Lower Red Trail

Lower Red Trail is a 0.64-mile loop for cross-country skiing in Michigan, about 2.6 miles from the town of Pleasant View. The trail rises from 823 feet to 905 feet, with a total climb of 63 feet and a total descent of 99 feet, making it a short, easy route that circles back to its start. The trail is a low-elevation loop, and the climb is gentle. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.23 miles in, with a grade of about 5 percent. Because the trail is under a mile long, it works well as a quick lap or as part of a longer outing on the surrounding network of trails. Winter is the season for cross-country skiing. Typical averages from the nearby Petoskey weather station show January highs around 26°F and lows near 12°F, with February and March running only slightly warmer. The station sits a few hundred feet below the trail, so temperatures up on the route may run a little cooler. Several other trails lie close by. Upper Red Trail is about 0.6 miles away, Lower Blue Trail and Upper Blue Trail are each about 0.7 miles off, and the Valley Road Connector is about 0.9 miles away.