Biking, Hiking & WalkingTrails in Clare County...
Clare County is an outdoor paradise, with over 56,000 acres of State forests, 300 miles of rivers, 28 miles of snowmobile trails, and over 18 public access lakes.
Green Pine Lake Pathway
A great way to experience nature in Clare County is by
hiking the Green Pine Lake Pathway Hikers often encounter a wide variety of wildlife within a short distance and can visit their many habitats such as lakes, fields, woodlands and wetlands. The 11 miles of trails were reconstructed in 2005 and 2006, providing a fresh look to the trails for all to enjoy. In the summer of 2006 a one-mile self-guided interpretive trail beginning at the Mud Lake Campground was made available. The interpretive trail provides information to hikers on the ecological importance of diverse habitats that can be found in Clare County. This is a perfect way to explore and learn about the environment in an enjoyable manner. Green Pine Lake Pathway has two accessible trailheads: • On M-115, just North of Lake Station Road • Mud Lake Campground off Brown Road Mid Michigan College Trail System
Mid Michigan Community College’s Harrison Campus sit on 560 acres of beautiful, wooded land. As a service to the community, the College and various community groups have developed trails through the property for the public to enjoy.
ORV and Snowmobile Trails Access to Michigan’s extensive Off Road Vehicle trails can be found in northern Clare County. The Leota ORV trailhead (maps on pages 34-35) is a Michigan DNR managed trailhead that provides access to over 55 miles of ORV trails for larger ORV’s and hundreds of miles of trails that can be accessed by quads or smaller traditional ORV’s. In addition, the Fur Farm snowmobile trail starts just north of the city of Harrison and joins up with the |
Fall Color Trails
Clare County is called ‘The Gateway to the North’ for good reason; most of our county is undeveloped wooded lands that turn into an explosion of color during the autumn. If you are fortunate enough to be traveling in Mid-Michigan during this time of year, enjoy our natural firework display. The route is all primary roads and will be well-worth the journey. If you have more time to enjoy the colors, traveling throughout any part or our county and walking the Green Pine Lake Pathway hiking trail would be well-worth your time. Leota Trail
Proper licensing is required of all vehicles using these trails or parking at the trailhead. Any questions regarding
proper licensing of ORV vehicles or rules of trail usage should be directed to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources at: Harrison Operation Service Center (989) 539-6411 www.michigan.gov/dnr The Pere Marquette Rail-Trail
The Pere Marquette Rail-Trail currently begins in Midland, Michigan and makes a continuous westward trek through the municipalities of Sanford, Coleman and Loomis, presently ending in downtown Clare. Currently the City of Clare is working on an extension of the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail designed to extend the existing portion of the trail westward through the City of Clare to connect to a Michigan Department of Natural Resources trail which starts approximately two miles west of Clare and proceeds to Evart. In 2009, a section of this trail was paved from just west of Clare through Farwell and in 2010, was paved through the Village of Lake. For more information, visit Friends of the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail at www.LMB.org/pmrt. |