COURTESY LINDA SCHULZ
Snowmobilers glide through the forest on a welcoming and well-groomed trail in the Watersmeet/Bruce Crossing area of the western U.P.
Packed with stunning scenery and boasting more than 2,500 miles of well-marked trails, the Upper Peninsula has long drawn admiration from avid snowmobilers.
Last year the western U.P. topped American Snowmobiler magazine’s 25 Epic Snowmobiling Destinations, because of rides that deliver “Lake Superior ice caverns, scenic overlooks, frozen waterfalls and abandoned railroad beds” over high trestle bridges.
Snowgoer Magazine equally sings the region’s praises, calling the Keweenaw Peninsula “a snowmobiler’s paradise” with “craggy rock formations, Lake Superior vistas and the amazing double-deck bridge connecting Houghton and Hancock – the world’s largest snowmobile bridge.”
All of the magnificent scenery may lure snowmobilers to the popular region, but the care and grooming of the trails makes the rides worth a return engagement.
The members of U.P. Thunder Riders of Watersmeet, one of many snowmobile clubs in the area, groom trails over a variety of terrain.
“We have railroad grade, which is good for beginning snowmobilers and families. It’s flat, not real curvy. It’s easy sledding,” says club secretary Stephanie Potter. “We have some areas that are through the woods, that are curvy and more challenging.”
They also care for the 8-mile Watersmeet to Land O’Lakes Trail along a railroad corridor through the backcountry. The remote route passes through woods, bogs and open spaces; it travels past streams and ponds good for spotting wildlife.
North from Watersmeet, Thunder Riders member Linda Schulz owns Running Bear Resort in Paulding, where you can easily make the trip to Bond Falls or try to catch the mysterious Paulding Light. Ready with riding tips, her personal favorite is Trail No. 3, “a beautiful wide trail through the woods” to Bruce Crossing.
When planning your trip, get a DNR permit and the Big Snow Country map you’ll find at many gas stations and stores.
With snowflakes falling at the end of October, this could be a great season to heed the call of the Thunder Rider’s mission that “every snowmobiler should be able to experience the peace, beauty and excitement of trail riding the hundreds of miles of groomed trails in our beautiful state.”
www.explorewesternup.com; www.upsnowmobiling.com lists snowmobile clubs