MTB Project Logo
Climb
MTB
Hike
Trailrun
Ski

Island Lake Recreation Area - Blue & Yellow Loops

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate Intermediate
 4.1 (115)
  1. Areas
  2. MI
  3. …Eastern Michigan
  4. …Brighton
  5. Island Lake Recreation Area
Explore MTB in 3D
Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Previous Next

“Great southeastern Michigan trails. Perfect for beginners and fun for more advanced riders. ”

Loren Konkus
Your Rating: Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating      Clear Rating
Your Difficulty:
Your Favorites: Add To-Do · Your List

15.1

Miles

24.3

KM

95%

Singletrack

922' 281 m

High

867' 264 m

Low

420' 128 m

Up

423' 129 m

Down

1%

Avg Grade (1°)

11%

Max Grade (6°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Entry Fees: Resident: $16 annual recreation passport. Non-resident: $9/daily, $31/annual

Overview

A popular trail system for beginners, but entertaining for advanced riders as well. This system was reestablished through extensive work by the Motor City Mountain Bike Association (an IMBA chapter).

Description

From the trailhead, riders can chose from two trails, each with their own character.

The Blue Loop, approximately 9 miles in length, is fast and flowing, with gentle climbs and descents. Beginner friendly, the flow really appears at speed and experienced riders will find Blue a great place to spin all out and work on their cardio as the miles fly by.

The Yellow Loop, approximately 6 miles in length, is a more technical and hilly intermediate trail with scenic stretches along the Huron River and great vistas. The end of the Blue Trail shares a small section of two track with Yellow, and so it's easy to link both Blue and Yellow into a 14+ mile loop.

Both trails cross park roads; please exercise caution at these crossings.

Contacts

Local Club: Motor City Mountain Biking Association

Mar 6, 2026: MCMBA Singletrack Slam, April 10 – Sept 30

Feb 1, 2026: Clinic #2: Women’s Choose Your Interest Skills Clinics – 6/14

Feb 1, 2026: Tree Farm Relay – 7/25

Land Manager: Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Shared By:

Loren Konkus with improvements by Greg Jablonski and 1 other
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.1 from 115 votes

#1

in Island Lake Recreation Area

#152

Overall
  4.1 from 115 votes
5 Star
34%
4 Star
45%
3 Star
18%
2 Star
3%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Island Lake Recreation…

#7

in Michigan

#152

Overall
96 Views Last Month
52,476 Since Aug 12, 2014
Intermediate Intermediate
15%
11%
71%
2%
0%
0%
Add a Photo

Photos

Small bridge
Aug 12, 2014 near Brighton, MI
Honzo and I in the Badlands.
Dec 17, 2015 near Whitmor…, MI
Epic view!
Mar 5, 2020 near Whitmor…, MI
Beautiful day. Leaves are turning.
Sep 21, 2017 near Brighton, MI
Start of purple loop at Island Lake.
Jun 4, 2025 near Whitmor…, MI
Badland Fat Bike Trail
Dec 3, 2024 near Whitmor…, MI

8 Comments

Sort by: Oldest Drop down
Newest Oldest Popular
loading

Weather

Current Trail Conditions

Unknown
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

May 17, 2026
Anonymous
Oct 31, 2024
Dave Walick
Perfect day 15.6mi — 1h 22m
Oct 19, 2024
Sung Baek
Easy 13.7mi
Sep 1, 2023
Jeff Slag
Nov 4, 2022
Eli Eddy
Lots of fun. — 1h 00m
Aug 8, 2022
Aaron Simoneau
9mi
Aug 7, 2022
Brandon Little
Apr 22, 2022
Michael Kincaid
Perfect conditions, tacky dry and fast. 14mi — 1h 13m

Nearby Recommended Routes

Welcome

Join the Community! It's FREE

Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started