Just a short jaunt from East Lansing, Michigan, the Okemos area offers a few bike trails for avid biking fans. With all terrain types represented, you can choose to cruise, play on mountain bikes or head out on a road bike. The outskirts of Okemos stretch with vast farmlands, leaving expansive riding opportunities to the rolling hills and woods. With well-marked streets, all trails are available to anyone from beginners to expert riders.
Sleepy Hollow State Park
Sleepy Hollow State Park houses a 410-acre lake with many campsites. Just 13 miles from Okemos, this park is a great day retreat, with plenty of places to picnic before or after your ride. The biking trails travel through the prairie grasses, hardwood forests and numerous pine trees. Offering 16 miles of biking trails, you can choose the level you prefer.
Grand Ledge Ramble
Twenty-six miles from Okemos you will find Fitzgerald Park. This is the starting point for the 21.5-mile Grand Ledge Ramble. Perfect for road bikes, this trail has minimal elevation gain. An easy ride, this is a great starting place for bikers looking to work on longer rides. Lacking technical obstacles or much hilly terrain, bikers can stretch their legs on the distance as they pass through quiet rural areas.
Burchfield Park
Burchfield Park is approximately 17 miles from Okemos. This trail is designed for off-road bikers looking to practice their skills. An eight-mile loop, the elevation gain is minimal so even those without high aerobic capabilities can enjoy themselves. While the trail only takes 30 to 40 minutes to complete, bikers like the technical obstacles this trail offers such as hairpin turns, abrupt drops, switchback climbs, and rock formations. For those not looking to develop such skills the park also has a much tamer 5.9-mile trail. If you feel you are between the two levels, consider doing the more difficult trail as there are alternatives for all the technical obstacles.
East Lansing Ride
About four miles from Okemos, this ride begins at Michigan State University. Following along well-maintained roads, this 41.3-mile loop is called the East Lansing Cruise. While not technically challenging, this is a fairly long ride requiring participants to have a intermediate level of fitness. Mostly flat terrain, there are sections of hilly areas with slight elevation gains. Most of the area is agricultural providing a serene environment for your ride.
Considerations
While there are many trails to choose, consider forging your own trail. With a combination of roads and areas, you can challenge yourself to find your way through the valleys on your bike. With the significant number of farms in the area, it is not difficult to just hit the open road and explore.
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