Upper Blue Trail
- 0.1 mi
- round trip
- 69 ft
- climb
- 1,203 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Upper Blue Trail is a short, out-and-back cross-country ski route in Michigan, about 3 miles from the town of Roaring Brook. The trail is only about 0.2 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 69 feet, and it is rated hard. The climb is flat overall, with the steepest stretch at about 0.05 miles from the start, where the grade reaches 4 percent. Winter is the natural season for this trail. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Petoskey show January highs around 26°F with lows near 12°F, while July and August average highs in the mid-70s. That station sits about 455 feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the trail run a little cooler. The trail makes an easy addition to a day of skiing in the area. Lower Blue Trail is about half a mile away, and Lower Red Trail and Upper Red Trail are each within a mile. For paddling, the Maple River is about 9 miles off.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Upper Blue Trail
Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
26° / 12°
19 wet
Feb
28° / 11°
15 wet
Mar
37° / 18°
12 wet
Apr
50° / 30°
13 wet
May
63° / 42°
13 wet
Jun
73° / 52°
12 wet
Jul
76° / 57°
10 wet
Aug
76° / 56°
11 wet
Sep
69° / 50°
12 wet
Oct
56° / 39°
17 wet
Nov
43° / 30°
18 wet
Dec
32° / 21°
19 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Petoskey Ncmc, MI, 7.3 mi away at 748 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
