| | Grooming Routes | Headlights | Speed Limits/Curfew | Permits | Trail System | Staging Areas |
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| Grand
Marais Crazy 8's: | | |
Club
News
Update:
Rainbow Lodge will only be open December 26 through January 8th this
year. They will be closed the rest of the season. Mike is checking on Pine Stump
and Shingleton. Melstrand Store has new owners and has re-opened. I will let
you know about their winter hours soon. In Grand Marais, the Sportsman's Restaurant
will be closed until December 26 when they will re-open for the season. The
West Bay Diner will be closing for the season around December 24th, depending
on the road between here and Deer Park. North Shore Lodge will re-open on December
26th and will be open for the season. Of course, Lake Superior Brewing Company,
aka: the Dunes Saloon, will be open from noon until 2:00 am!
The trails are all ready to DNR inspection and we're waiting for the snow to fall.
The new Trail Bully was officially dubbed the "8 Ball Express". The name was submitted by PJ Costa of the DNR Seney field office. We will have a picture of PJ with her soon. Thank you PJ for coming up with a great name. Thank you to everyone else that sent in names...we had 24 names to choose from so it wasn't an easy decision!
We have several new drivers signed up this season. Welcome Chris Seymour, Chris Holocher, and Chris Siegwart, Dennis Weaver, Rob Harbaum and Sheri Shafer to the team! Back this season are Tammy, Carol, Brian and myself along with Norm and Jack keeping everything running smooth. Chris H, Carol, Brian and Rob will be full-time. The rest of us will handle their days off. Mikki will handle scheduling. Steve Bell and John Bauknecht will head up the town loop. Tim Swift will handle recovery efforts when/if we breakdown out there on the trail. And at the helm of it all is Mike Lawless.
Don't forget to check out our new facebook page for updates on trail conditions, rider's feedback and more!
Headlight
covers banned
In March 2004, the State of Michigan enacted a law banning colored
headlight covers on all snowmobiles less than 25 years old.
Traveling
into and through Grand Marais ~ Trail, Speed Limit, Curfew, etc…
Please
note that there is NO trail THROUGH Grand Marais along H-58 ~
signs are posted on both sides of town. Town roads are open to snowmobiles
to access lodgings and business.
There is a 10 mph speed limit within the village of Grand Marais at all times. Riders are permitted to travel surface streets in accordance with state laws as they pertain to the operation of a snowmobile and at a rate of speed no more than necessary to provide forward motion of the snowmobile.
Snowmobiles are not permitted on the beach as property owners own to the high water mark. Snowmobiles are allowed on the frozen surface of the Great Lakes, at your own risk, of course.
There is no official snowmobile "Curfew" in Grand Marais; however a noise ordinance is in effect between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. within the village of Grand Marais. Riders are strongly urged to honor the speed limit and use the Woodland Park Trail to minimize the impact of noise to residents.
Trail
Permits
- Michigan Trail permits for the
2011/2012 season $45.00
This
is to remind everyone that a Michigan Trail Permit must be permanently affixed
to and properly displayed on all snowmobiles or risk a costly ticket. Several
tickets are issued every season for lack of or improper placement
of the trail permit. Trail Permits are NOT transferable, so don't think you can
get away with keeping it in your wallet and using it on another snowmobile. Funds
from the sale of permits are paid out to grooming clubs across the state and is
a small price to support our trail system and avoid that ticket. There are 300
outlets selling trail permits or you can order them direct from the Michigan
Snowmobile Association, the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources or at DNR
Operations Service Centers. Retailers in Grand Marais are Bayshore
Market (gas station) and Superior
Hardware.
The Grand Marais Trail System ~ 123 Miles of Designated Trails
Grand
Marais Trail #8 West - 23 Miles
This scenic trail runs West from Grand Marais through the Pictured Rocks National
Park along county roads H-58, the Rhody Creek Truck Trail and the Hurricane River
Truck Trail. Sites along the way include Sable Falls, Grand Sable Lake and Grand
Sable Dunes. This trail is perhaps the most heavily traveled being the quickest
route to Munising and points West. It has tight winding sections as well as open
areas. Upon entering the National Park, riders are required to stay on the trail
or risk fines of up to $5000.
Beginning at the junction of Trail #443 and Trail #8 East crossing M-77 to the 4 corners @ William Hill Road and H-58 on Trail #8 West, a section runs next to a plowed road open to vehicular traffic with many driveways along the way. A 25 mph speed limit is in force on the trail. Riders must remain on alert and stay on the trail. Don't risk being ticketed for exceeding the speed limit, traveling on the road instead of the trail, and failure to heed stop signs. Mind your P's and Q's on this stretch and remember to stop and look before crossing the highway.
Woodland
Park Trail- Trail #8 Spur - 3 Miles - Route into Grand Marais
This trail was officially added in the 2003/2004 season as the only
designated route into Grand Marais, beginning at the junction of Trails #8 East
and West (Corner of H-58 and William Hill Road). This trail runs along the side
of H-58, which is partially plowed with several driveways, and by several areas
of private property. Please remain on the groomed trail to avoid trespassing on
private property. The speed limits vary from 25 mph to 10 mph along this stretch.
During the 2007/2008 Season, this trail was re-routed along Brazel Street just
south of Woodland Park campground. Please stay out of the park.
Lake
Superior Trail #89 - 12 Miles
This trail is still our best kept little secret and is the only
area where motorized travel along the lake shore in the Pictured Rocks
National Park is possible; offering breathtaking views of Lake Superior from as
high as 300 feet above the water. It wanders through magnificent stands of jack
pine and white birch forests where abundant wild life has been spotted. This trail
also takes on Lake Superiors worst winter storms, building drifts up to 12 foot
high. If you want a nice relaxing ride and are not in a hurry to get to the next
stop, bring a picnic lunch, camera, and take advantage of the awesome views this
trail has to offer. We will begin grooming the log slide road again starting in
the 2009/2010 season.
Rhody
Creek Trail #888 - 7 Miles
Added in the 2002/2003 season, Trail #888 is the easiest
short-cut from Seney to Grand Marais! It is a popular "short-cut" that
includes winding trails through forests of Maple, Beach, and pines and traverses
steep hills through forest management areas with new growth buried under deep
snow. Please remain on the trail and help conserve the new trees for the future.
East-West
Connector Trail #88 - 18 Miles
This
trail links #443 on the East side of M-77 to Trail #8 West and is the most direct
route from East to West passing through a variety of terrain from swamp lands,
to virgin forests, to open plains.
North-South
Connector Trail #443 - 17 Miles
Trail
#443 was rerouted off the Old Seney Road in the 2003/2004 season. It provides
the quickest route to Seney Trail #431 toward Newberry and Seney passing through
logging areas, with some very sharp curves, and into the Danaher Plains. Just
North of the intersection at #431, is the Hot Dog Stand where riders often stop
for a quick bite, hot chocolate or coffee, and to share a few laughs along the
way.
Grand
Marais Trail #8 East - 43 Miles
This
trail remains the most popular route between the Reed and Green Bridge near Rainbow
Lodge and Grand Marais and is our longest section of the Upper Peninsula Trail
System. No where else can you find such variation in terrain or diversity in riding
conditions, and experience the impact of weather conditions than along this 43
mile section of trail. If the winds kick up, riders can expect a lot of drifting
and whiteout conditions so take care and be observant.
The
Blue Trail #8A or should we call it "8, eh?"
UPDATE:
September 2009 - discussions between the Park Service, the Road Commission, and
the township have reopened the possibility of resolving the issue of 1/4 mile
on Park Service property so we can get this trail approved. It will require an
act of congress (really) through legal processes and may take a couple of seasons
but the ball has begun to roll! On the down side of this great news, if approved,
Trail #8 will then be rerouted off of H-58 from the intersection of #89 to the
corner just east of the Visitor Center in Grand Marais (Corner of H-58 and William
Hill Road) to help protect Grand Sable Dunes by Sable Lake.
Early and late season riders, the following staging areas put you at trail heads.