Mountain Biking in Marquette Michigan

Marquette Michigan Mountain Bike Trails

The main attraction in Marquette, at least for me, are the mountain biking trails. The trails here were designated by IMBA as a Bronze Level Ride Center in 2014. There are over 50 miles of scenic single track trails in and around Marquette that can be divided into 3 areas.

The South Trails total about 30 miles of single track that are managed by the Noquemanon Trail Network. The main trailhead is located 2 miles south of US 41 on S McClellan Ave. From here you have access to everything from the beginner Grom Loop to expert downhill runs. All of the videos below are from this area.

The Middle Trails or also called Noquemanon North Trails start in the city limits on the north side of town by the Tourist Park Campground. The trails here are less technical with nice views of the Dead River and some interesting rocky cliffs that I did not expect to find over here. For the most part they were good for the kids with just a few places that they had to get off and walk.

I have not had a chance to ride the North Marquette Trails. For what I have read riding here is an adventure with a maze of rocky trails and 2-tracks that are not very well marked. We did some hiking near Little Presque Isle and it is a beautiful area and I can't to get back and explore it more by bike in the future.

Marquette Mountain Bike Trail Videos Shown Below:
1. Mount Marquette Loop - Blue
2. Grom Loop - Purple
3. The Gorge-ous Trail - Yellow
4. Carp Eh Diem Trail - Green
5. Pipe Dreams and Off Grade Trails - Yellow
6. The Flow Trail

Marquette Mountain Biking Links:
IMBA Marquette Ride Center Page
Bike Marquette - This page is the best place I have found for Marquette trail maps
The Noquemanon Trail Network website

Video music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Mount Marquette Loop - Blue

The 3.8 mile Mount Marquette Loop or often called the Blue Loop is said to be "one of the signature trails in the Marquette single track system." The loop has about 640 feet of climbing and is rated as intermediate-advanced. At the top of the main climb there is a spur trail that takes to the top of Mount Marquette and an overlook that gives you a nice view of the city and Lake Superior.

The Grom Loop - Purple

This is the first half of the Grom Loop. We had to take a break for a minor injury and I forgot to turn the camera back on after the stop. This kids loop is about 1.25 miles long and is designated with purple markers. This trail has been cleared of most of the rocks and roots and is a relatively smooth ride. This was a highlight for our kids on our last visit and they were excited to try it again. I doubled the speed because we took it really slow with our 3 year old on the tag-a-long behind me.

The Gorge-ous Trail - Yellow

This video is of the first part of the Gorge-ous Trail starting at the Marquette South Trailhead. This section is about 1.8 miles long and drops down into the Carp River Valley on some fun bench cut trail on the edge of steep drop-offs at times. Where this video ends you have the choice to either loop back to the parking area by connecting to the blue loop or to cross the river and climb to the top of Marquette Mountain Ski Area. From the top of the ski hill you can ride down the ski trails and either loop back on the road or pick up the green trail to extend your ride.

Carp Eh Diem Trail - Green

The Carp Eh Diem Trail was completed in the summer of 2014 and is a new part of the green loop at the South Trailhead. This intermediate trail runs near the Carp River and is relatively smooth ride. Near the end of this trail section you cross a bridge over a creek and then you can walk down to view the 20 foot high Morgan Creek Falls. From here you can continue on the green loop or head back to the trailhead on the more advanced yellow trail.

Pipe Dreams and Off Grade Trails - Yellow

I used the Pipe Dreams and Off Grade Trails to loop back to the South Trailhead after riding the new Carp Eh Diem Trail to Morgan Creek Falls. On the most recent trail maps it looks like in the future these trails will be part of a new yellow loop. In 2015 - 2017 they plan to make a trail that goes around the back of Marquette Mountain Ski Area and connect these to the Gorge-ous Trail.

The Flow Trail

The Flow trail is an advanced downhill trail at the South Marquette trailhead. To get to the top you have to climb to the top of the rocky Benson Grade 2-track trail. I must say after riding the Flow trail up in Copper Harbor this one was a little disappointing. It is fairly tight and technical and didn't flow that well.

Reesey riding the obstacles at the South trailhead.

Videos shot with a:GoPro Hero Camera. The quality is a lot better before the YouTube compression.
Click here to find GoPro cameras on Amazon >>

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