Traverse City Trails Festival Returns July 25

The best day of the year for northern Michigan mountain bikers

By Ross Boissoneau | July 17, 2021

After a year off (that pesky pandemic), the Traverse City Trails Festival returns July 25. The Shorts Brewing-sponsored event is a fundraiser for the Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association, which supports various outdoor projects associated with area trails. It also supports the association’s commitment to the Michigan Mountain Biking Association, the state-level advocacy group. It offers an opportunity for bikers to go beyond the Vasa Singletrack and the Vasa Pathway to lesser-known parts of the Traverse City Trail Network (TCTN, for those in the know). There are over 60 miles of unmarked trails between Broomhead Road, Bunker Hill Road, and Supply Road, and the Traverse City Trails Festival is the one day of the year some of them are marked. Translation: There’s no better opportunity to ride these maybe-new-to-you trails. This is also the first year the festival will link to the Greilick Outdoor Recreation Education Center, home to a growing number of trails. For more information on the festival and the group’s activities, go to www.nmmba.net.