Midland City Forest

Description for Midland City Forest

The Midland City Forest is roughly a square mile of Saginaw Valley woodland bisected by Newell Creek. It is a mixture of wetland and low ridges (ancient sand bars) covered with mature pines and mixed hardwoods. Many years ago, the creek was dredged to help drain the farmland north of town. As a result, dredging ridges from the clay of the old creek bottom form steep banks, often 10 or so feet above the water. The creek-side sections of the trail frequently swoop down from the natural edge of the creek valley and up onto the dredging ridges. As many times as you go down, you get a short steep climb out. The trail also makes good use of the elevation changes along the sandy ridges. Also, note that the singletrack crosses the 8 mile long system of 2-track roads many times. There should be no horses on the singletrack, but be alert to the possibility of horses at these intersections. Horses hate surprises: go slow, talk to them calmly, and give them plenty of space. The trail system comprises four loops: North Loop, South loop, Gnu Loop, and Frog Holler, altogether more than 13 miles of riding. The most challenging parts are the creekside sections of the North and South Loops, and the Gnu Loop. Thanks to east and west bridges, the creekside sections can be ridden as a loop, or avoided altogether. The “dismal swamp” section of the South Loop and the north end of the northbound part of the Gnu Loop are slow to dry out, and should be avoided when wet. We continue to add armoring and minibridges to the problem areas, and eventually, these will be good within a day after any rain. Like all Michigan trails that get a lot of use, the Midland City Forest is pretty rooty. Along with many short steep pitches, there are lots of log piles, a ramp over a big fallen oak, a 40 foot log ride, a couple of jumps, a teeter-totter, and the 150 foot long Boy Scout bridge with 3 banked curves over a seasonal pond. It is a moderately technical trail. If there has been a lot of snow, the trail is great for snowshoeing. But Midland is not a snowbelt area, and winter riding on frozen trail can be good. Studded tires are recommended. Just SE of the MCF is Midland’s north-end business district -- a mall, sprawl, and big box mess. However, there is a sidewalk from the SE corner of the park that you can ride straight south along Eastman Road (a dangerous road on a bike) to a Starbucks or a Logan’s Road House, should you feel the need to alter your consciousness one way or the other.

Directions to Midland City Forest Trailhead