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PHOTO:
Connor
Creek Greenway by
the Detroit River
in Maheras-Gentry
Park in Detroit
the Flint River Trail recently went up, with more along the
Paint Creek Trail and the RiverWalk in Detroit coming in
the near future.
About 200 miles of the UP bike route is on U.S. 2, a
highway that’s also designated as U.S. Bicycle Route 10
by the Adventure Cycling Association. Nearly everyone
involved with the project sees the UP as the most diffi-
cult area in which to build off-road trails, but they remain
confident that it will happen … eventually.
“There are not a lot of corridors or abandoned rail lines
that would make it easy to just put down trail,” Oberg said.
“In time, I think [Michigan] can leverage the potential suc-
cess of the trails in the lower peninsula to get things done.”
Until then, trail officials are working with the state
Department of Transportation to ensure the road is as
safe as possible for cyclists, with an 8-foot shoulder on
either side of the road.
“It’s not totally ideal, but that section of U.S. 2 is
absolutely beautiful, bordering on Lake Michigan,” Ben-
nett said. “Riders will be able to see some of the most
interesting parts of Michigan off that road.”
Impact
As public awareness increases, trail creators naturally
expect usage to increase with commuters and recre-
ational users, including a small subset that will hike or
bike the entire network.
So far, only one hiker has taken on the challenge. Shortly
after the trail was announced in 2013, Christopher Hillier, a
veteran thru-hiker who has tackled both the Appalachian
Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, became the first hiker to do
the length of the Iron Belle. Because the trail wasn’t com-
pleted, Hillier had to be proactive, scouting trailheads and
possible routes on the weekends before his epic journey.
“I met some really amazing trail angels [on the trail],”
Hillier said. “Seems every little town along the way—es-
pecially across the UP—had someone there who knew
about my hike. They all offered food, their company—or
even opened their homes to me. The North Country
National Scenic Trail is maintained by different trail
chapters, each of whom is fiercely proud of their section
of trail and very friendly to hikers.”
Showcasing the State
Although the sense of optimism around the Iron Belle
has never been higher, there are some issues that must
be worked through.
Detroit is undergoing a bicycle renaissance—Detroit
Bike City’s Slow Roll Ride may be the best example
( slowroll.bike )—but some tourists might still be intimi-
dated by cycling through Motor City. Much of the current
route through Detroit is on city streets, and some people
worry about the potential for crime.
Todd Scott, executive director of the Detroit Green-
ways Coalition, believes those potential fears are over-
blown. Because of the loss of population—25 percent of
Detroit’s residents moved out between 2000 and 2010—
the city plans to transform many of the underused ve-
hicle lanes along the Iron Belle route and elsewhere into
separate, protected cycle tracks. The parts of the 8-mile
Conner Creek Greenway that are off road see heavy lo-
cal traffic with up to 3,000 users on a nice weekend day.
“Detroit is like every other urban setting,” Scott said. “You
just need to be aware of your surroundings. Most of the in-
cidents are crimes of opportunity, just like in any other city.”
According to Bennett, to combat potential crime,
additional lighting might be added along the route. The
RiverWalk section has its own security team, which could
be extended north to other parts of the trail. “As the trail
grows in popularity and more people start to use it, I think
you’ll actually see less crime,” Bennett said. “Troublemak-
ers seem to like places where no one is around.”
Despite overwhelming evidence that trails increase
property values, bring in tourism dollars and add to quali-
ty of life, officials acknowledge that some citizens remain
skeptical about the trail, particularly when it’s running be-
hind their backyard or through valuable farming acreage.
Many times they’re fearful of their bucolic paradise being
bombarded with strangers leaving trash everywhere, but
there are other reasons as well, Bennett affirms.
“Much of the route is planned around utility corridors
for less right-of-way and property issues,” said Bennett.
791
Mileage of
the Iron Belle
multiuse/biking
route
ALL PHOTOS: TOM PIDGEON PHOTOGRAPHY
12
RAILS TO TRAILS WINTER 2017
B E A U T Y A N D S T R E N G T H