Fat Tire Winter Biking Popular At Some Midwest Resorts
Fat tire winter biking, an option at some resorts in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula and one in northern Minnesota that offer trails and rentals to give it a try. It's a different why to get out and enjoy the snowy landscape.
In northern Michigan's lower peninsula several trails, in addition to cross country trails around Traverse City are groomed for fat-tire biking. They even offer a race for fat tire bikes along with their famed VASA Cross Country Nordic Race the second weekend of February.
Michigan’s Crystal Mountain was the first Heartland resort to offer fat tire biking a few years ago. They offer 12 miles of packed trails on property and connect to the DNR Betsie River Pathway for another five miles of forested trails .It’s the most miles of trail offered for groomed fat tire biking in the Midwest. The trails are open daily and bikes rent for one hour $19 and two hours $25 including a trail pass. The trail pass is $10 if you use your own bike.
Boyne Mountain offers five kilometers of groomed trail for fat tire biking. Closed Monday and Tuesday and open 9 am.-4 pm. the rest of the week. They rent both regular and electric fat tire winter bikes. The regular is $20 for one hour, $35 for two and $60 for six hours. The E-bike is one hour $35 and two is $55.
Boyne Highlands offers six kilometers of groomed trails for fat tire biking. Bike rentals run $30 for two hours, $50 for six hours and $80 if you want it for the day. A daily trail pass is $5. They don't offer E-bikes.
Treetops offers a 5K groomed fat tire bike trail when conditions permit. Reservations are required, and bikes rent for $15 for one hour, $25 for two and $35 for three. The cost includes a helmet, map and bike lock.
Minnesota’s Giants Ridge has 60 kilometers of beautifully groomed Nordic trails that traverse Superior National Forest along the Gopher State’s Iron Range They offer lift service for fat tire bikes allowed on certain downhill trails when the weather is appropriate. The roller coaster trails can be challenging, or just go for a mellow ride in the woods. They rent bikes, $40 for four hours, or bring your own. A trail pass is required for the Nordic trails, and the lift-served access is $32 daily.
