existed during the last century and before.
-
- This trail is one of Michigan’s best known, offering a well-maintained, hard surface for road cycling. The trail connects to the Midland and Clare sections of the Pere Marquette Rail Trail, currently offering nearly 30 miles of accessible trails. In addition, the connecting trail from Clare to Farwell was completed in Summer 2024, so cyclists can now ride safely from Midland to Baldwin (about 90 miles).
- Isabella County Parks maintains the 8.25-mile section of paved Pere Marquette Rail Trail that runs through Isabella County. It is a traffic-free, accessible, safe and convenient park for visitors of all ages! Parking areas, restrooms, and other facilities are well-situated along its route.
- E-Bikes: Class 1 e-bikes only are permitted on the trail. Rule of thumb: if it has a throttle it is not permitted on the trail.
- Deerfield Nature Park offers 8 miles of beautiful, wooded trails on over 591 acres of land — perfect for gravel biking in the summer and fat tire biking in the winter. Some of the trails run alongside the Chippewa River, with crossings at four bridges, which include two swinging bridges, the Lewis Pontiac Bridge and the Fisher Annex Covered Bridge.
