Map of the Pere Marquette State Trail
Pere Marquette State Trail
Pere Marquette State Trail & Pere marquette Rail Trail
LENGTH:
84 miles
SURFACE:
paved / unpaved
COMMUNITIES:
Baldwin, Chase, Reed City, Hersey, Evart, Farwell, Clare, Coleman, Sanford, Midland
HIGHLIGHTS:
rail trail, Manistee National Foresst, Michigan countryside, creeks, lakes, farmland, woodland, wetlands, local parks, Northwood University
NEARBY TRAILS:
Chippewa Trail
Grand Curve Trail
RELATED LINKS:
The Pere Marquete Trail System is an 84-mile long pathway that extends from Baldwin to Midland in Central Michigan. This system includes the Pere Marquette State Trail and the Pere Marqutte Rail Trail. The system has both paved and unpaved sections. The trail follows an abandoned railroad right-of-way and has several historic railroad bridges. The route of the trail takes trail users through thick forests, open farmland, across rivers and through local communities.
Much of the route roughly follows State Highway 10, but the trail travels well away from the highway for most of the route.
Conditions
The Pere Marquete Trail System has both paved and unpaved sections. The trail is open for bike riding, walking and running. In Clare, there is a 2.25 mile long gap in the trail where trail users must use local streets to get to the next section.
Communities
The Pere Marquette State Trail and Rail Trail pass through the following Michigan communities: Baldwin, Chase, Reed City, Hersey, Evart, Farwell, Clare, Coleman, Sanford and Midland.
Points of Interest
The Pere Marquete Trail System goes past the following points of interest:
| Manistee National Forest | Bridge over the Tittabawassee River |
| Fred Meijer White Pine Trail | Village of Sanford Park |
| Bridges over the Hersey River | Sanford Lake |
| Hersey Athletic Fields | Averill Preserve |
| Evart Municipal Airport | Averill Rollaway Park |
| Littlefield Park | Northwood University |
| Farwell Elementary School | Emerson Park |
| Farwell Middle School | Riverside Golfside Park |
| Farwell High School | The Tridge |
| Lawrence A. MacDonald Wildlife Sancturary | Grand Curve Trail |
| Coleman Elementary School | Chippewa Trail |
| Coleman Community High School | Towsley Dike Park |
Nearby Trails
Fred Meijer White Pine Trail: in Reed City the Pere Marquette State Trail intersects the 93-mile long Fred Meijer White Pine Trail that spans between Cadillac and Grand Rapids.
Chippewa Trail and Grand Curve Trail: in Midland, the Pere Marquette Rail Trail connects with the local recreational trails.
End Points
The west end of the Pere Marquette State Trail is located on Michigan Avenue between 9th Street and 8th Street. There is a large trailhead between Cedar Street and Norway Street.
The trail ends at a point along Highway 115 near Washington Road to the west of Clare. The trail starts up again in the middle of Clare near E 4th Street and Pine Street on the south side of town.
The east end of the Pere Marquette Rail Trail is located at the "tridge" at the end of Ashman Street in Midland. There are other local trails that radiate out from this point, the Chippewa Trail, the Grand Curve Trail and trails that wander through the local parks.
Resources
Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the Pere Marquette State Trail in Central Michigan.
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