Missing the Miracle Mile

What’s happening with the Little Traverse Wheelway’s washed-out section?

Extending from Harbor Springs all the way down to Charlevoix, the Little Traverse Wheelway is a popular and scenic paved trail. Built in 2009 as a rails-to-trails conversion, the 26-mile trail skirts around its namesake, Little Traverse Bay, and is well-traveled due to its picturesque views, passage through numerous parks, and usage for non-motorized commuting.

However, a significant and attractive segment called the Miracle Mile (between Petoskey and Bay Harbor) has been closed since 2019 when it was threatened by erosion and eventually collapsed when it was washed out by high water levels in 2020.

The closure has caused disruption to the trail, its commuters, and the communities it connects and has left many in northern Michigan wondering what’s next for the Little Traverse Wheelway.

Out of Order

It’s no surprise that the collapse of the Miracle Mile and the subsequent detour along US-31 has caused significant disruption. “This is one of the most popular, most famous, most scenic sections of trail in the state,” says Brent Bolin, executive director of Top of Michigan Trails Council (TOMTC). He notes its popularity as the overlook has been featured even in some national travel and trail publications.

“Since [the washout] there’s been a very inconvenient workaround on the shoulder of US-31. And it really severed the connection between Petoskey and Bay Harbor, Petoskey and Charlevoix,” he says.

Bolin also notes the impact the fractured trail has made on travel plans for vacationers, bikers, and to local business as riders make alternate plans. “You can’t go all the way around the bay anymore. So people are looking at different options, staying at different places” he says.

Visitors are not the only ones who are missing out. “We’ve also heard a lot from a segment of people that commute by bike, some all year round,” says Bolin. “Lots of people like to commute that way, and so it’s having an impact on the community in that regard.”

Petoskey Mayor John Murphy also reiterated the importance of the Miracle Mile and the LTW.
“A great connection between communities and a great economic resource for the community has been lost for the past six years,” he says.

Back on Track

The route to repair has not been without difficulty. A recent engineering report presented to the city of Petoskey has indicated repair costs around $20 million to restore the damaged section. In addition to the sizable price tag, the Petoskey City Council and TOMTC must coordinate with numerous landowners and stakeholders on continuing easements and access for future repairs.

In that regard, the city was sued in August by landowners Gustav and Courtney Lo seeking to have the city release two easements on their property that granted public access to the trail. Following an April 20 City Council meeting, Murphy and the council affirmed their commitment to retaining the easements and are also seeking a solution with the landowners. “The city will be working with Dr. Lo and his wife and their attorney to ensure that we can come up with a mutual agreement on the trail easement and work together,” says Murphy.

Murphy also notes that the city is committed to communication and coordination with landowners as it assesses next steps and what may be required for access and permitting for repairs.

“A pinchpoint for this project is getting all of the residents that have given the city easements at this time … to give the city authorization to do work on their property in order to ever put the trail back,” he says. “The city will make every effort to meet with landowners in Arrowhead Shores and try to work with them to come up with a working plan,” he says.

Next Steps

Looking to the future of the trail rehab, Bolin points to patience and a significant fundraising effort in the works. As the main advocate and facilitator for trail systems in the tip of the mitten, TOMTC holds the Little Traverse Wheelway with special regard.

“We were founded in the mid-90s by many of the volunteers who came together to create the Little Traverse Wheelway,” he says. “So in a lot of ways, the LTW is our first and most important trail.”

The road to restoring the damaged section is anticipated to be a long journey.

“I think the biggest challenge is just getting started. It’s been a long time now, six years, working with the city of Petoskey on options for restoring this trail,” says Bolin.

The fundraising lift will be no small undertaking. “The plan called for an extensive amount of shoreline work and was going to be very expensive as a result,” he says of the $20 million estimate. “So we just really need time to take another look at the options, and then a commitment from the City of Petoskey to get going on the fundraising.”

Bolin notes that TOMTC will be working with a fundraising consultant to help manage a campaign of this magnitude and has plenty going on behind the scenes to get things moving. In regards to where the funds may be sourced from, Bolin anticipates local sources, state and federal grants, along with a decent contribution from private donors.

“Right now there’s been a little bit of uncertainty with some of the federal funding, which is having a trickle-down effect into the state programs,” he says. “Oftentimes you try to line up those big government grants at the beginning of the process and the private fundraising comes towards the end. We’re thinking this campaign is going to go in the opposite direction.”

Bolin feels that securing significant private commitments will in turn help facilitate conversation with larger entities about support, especially because the restoration of the Wheelway appears to be popular with the community.

“We’re pretty confident that there’s a strong interest in our community in this trail,” he says. “We think that that is going to translate into significant dollars.”

With that in mind, Bolin also asks for patience as TOMTC and the city work through the process of restoration.

“We need to raise millions of dollars, it's not going to happen as fast as anybody wants it to, right?” he says. “It’s been six years already; people are frustrated. But the reality is it’s going to take a couple more years for a capital campaign of this size.”

Beyond the funding, Bolin highlights that there are a litany of items that go into the project including permitting, access, weather, availability of construction equipment and crew, and more that will be outside of any one entity’s control.

“It’s the city’s intention to clean up the trail area as is,” says Murphy. “Hopefully there will be an opportunity for the city to celebrate opening the trail someday in the future.”

Bright Spots

On a brighter note, both Bolin and Murphy noted that the recent March snowstorm and April flooding has had little if any impact on the trail system and did not cause further damage to the collapsed section.

Other improvements and enhancements to the trail are underway, including the “Wheelway Outdoor Art Gallery” put on by the City of Petoskey Public Art Commission. Per the website, the initiative is “designed to celebrate the creativity of local artists from Emmet and Charlevoix Counties.” The project will “transform a section of the U.S. Highway 31 retaining wall into a distinctive outdoor gallery featuring twenty 4-by-4-foot paintings by area artists.”

The project was inspired by the Graceland Walls Gallery in Chicago. The call for submissions concluded on May 10, and from there the arts commission will select 20 artists to realize their art on the primed plywood that will be sealed and installed along the corridor. Selection and installation will take place over the course of the summer, and the unveiling is anticipated for late August.

Pictured: A portion of the Miracle Mile in 2023.

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