TRAILS

Over the Memorial Day weekend, more than a million people in Michigan will travel, and even more plan to get away during the rest of the summer.

Here's a roundup of our favorite places to go for a stroll in Tree Town.

Book a field trip at Matthaei Botanical Gardens.

Here's a list of activities to enjoy in nature in the Ann Arbor area.

Here's a list of activities to enjoy in nature in the Ann Arbor area.

All Seasons Ann Arbor is located at 4600 All Seasons Circle.

All Seasons Ann Arbor is located at 4600 All Seasons Circle.

All Seasons Ann Arbor is located at 4600 All Seasons Circle.

COPPER HARBOR, MICH. -- Shred season is starting earlier than usual at Copper Harbor Trails, one of the Midwest’s most lauded singletrack mountain bike trail systems. The nearly 40-mile trail system located in the northern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula is now open to visitors and mountain bike enthusiasts ahead of its traditional Memorial Day weekend schedule, according to an announcement by the Copper Harbor Trails Club. Nathan Miller, executive director of the Copper Harbor Trails Club, said that helping local businesses was a motivating factor to get the trails open early this season. Its trails are a designated Silver Level Ride Center by the International Mountain Bicycling Association, making Copper Harbor the only Michigan destination to receive the distinction, and one of just two in the Midwest. Miller encouraged visitors to plan ahead and visit the Copper Harbor Trails Club website for trails news, including updates to several trails across the system later this summer.

In addition to registering their snowmobile with the Secretary of State, snowmobilers must also obtain a trail permit, which enables them to ride state-designated trails, public roads and public lands, where authorized. Trail permits are now available for the 2020-21 season, and can be purchased through the DNR’s eLicense page, online with the Michigan Snowmobile & ORV Association, and in person at some DNR license agents and dealers. State-designated trails are open Dec. 1-March 31 and grooming occurs when there is enough snow on the ground. According to the DNR, Michigan’s snowmobile program is entirely funded by trail permit and registration dollars, which pay for grooming, signage, maintenance of trailhead amenities and other snowmobile-related expenditures. There are some exemptions when a trail permit is not needed, including when a snowmobile is used solely for transportation across frozen surfaces for ice fishing,For more information on snowmobile trail permits, including exemptions and how to register a snowmobile, visit the DNR’s snowmobiling information page.

The Michigan DNR has confirmed six cougar sightings in 2020, all in the Upper Peninsula. Since 2008, the DNR has confirmed 55 cougar sightings, with only one of those coming in the Lower Peninsula, in 2017. Though originally native to Michigan, cougars were driven from the states landscape due to several factors, including habitat loss, around the early 1900s. In 2019, at least 11 cougar sightings were confirmed in the state. There have been periodic reports of cougar sightings since that time from various locations in Michigan.

The outdoor camping, like the modern and the group camping, offer swimming, fishing and electricity with modern bathrooms. The Bass Lake Modern Lodge provides modern facilities in a wooded, secluded location that has that Up North feel without the long drive. The Algonac State Park offers a group camping area, a riverfront modern and wagon wheel modern sites. The group camping area offers two trails totaling in three miles and is $17 per night. The riverfront modern area offers modern bathrooms and electricity.

Here are 10 of the best bike paths in Metro Detroit:Located across the bridge from Downtown Detroit, Belle Isle Park is a great place to bike with over 900 acres to explore. The isle has a paved bike path where you can enjoy the view of the Detroit skyline, along with seeing our neighbors in Canada. The Dequindre Cut is a two-mile paved bike path that offers a pedestrian link between the East Riverfront, Eastern Market and several residential neighborhoods in between. Lake St. Clair Metropark offers a three-mile paved bike path that offers views of Lake St. Clair. On this path youll be able to see iconic landmarks such as Greenfield Village and Henry Fords Estate.

Zoo builds above-ground trails that allow animals to roam more freely The Philadelphia Zoo is leading the way in zoo revolution, installing mesh-enclosed walkways that allow animals to travel the grounds like never before. Anne-Marie Green reports.