Mackenzie Mountain Bike

Mackenzie Mountain Bike is a 7.6-mile out-and-back hike in the Cadillac Ranger District of the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Michigan, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is rated hard, with a total elevation gain of 165 feet, and it is a natural-surface route that allows bikes. The climb is gentle overall, with the steepest stretch at about 0.5 miles in, where the grade reaches 10 percent. The trail starts at 1,132 feet and reaches a high point of 1,197 feet before returning to the starting elevation. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Wellston run to highs around 81°F in July, with lows near 54°F. That station sits about 424 feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The Mackenzie Trailhead is the trail's starting point, and the route is open year-round. Several Mackenzie Bike Spur routes branch off within a mile, including Spur 8 at 0.3 miles and Spur 7 at 0.5 miles. Peterson Bridge campground is about 4.4 miles away, and the Manistee River offers fishing roughly 6.7 miles off.