We rode this trail in early October 2011. It's biggest pluses are being along lake Michigan and the fall colors. You are almost always near the highway and some of the trail is on city sidewalk and shoulder of the highway and a few short moderate climbs. Very little of this trail is on the old rail bed if any. We enjoyed the Fred Meijer Heartland Trail and the Betsie Valley Trailway more. http://locojoe.com

I road a good portion of this trail a couple of weeks ago and would recommend it to anyone. I parked at a road side park just west of Bugess Rd (apprx 3 miles east of Charlevoix) and road to Petosky. A few stretches close to the road where you could smell the car fumes...but the scenery everywhere else made that worth it. I had to stop a couple of times just to take it in and and one point, thought I died and went to heaven.
As far as the hills go. Yes, there were a few that were a challenge but I'm 53, a recreational rider and have a 1 speed...and lived to tell about it. I wouldn't let a few hills deter you as you don't want to cheat yourself of this ride. It certainly is Michigan at its finest! Besides, if you find the hills too difficult, walking your bike up is always an option.
If you park where I did, make sure to walk out into the bay after you are done. It was mind blowing beautiful!
Enjoy!

Rode the Little Traverse Wheelway in August 2011 and found the scenery to be very beautiful at times and the trail to be well maintained. There was a couple of minor hills on the trail, but they were easy to ride. I personally did not enjoy all the road noise that was there for about 98% of the ride. I prefer to ride out in nature and listen to the sounds of nature rather then hear all the traffic. It was steady traffic from start to end with out any letup, and it wasn't slow city traffic either, it was all highway traffic on the weekend. It's a beautiful ride other than the noise.

Paved trail all the way and some inclines but manageable and not many. First day we ventured out of Petoskey State Park (where we camped from a Thurs. evening to Sunday afternoon) and decided to head to Charlevoix. I was expecting to go 14 miles each way but didn't take into consideration that it is 5 miles from the State Park into Petoskey (and a mile from our camping spot to the exit of the Park) and then another 3 miles from where the trail ends in Charlevoix to get into the downtown Charlevoix area!! So our 1st ride became a 46 mile ride!! Views of the bay as you ride along many of the areas are spectacular and there are many places to stop for a rest along the way. Next day we rode from the campground to Harbor Springs and that made for a 14 mile round trip ride, also very nice. And on our last day we biked into Petoskey, a 12 mile round trip ride, and walked around the marina and downtown (loved Roast & Toast). We would definitely go back to the campground and partake in the trails again; very proud to have these great trails for everyone to enjoy and they are very well used!!! What a great way to add another group of people to the vitality of an areas economy... truly win-win!!! Really need to get trails going throughout the country; such a pleasure to vacation in an area and not have the need to get in the car and drive anywhere the whole time!!

This trail is very pretty, but I most likely wouldn't recommend this trail for someone who isn't in shape and can't make it up hills. There are quite a few hills and I would consider myself to be in shape, but I had to get off and walk my bike up these hills. I think I shall train all summer and try the trail again in the fall. The people that wear spandex and move fast, I have seen get up with barely breaking a sweat, so unless you are one of them, beware of the hills.
Otherwise enjoy the scenery and have fun! The trail does wind and turn a bit, so don't go too fast!

Aug. 26,2010 My wife and I rode this trail from Magnus Park in Petoskey to downtown Charlevoix and back. It was the most enjoyable trail we have been on this year. The only minor complaints were a few driveway crossings were a little rough. The views from the trail when near the water were fantastic. Looking foward to bringing friends up to ride it again.

This trail is among the most scenic in the country. It offers numerous staggeringly beautiful views of the picturesque Traverse Bay. It begins on the eastern edge of the quaint town of Harbor Springs, proceeds to loop around the bay, passing through the equally picturesque and quaint town of Petoskey. There are a few overlooks around Bay Harbor. As it proceeds east, it leaves the lake shore for a while, only to return to the lake as one approaches Charlevoix.
For sightseeing, this trail rates an A+. Purely as a trail - if you plopped this trail down in the middle of nowhere, you wouldn't give it better than a C. A serious cyclist can't just get on & crank out 20 miles in an hour, turn around, & crank it back in less time. Parts of it are essentially riding on sidewalks. Numerous road crossings are potential rim busters. The surface varies mile to mile. At points, as it winds through populated areas, its twists & turns make it impossible to really get cranking. This is more of a trail for a tourist/vacationer than a cycling enthusiast. If you go into it with that understanding, you will love it. Slow down & enjoy the views.

Rode all but about 2 miles of the trail. A lot of fantastic views. Liked the fact that there were plenty of places to stop and take a break. It is a safe trail that does not require road crossing that made me feel safe with my 11 & 12 year old boys. Highly recommend. There are not any steep climbs so folks like me who only ride a few times a year can enjoy it. The segment around bay harbor is especially pretty so if you are not going to do the whole trail, make sure you do that segment.

We arrived at the Inn at Bay Harbor on October 6th in hopes of enjoying the beautiful fall colors while riding along the bike trail. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate as we encountered mid-forty degree temps, 38 mph winds and rain during our stay. Not surprisingly, we opted to forgo riding the bikes and decided to take a more comfortable approach of driving adjacent to the pathway on US 31 stopping periodically to walk portions of the trail that caught our attention.
One of our first stops was at the Resort Township East Park. This park provides not only wonderful scenic views but also nice facilities including plenty of parking for motor vehicles, clean rest rooms, picnic tables and waste bins.
From what we could ascertain, the temporary 1.2 mile detour (just after Bay Harbor) that previously took you along the shoulder of US Route 31 is no longer necessary. The path appears to have been completed between East Park and Petoskey and provides some wonderful views and fall color. Due to the inclement weather we were unable to confirm that this segment is completely finished but it appeared to be from what we were able to observe. After this portion of the trail, the path ends up coming in behind Northern Michigan Hospital where it begins to incorporate the City of Petoskey‘s sidewalks for some distance. Follow the bike route signs for directions.
Further along after Petoskey (along M 119) we observed considerable construction of a compacted gravel bed being put down for what we assumed to be a future meandering asphalt pathway to Harbor Springs. Considering the weather, I think that construction of this portion will soon have to be delayed till spring.

"I rode this trail for the second time yesterday. It is nice, however, the side cants to the asphalt go from one tilt to the opposite tilt every couple hundred feet. It caused me to contantly compensate my handcycle wheels for this flaw. They could have made this trail flatter and more consitant. But the real problem was all the fresh HORSIE all over the place. These rich folks from the cement plant/Bay Harbor are riding thier horses right down the asphalt path and allowing them to make a discusting mess of the path. Maybe they just can't read the trail usage signs? Anyway, if this continues to happen this is just another Michigan trail that will be destroyed in a couple of years."

"Coming north from Charlevoix, the trail parallels busy U.S. 31, but there is usually a buffer. When it reaches East Park (aka Resort Township Park) just south of Petoskey city limits, the trail ends. From there you must use U.S. 31 and sidewalks to get into Petoskey. In Charlevoix, a good place to park is at Waller Rd. at Route 31, on the north side of town."

"I rode the Little Traverse Wheelway from Charlevoix to Harbor Springs and back last Saturday. The weather was wonderful -- low 70s & sunny, with a breeze off of Lake Michigan. Round trip, it was 57.57 miles and took about 4.5 hours of actual riding time on my Trek hybrid. (This was not my first ride on the Wheelway --see my earlier review of 6/6/03.)

I started at the Charlevoix Country Inn bed & breakfast on W. Dixon Street (just north of the U.S.-31 drawbridge). This is a wonderful place to spend a relaxing weekend. The view of Lake Michigan (and sunsets) from the Inn's porch is fabulous! From the corner of W. Dixon & U.S.-31 (Bridge St.), I rode through a beautiful Charlevoix neighborhood along Michigan Ave. At McSauba, just a few blocks north from my starting point, the township bike route directs you west to Waller Rd. Waller goes back toward U.S.-31, north of the city, and that's where the paved trail begins.

Shortly after entering the trail, there's a boardwalk stretch over some fragile terrain. The boardwalk is still in pretty good shape, but watch out for loose boards near and on the the railings.

The ride along Lake Michigan and Little Traverse Bay is gorgeous in places, particularly around the U.S.-31 rest area and a road side park just north of there.

You'll have one short uphill challenge near Nine Mile Point (but the return ride downhill is exciting!). This is roughly halfway between Charlevoix & Petoskey.

The trail skirts along the ritzy Bay Shore and Bay Harbor developments, then drops down to East Park just outside of Petoskey. There are wonderful vistas of Lake Michigan from the park.

From East Park into Petoskey, you have a decision to make. On the trail, the pavement ends shortly outside of the park. The undeveloped trail is absolutely gorgeous, as it stretches halfway up a big bluff overlooking Little Traverse Bay. There are ""private property"" signs posted along this stretch, but bicyclists and walkers seem to use this trail anyway. If you ride a road bike, you might not want to take this undeveloped stretch of the road and, regardless of what type of bike you ride, you'll want to walk your bike on one particularly sandy portion of the trail.

If you don't want to ride this portion of trail, you can head up to U.S.-31 from East Park and ride on the shoulder for a mile or so until the trail/sidewalk starts up again in Petoskey. If you take that route, you'll get to a winding, downhill bike route just before the intersection of U.S.-31 and U.S.-131. This downhill route will deposit you into a city park/campground behind the Northern Michigan Hospital. (If you ride the undeveloped trail instead of the U.S. 31 shoulder, you'll meet up with the bike route again at this campground park.)

Exit the park following the bike route signs through some Petoskey neighborhoods and you'll hit the paved trail again by the Petoskey marina. At this point, there's a pedestrian tunnel under U.S.-31 that will take you to many fine shops & restaurants in Petoskey. (I had a great lunch at the Flat Iron Deli, adjacent to a downtown park in Petoskey.)

Take the trail along the bay shore in Petoskey, past the marina and a city park. (Look out over the bay for lots of sailboats & even some parasailing.) The trail joins up with the sidewalk along U.S.-31 through the historic Bay View area of Petoskey. Follow the bike route signs to rejoin the trail after passing the Bay View Inn (a great place for a delicious and elegant dinner or lunch--when you're not wearing bicycle gear).

The trail heads back to the bay shore behind some businesses & condos, then goes along M-119 up toward Harbor Springs. After you pass Petoskey State Park (a great beach, if you need a little cooling off at this point), leave the trail by turning left on Beach Rd. (The trail actually ends in a short distance, anyway, right by the Harbor Springs airport.) If you stay on the trail, you'll have to ride the shoulder of busy M-119 into Harbor Springs, but if you take Beach Rd., you'll have a scenic and lightly traveled route along the shoreline of Little Traverse Bay and past the wonderful old homes of the Wequetonsing Association.

Beach Rd. ends at a tri-intersection with Fern & Pennsylvania. (On the return trip, take Fern 'til it loops around to Beach Rd. again.) Ride Pennsylvania through Wequetonsing, or dip down in front of the beautiful homes along the water, then take Bay into the quaint town of Harbor Springs. There are plenty of places in town to rest and get refreshed. (I had ice cream at Juillerette's.)

The return ride is essentially the same, though you can opt for Fern instead of a stretch of Beach Rd. or us M-119 instead of Beach Rd. Also, you'll have the same choice of U.S.-31 or the undeveloped trail between the campground in Petoskey and East Park."

"The portion of the trail from Bay View to Harbor Springs is not very interesting. From Bay View to Charlevoix, though, it is a very scenic and wonderful trail. It is mostly downhill from Charlevoix to Petoskey. There is nowhere to eat between these two cities."

The ride from Petoskey to Charlevoix was nice. The ride from Charlevoix to Harbor Springs was mostly road. On the way back we took Beach Road. It was more scenic.

"This was actually the second year that I decided to venture off the beaten DALMAC path. By taking this alternate route I avoided the tours largest hills, namely ""The Wall."" We traveled from Elk Rapids to Charlevoix, where we also ate lunch at the Pub. After leaving the Pub we traveled across the lift bridge, but not before watching it go up for the ferry returning from Beaver Island.

Once out of town we picked up the bike trail. It was the most beautiful day of the entire tour. The sun was out. There was no wind and the views of the lake from the trail were magnificant. We encountered roller bladers, joggers and other bikers.

The bike path is completed from Charlevoix to the outskirts of Petoskey. The portion of the trail that is a long elevated wooden bridge is absolutely beautiful. A bit on the bumpy side, but the opportunity to see wildlife in the areas below are worth the additional bumps.

The tunnel near Petoskey is cool! The trail is GREAT!!! Hats off to the planners, engineers and builders. A class trail in a class area!!!"

"The trail extends from the Harbor Springs airport on the north to just outside of Charlevoix on the south. Through parts of Petoskey, however, you'll have to ride on the sidewalk or follow the marked bike route through neighborhoods.

On Memorial Day, my wife Susan and I rode the length of the trail. What a great ride! Starting from a little township park next to the Harbor Springs airport, the asphalt trail goes east and south, past condo developments and the Petoskey State Park, then turns south into the town of Petoskey. You'll have to ride on sidewalks through the Bay View area of Petoskey, then the trail turns to the lake shore and goes right along Little Traverse Bay through a park and marina.

After the marina, follow the bike route signs through the neighborhoods, behind the hospital, and into a small campground. There, you have a choice. An unpaved trail, rideable on a mountain bike or hybrid goes behind the new water treatment plant and along the shoreline, halfway up a high bluff. The views here are gourgeous! There are two very sandy sections of the trail where you'll have to walk your bike a very short distance.

If you have a road bike, or don't want the adventure of the unpaved section of the trail, follow the bike route out of the campground and up to the top of the bluff, and continue south along U.S. 31. (I'm not sure if there's an asphalt trail up there, or if you have to ride on the highway's wide shoulder for a short distance.)

The unpaved trail becomes asphalt again, after traversing a cul-de-sac. Once you hit pavement again, there are a couple of great overlooks of the Bay. You'll hit a small park called East Park, where the two divergent routes meet up again.

From there, its asphalt trail along U.S.-31 and the shore of Little Traverse Bay past the huge Bay Shore developments and all the way down to Charlevoix. The ""accessible curbs"" at some of the cross roads are a little rough, but the views are excellent.

Near the south end of the trail, there is about a mile-and-a-half stretch of boardwalk over some fragile soil & wetland areas. It's pretty smooth for a boardwalk (it IS new) and is a scenic ride.

Once you reach the trail's southern end, just north of Charlevoix (at Waller Rd., I think), you need to find your way through the city's neighborhood streets or ride on U.S.-31's shoulder into town.

Charlevoix is very scenic, on the shores of both Lake Michigan and the ""Round Lake"" portion of Lake Charlevoix. There's a drawbridge over the channel connecting the lakes. Charlevoix has good restaurants, great shopping, plenty of hotels and B&Bs, and is a pleasant place just to hang out for awhile.

Susan and I had lunch (whitefish) at the Villager Pub on Bridge Street and wandered around town a little, then retraced our route back to Petoskey and Harbor Springs.

Our total ride was just a little under 50 miles and a little over four hours of actual riding time."