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Highland Recreation A-B-C-D Loops

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 4.2 (74)
  1. Areas
  2. MI
  3. …Eastern Michigan
  4. Highland State Recreation Area
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“A jewel of a trail with tight twisty singletrack, rock gardens, and roots in a dense hardwood forest ”

Randy Kessler
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Map Key

14.7

Miles

23.6

KM

100%

Singletrack

1,129' 344 m

High

975' 297 m

Low

1,584' 483 m

Up

1,570' 479 m

Down

4%

Avg Grade (2°)

16%

Max Grade (9°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Popular with hunters during deer season. Check Michigan DNR site for exact dates and wear orange when appropriate. A Michigan "Recreation Passport" is required to park at the trailhead.

Overview

Bob Yankus devoted 2 years to lay out a trail that was non-raceable, and no straight sections in excess of 50 feet! This trail, completed in 1995, has stood the test of time as it incorporated many of today's IMBA's "Trail Solutions" principles such as filters, stacked loops, erosion control, and has a very sweet and technical flow. This is not a trail for beginners, but for those intermediate riders looking to take it up a notch. Experienced riders that love tight singletrack through a dense forest will love this trail.

Need to Know

A "Recreation Passport" is required to park at the trailhead. There are currently not a lot of emergency exit points and even completing the A&B sections can be overwhelming for the less experienced. You are deep in the woods and should travel with appropriate emergency equipment for repairs, bug repellent, etc.. It may be a bit of hike out of the woods if you or your bike break down.

Description

From the trailhead on Livingston Road, ride the A Loop (3.8 miles) & B Loop (9.7 miles) as the basic continuous trail. You can add the C Loop (2.7 miles, offshoot of B Loop) and / or D Loop (3.8 miles, offshoot of A Loop) for a total of 16.2 miles.

Your time will be spent navigating rocks and roots on this narrow singletrack-lovers heaven. There is plenty of off-camber trail to keep you on your toes, too. Beginners should ride this trail with other experienced riders; it is a challenging ride. The basic A/B Loop defines the character of this trail, while C Loop adds more rock passages. D Loop is the most technical with lots of tight, off-camber up and downturns and some extended climbing. Advanced riders ONLY should attempt this loop. If you plan on riding all loops, allow at least 2+ hours.

History & Background

Haven Hill, the Estate of Edsel Ford from 1923-1943, is now part of Highland State Recreation. and is adjacent to Mountain Bike Trail.

Contacts

Local Club: Motor City Mountain Biking Association

Nov 30, 2023: MCMBA Membership Meeting

Nov 30, 2023: Global Fat Bike Day @ ILRA

Nov 30, 2023: MCMBA Fall Fundraiser

Land Manager: MI DNR - Highland Recreation Area

Shared By:

Randy Kessler with improvements by Greg Jablonski
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.2 from 74 votes

#1

in Highland State Recreation Area

#178

Overall
  4.2 from 74 votes
5 Star
49%
4 Star
35%
3 Star
11%
2 Star
3%
1 Star
3%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Highland State Recreat…

#9

in Michigan

#178

Overall
98 Views Last Month
31,132 Since Jan 27, 2015
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Photos

"B" Loop
Mar 29, 2021 near Milford, MI
"C" Loop
Mar 29, 2021 near Milford, MI
"C" Loop
Mar 29, 2021 near Milford, MI
"B" Loop
Mar 29, 2021 near Milford, MI
"A" Loop
Mar 29, 2021 near Milford, MI
"C" Loop
Mar 29, 2021 near Milford, MI

10 Comments

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Weather

Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 13 days ago
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Check-Ins

Oct 14, 2021
ROBERT BLAZOFF
Jul 5, 2021
Sanka Perera
11mi
Jun 5, 2021
s n
Trail is nice and hard packed, perfect 12mi
May 6, 2021
Sean Flanagan
I was riding this loop, fell off my bike. I think I lost a white gold necklace with a white gold cross as a result of my fall. Please help
Apr 18, 2021
Sai Mcfly
Loop A
Apr 17, 2021
Westin Pusey
Dry
Mar 27, 2021
Micah Plimpton
16mi
Oct 23, 2020
Rob Brown

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