Yankee Springs Recreation Area

In southwestern Michigan, 30 miles from Grand Rapids, you'll find 13 miles of trail for mountain biking; parts of the hilly, wooded route are shared with hikers. If you take the first shortcut for a 5 mile ride you will avoid most of the most challenging part of the trail. It is a very wooded area and full of ravines. A lot of the trail rides along the peaks of the ravines and a crash could end up in a long fall. If you finish the trail you will feel like you have made quite an accomplishment and if you are unexperienced you should be able to tackle most trails in Michigan. The trail includes a good variety of steep uphills and downhills with plenty of sand, rocks, logs, and roots to get in the way. Mastery of this trail requires great technique, skills and endurance. For the unexperienced, you can push your bike up some hills, carefully walk down others, take breaks, and allow more experienced riders to pass. Biking season: All year (sunrise to sunset). Other activities include bicycling, boating, camping (reservation), canoeing, fishing, hiking, historic site, horseback riding, picnicking, swimming, water skiing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling. Lodging on site (cabins) and in Wayland. Dining in Hastings and Wayland. Bike shop in Kalamazoo (Break Away Bike). These trails are maintained in part by volunteers of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association (MMBA).

How to get there from Grand Rapids: Take 131 to the Hopkins exit (south of Grand Rapids) and go East through Gun Lake area to Yankee Springs Rd. Turn right and go a couple of miles to Deep Lake Rustic Campground on your right. The bike staging and start and finish are located here. How to get there from Detroit: Take I94 west to US-131 (near Kalamazoo) to Exit 61 and go east on County Road A-42 for about 8 miles to the park entrance. Go right on Gun Lake Road for 3 miles till you get to Yankee Springs Road then go north to the Deep Lake Campground Entrance.