Home › Michigan › Highland Township › Highland Rec MTB
Highland Rec MTB
4.8 ★★★★★ 129 Google reviews · Running trail in Highland Township, Michigan · Hours vary
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Natural surface
- Loop distance
- 8 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Not reported
Confirmed from Highland Rec MTB's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Park offering hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails, plus historical interest.
What runners say about Highland Rec MTB
“Beautiful day to go running through the woods with my dog Belka.”
Probably the most challenging tech MTB trail in Southeast Michigan. This trail can be incredibly rewarding to certain riders. You don’t have to ride all 4 loops but if you do, plan on it taking 2+ hours. Bring lots of fluids especially if it’s warm/humid outside! There is an outhouse at the parking lot.
This has been my favorite trail in the Metro Detroit area since the 90s and I still love it just as much as the first time. There are 4 loops with a total of 17.2 miles of tight, technical singletrack and lots of elevation changes through the rolling hills in a dense hardwood forest.
17 mile of pure Michigan MTB. Close feel to the up north bike trails (Big M. NCT. High Country Pathway etc). Four loops of trail that are optional A B C D. Doing all will take over 2 hrs. Bring lots of water. Do the double D loop of you dare. There is also a fairly new 5 mile beginners loop on the west side of the lot.
For mountain biking: The trails are extremely technical, hilly, and difficult. A couple of the climbs show you no mercy at all. This trail isn’t for beginners. If you can handle it though, it’s fun. You won’t find a harder trail in the area of this size.
Trail conditions & character
“2 miles of tight, technical singletrack and lots of elevation changes through the rolling hills in a dense hardwood forest.”
“What a great first time here, perfect for a 8mile trail run or more, trails (did trial B an part of trail A) are very well maintained along with great variedterrain.”
“Great Trail about 12 miles with ABC Loop pretty hard and Technical lot of small hills ups and downs tourney.”
“2 miles of tight, technical singletrack and lots of elevation changes through the rolling hills in a dense hardwood forest.”
“Parking lot is at the far northern end, you need to bring all your provisions.”
“The Highland Rec MTB trail is well designed, well maintained, and offers great versatility for distance according to fitness level and experience.”
Plan your run at Highland Rec MTB
The practical stuff
- AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
- SurfaceNatural surface — easiest on the joints and the most fun, but expect roots, rocks and mud after rain
- Loop distance8 mi back to where you parked. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
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