Side by side trails in Michigan
Where to ride an Side by side on national-forest land in Michigan: 18 ranger districts have routes on the U.S. Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map that designate side by side access, totalling roughly 6,554.9 designated miles. This is a ranked view of those districts — miles, season and a link to each district's full data — built only from real MVUM designations, never a doorway. It covers national-forest routes only; Michigan also has state and club systems that the MVUM does not include. Informational, not a legal document.
Ranger districts to ride an Side by side in Michigan
Ranked by designated side by side miles. Open a district for its full access matrix, seasons, a route-network map and GPX downloads.
| Season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mio Ranger District | Huron-Manistee National Forest | 630.8 | 694.1 | Varies by route |
| Kenton Ranger District | Ottawa National Forest | 580 | 634.8 | Varies by route |
| Sault Ste. Marie Ranger District | Hiawatha National Forest | 516.5 | 615.9 | Varies by route |
| Watersmeet Ranger District | Ottawa National Forest | 502.2 | 569.4 | Varies by route |
| Manistique Ranger District | Hiawatha National Forest | 426.1 | 500.7 | Varies by route |
| Tawas Ranger District | Huron-Manistee National Forest | 397.6 | 416.2 | Varies by route |
| Baldwin Ranger District | Huron-Manistee National Forest | 393.4 | 508.1 | Varies by route |
| Munising Ranger District | Hiawatha National Forest | 380.7 | 459.8 | Varies by route |
| Ontonagon Ranger District | Ottawa National Forest | 373.5 | 416.8 | Varies by route |
| Iron River Ranger District | Ottawa National Forest | 365.5 | 445.9 | Varies by route |
| Bessemer Ranger District | Ottawa National Forest | 356.2 | 410.5 | Varies by route |
| Rapid River Ranger District | Hiawatha National Forest | 327.6 | 394.4 | Varies by route |
| Cadillac Ranger District | Huron-Manistee National Forest | 311.2 | 323.4 | Varies by route |
| Manistee Ranger District | Huron-Manistee National Forest | 256.6 | 310.5 | Varies by route |
| Bergland Ranger District | Ottawa National Forest | 228.9 | 256.4 | Varies by route |
| St. Ignace Ranger District | Hiawatha National Forest | 170.8 | 238 | Varies by route |
| White Cloud Ranger District | Huron-Manistee National Forest | 169.8 | 215.7 | Varies by route |
| Harrisville Ranger District | Huron-Manistee National Forest | 167.5 | 170.4 | Varies by route |
Data: U.S. Forest Service, Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) Motor Vehicle Use Map — Roads (layer 1) and Trails (layer 2), retrieved 2026-07-11. A work of the U.S. Government, public domain (17 U.S.C. §105). State assignment: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb state boundaries.
Every figure here summarises the Forest Service MVUM data and is not the official Motor Vehicle Use Map. Designations, closures and conditions change. Carry and follow each district's official MVUM when you ride.
Frequently asked questions
- Where can you ride an Side by side in Michigan?
- On national-forest land, 18 ranger districts in Michigan have MVUM routes that designate side by side access. They are listed below with miles, season and a link to each district's full route data.
- Does this cover state and private Side by side trails in Michigan?
- No. This page is built only from the U.S. Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map, so it covers national-forest routes. Michigan may also have state-park, state-forest and private club systems that the MVUM does not include.
- Is this the official Michigan MVUM?
- No — it is an informational, searchable view. The legal document is each district's official Motor Vehicle Use Map; carry and follow it when you ride.
Explore
See all Michigan national-forest routes, read the methodology, or learn what an MVUM is.