Keweenaw Point Trail Phase III
Tax deductible
Miles of Remote Singletrack in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula
How does another 15+ miles of non-motorized trail sound for your next visit to Copper Harbor? If your first thought was “Awesome!” then we have good news for you: the next phase of the Keweenaw Point Trail will bring that and more to our incredible trail system! We are in the final stages of fundraising for this epic ride and need your help to make it a possibility. The Copper Harbor Trails Club must raise the last $40,000 to seal the deal and your donation will help put us over the top. Give today and ride tomorrow!
The Keweenaw Point Trail project was originally envisioned in 2005 by the Keweenaw Point Citizen Advisory Committee, a group put together to assist with creating a recreation plan for the rugged lands acquired by the Michigan DNR in 2003. However, it wasn’t until 2015 that work actually began on this remote singletrack trail. The first phase of the project built 2.6 miles of trail along the bluff just south of Lake Fanny Hooe, with Phase II following close behind in 2017. This second phase picked up a few miles down Mandan Road and stretches for over six miles to the shores of Lake Superior at High Rock Bay. 8+ miles of new trail might sound like a lot, but that’s nothing compared to what’s to come.
Phase III will be the biggest and best section yet. We’re not exaggerating! The trail will pick up where Phase II left off at High Rock Bay before heading south towards Keweenaw Point, the Keweenaw Peninsula’s easternmost point. The trail will make a sharp turn to the west and will pass by the beautiful white sand beach found at Keystone Bay, a true hidden gem on the Peninsula’s southern (and warmer) shore. Eventually the Point Trail will reach Montreal Falls , a popular hiking destination currently best accessible from the west - and soon to be open from the east too. From the falls the Keweenaw Point Trail will follow the rugged Montreal River corridor north before connecting back to Mandan Road and the existing sections of trail. Beyond the primary scenic sites, access to this remote shoreline has been extremely limited. The trail will open up new, wild landscapes rarely seen by mountain bikers or hikers. It’s a beast and we’re looking forward to riding it with you!
Overall, Phase III will cost around $497,000 to complete. That’s a lot of Point Trail Ale… Fortunately, grants are expected to cover the vast majority of the expense. Here’s where we stand:
$125,000 - DNR Recreational Trails Program
+$297,000 - Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (expected Fall 2018)
+$15,000 - Keweenaw Community Foundation’s PHF Community Wellness and Outdoor Recreation Fund
+$20,000 - Existing funding for this initiative
=$457,000 - Raised or expected to receive to date (of $497,000)
That leaves just $40,000 to go until we hit our goal. We are so close! Your donation will help make or break this project so please give today so that we can build this epic long-distance trail!
Construction is planned to begin in the spring of 2019 and will progress until we’re done, possibly as early as fall 2019 depending on how fast crews can work through the uncharted forests and shorelines of the Keweenaw. The trail will be open for all non-motorized human-powered trail users, including mountain biking backcountry skiing, trail running, snowshoeing, hiking, and more (even dogs!). It will be optimized for intermediate-level bikers and will include all of the same features that make the existing trail so great: comfortable berms, superb flow, wide trail surface, and more scenic attractions than you can shake a stick at. Be sure to bring your camera because it’s going to be an awesome ride!
We encourage you to donate what you can to this epic project. All donations made to the Copper Harbor Trails Club (officially the Copper Harbor Trails Society) are tax-deductible. Once built, the trail will be free to ride and open to the public for non-motorized use. Any and all extra funds raised will be used for additional expansion and stewardship of the Keweenaw Point Trail. Join us in building this exciting new trail by giving today!
How does another 15+ miles of non-motorized trail sound for your next visit to Copper Harbor? If your first thought was “Awesome!” then we have good news for you: the next phase of the Keweenaw Point Trail will bring that and more to our incredible trail system! We are in the final stages of fundraising for this epic ride and need your help to make it a possibility. The Copper Harbor Trails Club must raise the last $40,000 to seal the deal and your donation will help put us over the top. Give today and ride tomorrow!
The Keweenaw Point Trail project was originally envisioned in 2005 by the Keweenaw Point Citizen Advisory Committee, a group put together to assist with creating a recreation plan for the rugged lands acquired by the Michigan DNR in 2003. However, it wasn’t until 2015 that work actually began on this remote singletrack trail. The first phase of the project built 2.6 miles of trail along the bluff just south of Lake Fanny Hooe, with Phase II following close behind in 2017. This second phase picked up a few miles down Mandan Road and stretches for over six miles to the shores of Lake Superior at High Rock Bay. 8+ miles of new trail might sound like a lot, but that’s nothing compared to what’s to come.
Phase III will be the biggest and best section yet. We’re not exaggerating! The trail will pick up where Phase II left off at High Rock Bay before heading south towards Keweenaw Point, the Keweenaw Peninsula’s easternmost point. The trail will make a sharp turn to the west and will pass by the beautiful white sand beach found at Keystone Bay, a true hidden gem on the Peninsula’s southern (and warmer) shore. Eventually the Point Trail will reach Montreal Falls , a popular hiking destination currently best accessible from the west - and soon to be open from the east too. From the falls the Keweenaw Point Trail will follow the rugged Montreal River corridor north before connecting back to Mandan Road and the existing sections of trail. Beyond the primary scenic sites, access to this remote shoreline has been extremely limited. The trail will open up new, wild landscapes rarely seen by mountain bikers or hikers. It’s a beast and we’re looking forward to riding it with you!
Overall, Phase III will cost around $497,000 to complete. That’s a lot of Point Trail Ale… Fortunately, grants are expected to cover the vast majority of the expense. Here’s where we stand:
$125,000 - DNR Recreational Trails Program
+$297,000 - Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (expected Fall 2018)
+$15,000 - Keweenaw Community Foundation’s PHF Community Wellness and Outdoor Recreation Fund
+$20,000 - Existing funding for this initiative
=$457,000 - Raised or expected to receive to date (of $497,000)
That leaves just $40,000 to go until we hit our goal. We are so close! Your donation will help make or break this project so please give today so that we can build this epic long-distance trail!
Construction is planned to begin in the spring of 2019 and will progress until we’re done, possibly as early as fall 2019 depending on how fast crews can work through the uncharted forests and shorelines of the Keweenaw. The trail will be open for all non-motorized human-powered trail users, including mountain biking backcountry skiing, trail running, snowshoeing, hiking, and more (even dogs!). It will be optimized for intermediate-level bikers and will include all of the same features that make the existing trail so great: comfortable berms, superb flow, wide trail surface, and more scenic attractions than you can shake a stick at. Be sure to bring your camera because it’s going to be an awesome ride!
We encourage you to donate what you can to this epic project. All donations made to the Copper Harbor Trails Club (officially the Copper Harbor Trails Society) are tax-deductible. Once built, the trail will be free to ride and open to the public for non-motorized use. Any and all extra funds raised will be used for additional expansion and stewardship of the Keweenaw Point Trail. Join us in building this exciting new trail by giving today!
Organizer
Nathan Invincible Miller
Organizer
Copper Harbor, MI
Copper Harbor Trails Society Inc
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
