May is National Bike Month, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists. Communities all around the country, from the east coast to the west coast, participate every May. Here is how you can too, right here in Alpena! 

Whether you bike for the sport, to commute to work, for your health, or all of the above. This month we celebrate all the reasons we ride and why we encourage others to ride as well. Alpena, Michigan, sports various trails and paths for all types of riders, making it easy as pie for you to find the trail that suits your riding style. 

  1. City Serenity Trails– The perfect smooth ride for your beach cruiser or Sunday Funday afternoon. Explore a whopping 18 1/2 miles through multiple scenic parks and beaches along the Thunder Bay River and Lake Huron. The sights will provide a plethora of photo-ops to fill up your Insta story for the day! #visitalpena 
  2. Rockport State Recreation Area– The gem of the Alpena area. There really is no place quite like Rockport. 4,237 sprawling acres of land covering a vast landscape including a deep-water protected harbor, a unique series of sinkholes, and an old limestone quarry filled with Devonian Period fossils. Trail maps and markers are all around the area to guide you to the sinkholes and trails throughout the area. *Mountain bike recommended
  3. Local Pub/Restaurant Crawl– Create your own pub crawl with friends! For the foodies: have an appetizer at one local restaurant or pub, dinner at another, and make dessert your last stop! You can find a complete list of local restaurants and map out your journey by clicking >>HERE 
  4. BMX Style– Granted, this sport is not for everyone, but if you have the guts to try it out, Alpena has the spot for you! Alpena Bike Park is located at scenic Mich-E-Ke-Wis Park on State St. This park is free for anyone to use and is open from dawn until dusk. If you do BMX, show off your style by tagging us in your posts with @sanctuaryofthegreatlakes (Facebook) and @sanctuary_of_the_great_lakes (Instagram)
  5. Norway Ridge Trail– Five miles south of Alpena, Norway Ridge provides a serene escape with an abundance of nature on the ten miles of forgiving, groomed terrain. The trail forms several loops with signage so that you can easily choose your distance. A great place to enjoy all three bike-riding seasons! 
  6. Rockport Ridge– Not for the faint of heart! This ridge takes you high up above and along the abandoned quarry at Rockport State Recreation Area. The trail reports as of the 1st week of May are showing a lot of flooding due to the late snow melt #snowpacalypse2018, but they should be good to go very soon!  
  7. Chippewa Hills Pathway– Are you up for a challenge? If you answered yes, Chippewa Hills is where it is at!

    Photo courtesy Paul Gerow

    Leave the beach cruiser at home and get out your mountain bike for this roller coaster route through cedar swamps and dense trees. For the most part, it is high and dry single-track. The path is amply marked and relatively hazard-free, except for a few sandy patches. 

  8. Maritime Heritage Trail– This unique downtown trail promotes and interprets the importance of the Thunder Bay River and Lake Huron in the development of Alpena and its rich maritime heritage. You will discover a boardwalk, historically themed riverfront park, historic docks, outdoor interpretive signage, and a pedestrian bridge that takes you over the river to Rotary Island Park. 
  9. N.E.S.T.– Short for North Eastern State Trail, NEST is a multi-use crushed limestone trail that starts in Alpena and travels over 70 miles along a former railroad grade to Cheboygan. In Cheboygan, the trail connects to the North Central State Trail. The N.E.S.T. trail is mostly flat with easy twists and turns across the northeast Michigan countryside.
  10. Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway– Located at Ocquoec Falls, the Lower Peninsulas’s largest waterfall. This trail consists of three loops that make up six miles of trails that are great for mountain biking. The trails of Ocquoec Falls were designed to give choice in how you access the shoreline that fits ability and desire for adventure. 

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