It’s just not right.

Think of Michigan, and chances are you think of Detroit, big American cars and winter.

What you don’t think of are motorcycles. And you should.

Don’t believe it? Where else in the East can you find 3,000 miles of trails open to motorcycles and ATVs? Where else can you ride 3,000 miles of relaxing lakeshore roads? How many other states offer a network of sand and gravel roads perfect for adventure touring? And how many have a rich tradition in motorcycle competition that includes names like Parker, Springsteen, Goss, Markel and Burleson?

We’d heard reports of some amazing things happening in that upper Midwestern state shaped like a mitten. So, in our ongoing quest to locate the best places to go riding in America, we sent Managing Editor Bill Wood and Senior Editor Grant Parsons to investigate—on streetbikes, dual-sport bikes, trailbikes and ATVs.

click map to enlarge

In addition to the routes mentioned in "Great Lakes, Great Riding" and "Unpaved Paradise," you won't want to miss these back road excursions:

Upper Peninsula, Whitefish Point: Cross the Mackinac Bridge into the U.P., and follow State Route 123 through the interior of the peninsula all the way up to the town of Paradise on the shore of Lake Superior. From there, a well-maintained gravel road continues north to Whitefish Point and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Museum.

Upper Peninsula, Copper Harbor: From the Mackinac Bridge, follow U.S. Route 2 west. A side trip down State Route 183 along the Garden Peninsula is worthwhile before continuing west on 2 to Rapid River, where state Route 41 runs all the way north to Copper Harbor, the northernmost point in the U.P. For the last 20 miles to Copper Harbor, state Route 26 provides an alternate route with fantastic lake views.

Traverse City and west: Follow state Route 22 north out of the tourist town of Traverse City, all the way up to Northport, where state Routes 201 and 629 lead onward to Grand Traverse Lighthouse at the end of the Leelanau Peninsula. Then follow 22, now heading south along the Lake Michigan shoreline, through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and on to Manistee.

The Red Highway: This one is a bit more adventurous, and requires a lot of attention to maps. Basically, you follow the eastern shore of Lake Michigan from Ludington south to Holland, taking side roads and keeping as close to the water as possible. To do that, you’ll need keep an eye out for smaller state routes and county roads that bring you within sight of the lake, but the rewards include stops at Silver Lake State Park, Duck Lake State Park, Muskegon State Park and others.

© 2003, American Motorcyclist Association