Trails / Charlevoix & Emmet Counties
The “Bike Path” — 26 mostly-dedicated, paved miles tracing Little Traverse Bay from Charlevoix to Harbor Springs.
Partial closure: the “Miracle Mile” bluffs section (East Park to Magnus Park, ~1.25 mi) is currently closed due to erosion. Other sections are open and ready to ride. Follow restoration progress with CREW →
Map & Directions
Explore the full route below, or get turn-by-turn directions to any trailhead in your phone’s map app.
Central trailhead · parking, restrooms, downtown access
1687 M-119, Petoskey · maps & advice (park at Spring Lake Park)
About the Trail
The “Bike Path,” as it’s locally called, runs 26 miles from Charlevoix to Harbor Springs. Mostly dedicated and paved in asphalt, it’s the best-developed and most suburban of our trunk-line trails. The stretch between Petoskey’s Bayfront Park and Petoskey State Park closely follows the path of the original Little Traverse Wheelway that ran from Petoskey to Harbor Springs in the 1880s and ’90s — commemorated by the “No Teaming or Driving” gates that arch over the trail.
In late 2008 the 1.4-mile “Resort Bluffs” segment between East Park and Magnus Park was completed, replacing a dangerous road-shoulder stretch along US-31. Running 10–50 feet above the bay, it’s known as the “Miracle Mile” — widely regarded as the most scenic section on the entire Wheelway.
Segment by Segment
Trailhead with parking & restrooms; the dedicated trail begins at US-31 with 3 miles of asphalt and a 0.6-mile boardwalk through wetland, hugging Lake Michigan.
A scenic rest area with picnic tables and bay views; Nine Mile Point overlook and lake access at Loeb Nature Preserve.
Panoramic Lake Michigan views with The Village at Bay Harbor a short ride away. East Park is an excellent intermediate trailhead.
The bluffs segment 10–50 ft above the bay — the most scenic on the Wheelway. Currently closed due to erosion; restoration in progress.
Through city parkland and across the Bear River to the Petoskey Marina and Bayfront Park, past Wheelway arches and a big-wheel bicycle sculpture.
Through Bayfront Park and Bay View’s salmon-colored sidewalk, with downtown Gaslight District access via the US-31 tunnel.
Through a young oak and white-pine forest to M-119 and the Trails Council HQ. Park at Spring Lake Park across the road; a crosswalk connects to the NWST.
Past the Petoskey State Park entrance and Harbor Springs Airport to a panoramic bay view with parking.
Cross M-119 at Pleasantview Road; the trail follows the highway to the Harbor Springs trailhead near the ball fields at Lake & Hoyt.
Keep It Rolling
The Wheelway is a community asset worth an estimated $10M in annual economic activity. Join CREW or give to support its restoration.
