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Upper Macatawa Natural Area

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate Intermediate
 4.3 (46)
  1. Areas
  2. MI
  3. …Western Michigan
  4. …Zeeland
  5. Upper Macatawa Natural Area
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“Cut through the natural area on this flowing singletrack with over five miles of fun. ”

Jason Van Every
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Map Key

5.0

Miles

8.1

KM

95%

Singletrack

737' 225 m

High

605' 184 m

Low

306' 93 m

Up

306' 93 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

9%

Max Grade (5°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Unknown

Family Friendly The paved path is a very easy ride and connects to other paved paths following Byron Road and Adams Street.

Closed at dusk.

Overview

Upper Mac offers riders 5+ miles of singletrack. The Upper Mac Connector starts at the west entrance and heads north following a paved path. The singletrack can be accessed at the top of the hill (end of the connector).

Need to Know

Bridges can be slick when wet. The trail is built on mostly clay, and takes a long time to dry out in the spring. Once dry, the trail sheds water nicely. The Upper Mac Connector heads through a swampy area and is often very wet. The trailhead can also be accessed by following the paved path to the top of the ridge.

Description

The trails runs in both directions and is day-of-week dependent; there is a sign at the trailhead that identifies direction for that day. Once on the Upper Mac singletrack, you are all set. The entrance and exit to the trail are located at the same spot. There is a paved biking/walking path that cuts through the trail. Overall, this is an excellent ride if you're in the area. There is also an entrance/exit located at the far north end.

The singletrack offers lots of bench cut trail and a few bridges crossing small ravines. Once on the trail, there are only a few exit spots. Mid-way through you can opt for the paved path. You'll see the exit. Or you can exit at the for north end and take the paved path back to the start.

The paved path runs from Byron Road to Adams Street (~2 miles), and is a great family path that is extremely wide and easy to ride.

History & Background

This is a new trail built over the last three years with help from the WMMBA and local volunteers. The paved path was finished in 2015 and provides great access to the surrounding area.

Contacts

Local Club: West Michigan Mountain Biking Alliance

Land Manager: Ottawa County Parks & Recreation Commission

Shared By:

Jason Van Every
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.3 from 46 votes

#1

in Upper Macatawa Natural Area

#384

Overall
  4.3 from 46 votes
5 Star
41%
4 Star
54%
3 Star
2%
2 Star
2%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Upper Macatawa Natural…

#18

in Michigan

#384

Overall
24 Views Last Month
11,235 Since Apr 28, 2016
Intermediate Intermediate
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Photos

A great little bridge transition through a lush forest.
Apr 27, 2017 near Zeeland, MI
flow is the name of the game.
Apr 27, 2017 near Zeeland, MI
Upper Mac singletrack goodness. The singletrack game here is strong.
Apr 27, 2017 near Zeeland, MI
Upper Macatawa rides great on a Fat bike.
Apr 27, 2016 near Zeeland, MI

3 Comments

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Weather

Current Trail Conditions

Bad / Closed 43 days ago
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Aug 13, 2023
Klein VerHill
Did not ride the parking lot connector on the way back 4.3mi
Jun 26, 2022
Carlos Sotelo
Charlie se cayo 6mi — 1h 00m
Jun 25, 2022
Josh Kole
6.6mi
Jun 22, 2022
Matthew Ellerbrock
One dangerous spot. Otherwise great conditions 6.5mi
Jun 9, 2022
Leighton Kyle
May 19, 2022
natelav89
May 15, 2022
Dan Krueger
Jul 19, 2021
Heather Dietrichson

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