10 / 32
BY ROBERT ANNIS
Many states have long-distance, nearly border-to-
border trails—Missouri’s Katy Trail and the Ohio to Erie
Trail come to mind—but from a pure mileage stand-
point, the Iron Belle has them beat. The audacious plan
calls for two Iron Belle trails: one multiuse path and
a separate, more backcountry-inspired hiking trail,
totaling 791 and 1,273 miles, respectively, running from
Detroit’s Belle Isle Park to the city of Ironwood in the
Upper Peninsula.
MICHIGAN’S IRON BELLE TRAIL
BEAUTY
STRENGTH
8
RAILS TO TRAILS WINTER 2017