Off-road wheelin’ in northern Michigan

By Greg Tasker

CADILLAC — It’s a warm spring morning, and the forest floor is erupting in green and budding trees are exploding in hues of yellow and red, a colorful, seasonal shift that would entice any outdoor enthusiast into the woods.

Normally, that’d be a cue to hike, but instead I am watching a parade of off-road vehicles gear up to explore a newly mapped out “ride” on rural county and U.S. forest service roads in and around the Manistee National Forest.

One by one the off-road vehicles disappear through awakening trees and beyond the kiosks marking the Caberfae Trailhead Staging Area. Just down the road from the popular ski resort Caberfae Peaks, this trailhead is one of the designated starting points of Cadillac’s new 100-plus-miles-long ORV Scenic Ride.

I’m not quite sold on ORVs as a means to explore the outdoors — they do make noise — but I’m willing to give this fast-growing recreational sport a whirl.

Hopping on a side-by-side with volunteer Kris Thorsen at the wheel, we trek along an off-shoot from the main stretch, thick with trees and occasional puddles. Thorsen gingerly maneuvers the mud and small pools of water, keeping his passengers dry and clean. Up ahead, as the ride winds east and then north toward Mesick, the terrain will become more rugged, steeper in spots, and wetter.

“It’s a beautiful, fun ride to Mesick,” says Thorsen, a retired home builder who traverses these woods frequently on side-by-sides with his children. “It’s pretty much all in the Manistee National Forest and will take a couple of hours to get there. “There are many reasons to get outside and see how pretty the forest is, how vast it is.”

Thorsen, who lives nearby and helps groom winter trails for snowmobilers, says interest in off-roading has exploded in recent years and is helping bolster the local tourist economy.  His hope is many off-roaders will come to experience the beauty of northern Michigan and to spend time outdoors. He concedes, however, that some pursue off-roading to simply to feel the rush of power and speed

Cadillac’s ORV Scenic Ride is the culmination of two years of planning and work by the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau and a host of others, including the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service.

The ORV Scenic Ride is not a “route” or “trail” as designated by the forest service or the Department of Natural Resources. Instead, it’s a recommended ride providing an easy-to-navigate, enjoyable excursion through the mostly wooded terrain west of Cadillac.

The ride stretches in all directions beyond the Caberfae Trailhead Staging Area, snaking as far north as Mesick and the Big Manistee River and southwest over the Pine River into Lake County.  Riders are encouraged to stop at natural spots like the Caberfae Overlook, a tower that stands above tree line overlooking the ski resort, and restaurants and other businesses — all noted on maps.

Helping newcomers and others navigate the ride are kiosks at key intersections and others at businesses with maps, safety education and responsible recreation messages. There is a heavy emphasis on Leave No Trace principles.

“We want people to tread lightly or this won’t last,” Thorsen warns.

It’s all part of a broader effort by the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau to promote Wexford County as an off-road vehicle destination. Cadillac, of course, has long been a snowmobiling destination but undependable winter weather has impacted that slice of the region’s economic pie.

For off-road enthusiasts, the appeal is clear.  It’s a chance to delve deep and far into the forest and, in this case, enjoy the beauty of the expansive Manistee National Forest, whose footprint encompasses parts of nine counties. This forest of hardwoods and pines is also popular with hikers, fishermen, campers, boaters and others.

“There are some areas of the (ORV Scenic Ride) where you can get near the Pine River and you can also get near some of the lakes,” says Pete Finch, the owner of the nearby Coyote Crossing Resort who frequently takes his Jeep off-roading.

Finch, whose resort is on the ORV Scenic Ride, talks to a lot of off-roaders who pop into his restaurant, hungry for hamburgers or chicken strips and French fries. “Our Bang Bang Shrimp — a spicy fried shrimp — is really popular,” he says.

For Finch, one of the standout features of the ORV Scenic Ride is how well it’s mapped out with markers and kiosks along the way.

“A lot of people don’t want to stray from a map. This provides a sense of safety and security,” Finch says, stressing, too, the importance of recreating in a safe manner and adhering to Leave No Trace principles.

Libby Doering, owner of Bigfoot Epic Adventures, which rents off-road vehicles, says her fleet of side-by-sides have navigation systems, which ease the concerns of customers who may fear getting lost. She provides customers with safety and ride orientation and outfits them with safety gear — helmets and goggles.

“People have commented that the navigation system really helped them out and made it easy,” she says. “People come back saying they’ve had a wonderful experience.”

My experience on a side-by-side in the Manistee National Forest was limited, and while I can’t say that I’m hooked, I would give off-roading another shot.  I love the idea of traveling deeper in the woods — at a faster clip than my hiking boots allow — to cover more ground and to soak in more nature. It’s definitely worth another whirl.

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Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau
201 N. Mitchell St. Suite 102, Cadillac, MI
(231) 775-0657

 

RideCadillac.com
This new website offers specifics about the ORV Scenic Ride and other related information. The scenic ride map is available at all points of interest along the ride and at various business and lodging locations

 

ORV rentals
Westside REC Rental
Locaed in J & D Marine and Powersports
6600 M-115, Cadillac, MI
(231) 775-7880
jandmarine@att.net

 

Bigfoot Epic Adventures
7804 W. Moorestown Rd., Manton, MI
(231) 878-4952
info@bigfootepicadventures.com

 

Greater North Power Sports and Rentals
932 W. 13th St, Cadillac
(231) 878-1678
www.greaternorthpowersportsandrent.com