Find the top rated hike trails in Sterling, whether you're looking for an easy short hike trail or a long hike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a hike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
_266073_st.jpg)
We live nearby in Idlewild and have rode nearly every section of this trail except from Chase to Reed City. We enjoyed most all of it except from Reed City to Evart. The path is very bumpy and the scenery is not great.
We parked in Evart and biked West to Reed City for lunch. And back. Very nice trailhead in Evart, former train station looks to be recently repainted. Real restrooms but only open when City Hall is open. The asphalt pavement between Evart and Reed City is in very poor condition. Wide cracks the entire width of the trail. Not much by the way of shade as the trail goes through miles of sand/dirt quarries. The trees/scenery along the trail was pretty. Would not ride this section again unless it was all dug up and repaved. Will check in a few years to see.
We parked at the Frank N. Anderson Nature Center parking lot on State Park Road. Took the rail trail into Bay City State Park. There are plenty of places to bike ride in Bay City State Park, which offers beautiful views of Saginaw Bay. Within the park are several nature trails that are paved and bicycles are permitted. We stopped at the visitor center for trails maps. The best trail within the State Park was the Tobico Marsh trails which was on an old rail bed. There was a spur off of it which was gravel but took us up to an observation tower. Plenty of parking areas and nature trails. A lot of pretty scenery.
Accessed the trail in Midland at the Tridge. Trail runs 30 miles in length, nicely paved, from Midland to Clare through several old railroad towns. Quite a few trailheads and parking lots along the way. We biked the trail, each end, over 2 different rides. There is practically zero shade. The trail is very wide, with several feet of grass on each side, then maybe a few trees between the trail and Saginaw Road. Basically the trail follows Saginaw Road which is very noisy. Though a nice ride, it's not peaceful due to road traffic. The trail goes through several nature areas and passed a few parks. There are places to eat in the small towns along the trail. Each mile is marked. The Tridge was a sight to see in Midland. This trail connects with the Chippewa Trail at the Tridge in Midland.
Nice addition to the Pere Marquette Trail in Midland. Access the trail via the Tridge. This trail meanders through wetlands and beautiful scenery. The Chippewa Nature Center is at the opposite end and offers free admission. Trail surface well maintained.
We accessed this trail from the connecting Saginaw Valley Trail. Thomas Township trail is a short but sweet trail. The asphalt appears to be recently sealed and is very smooth. Scenery is zero shade though open farmlands and a tree farm. At Gratoit Road there are several eateries. We enjoyed our ride along this trail.
While traveling to the area, visited this trail and was pleasantly surprised. Paved trail runs 9.5 miles in length from St. Charles to Stroebel Road in Saginaw. This trail is basically flat, well shaded and passes through wooded areas and working farms. The trail surface is in good condition. Water level in the Bad River very low. We parked at Lumberjack Park on water street, under the water tower in St. Charles and biked to the Stroebel Road trailhead and back. The trail does have several road crossings, some of them had more cross traffic than others but still a great trail ride! Newly installed and beautifully painted fence separating the parking lot from the active rail line at the Stroebel Road trailhead. Along the trail there are several benches, trash cans and even picnic areas. Trail services in St. Charles include eateries. We also biked the connecting Thomas Trail for a few additional miles.
This wonderful open air trail offers fantastic views for a pretty good trip and connects to the Saginaw Valley Rail Trail.
Chippewa Trail offers a smooth ride through woods and open fields with tight curves defining most of the trail.
Visit if you're in the area and are looking for a good trail.
There is no longer a gap in the trail between Farwell and Clare so we decided to take a quick ride to check it out! We started at the Clare Depot at W 4th Street and Beech St. The path begins by weaving behind the railroad yard and several small industrial buildings and then follows the road for a mile or so before it becomes quiet and tree lined. It is only 5 miles to the park in downtown Farwell. The return trip to Clare went very quickly because heading east the grade is slightly downhill. We explored the Clare Depot when we got back. Great gift shop with very informative helpful staff!
There’s allot to explore and see along the way. The bird watch towers are really nice. Bring mosquito spray and binoculars! The paved trail is really nice the real adventure is the hiking trail by the end. It’s more rugged and not paved but the views are amazing. Highly recommend adding this to your list of adventures but don’t forget the mosquito spray there is a marsh right there.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Scan the QR code to get TrailLink on your phone
Map Search
