betsie valley trail

This trail offers a lot of beauty along Betsie Bay, through the wetlands, along the river, across to Crystal Lake and eventually into Beulah. Best of all (for nonprofessional bikers like me!), it is flat almost the entire way!

The west trailhead begins in Frankfort & meanders along the Betsy Bay marsh, Betsy River and along Crystal Lake into the town of Beulah. The trail continues to Thompsonville through fields and forests.

My husband and I took a half hour walk from Frankfort the other day. The section we walked was paved which would be perfect if on bikes because it's wide and relatively flat. For walking I think it would be more interesting when the trail goes through more wooded areas.

This is a beautiful trail along the Betsie River and Crystal lake. We only did the section between Frankfurt and Beulah - about 18 miles round trip. Much of it is paved. Ambles by homes, water, wooded areas. Very few hills.

We rode our bicycles from Frankfort to Beulah. This is a former railroad bed, so it is pretty smooth and small elevation grades. There are a few road crossings, but they are few and traffic was not bad. We rode ten miles each way. About half the distance was paved the other half smooth crushed limestone. Closer to Beulah there were some spots with soft sand, so be careful.It was a beautiful ride! In the wooded area you pass groves of white trunked Birch trees. At Railroad Point you start paralleling Crystal Lake with amazing views of the water that really is crystal clear. Take time to do some wading at Railroad point. In Beulah there were some great choices to eat before your ride back.

Great trail for biking, walking, running. Views of the river, views of the woods, views of beautiful Crystal Lake. We rented bikes from Conundrum Cafe in Elberta. They were friendly and gave good service. The trail is just beautiful and a must-do if in the area.

Wonderful rails-to-trails project. You can go for many or few miles and enjoy great views of the Betsie River, open fields, and just enjoy the fresh air! Great alternative for families or for groups with people of varying abilities. Some can walk, some can jog, some can bike and some can rollerblade. Lovely year around, although the fall is particularly beautiful in full October color. We go whenever we can so don't discount summer (just got back and there's actually a tiny bit of color already in August) and winter, too.

Spent several nights at Harbor Light condos. Did the bike trail 2 days in a row to Beulah.The route is paved to just past 115 highway which is about 7 miles. The 7 miles takes you through very beautiful trails. A lot is surrounded by forest with rivers and ponds scatteres in. Lots of places for photos. Once you cross 115 and head around beautiful crystal lake the next 3 miles are stone and in places sand. Runs on the old railway right of way. You go through some nice scenic areas abd pass by beautiful houses. Several places you can stop and put your feet into crystal clear Crystal Lake.Beulah is the next city and its a quaint little place with B and B's along the lake and interesting stores to shop a t. Several restaurants and a ice cream store will seek your attention. There is a tavern on the corner that serves food also. It was a 20 mile round trip both days. The trail runs another 17 miles but we didn't go the whole way. Maybe in October when we come back we will do it all.

We got on the trail from the parking lot of Harbor Lights Resort, which was where we were staying. From there you go past a little town called Elberta. This town has a Mexican restaurant & a store/café called the Conundrum Café. Be sure to stop here. they ice cream & sandwiches & lots of little goodies to buy. From there we biked about 4 more miles till we met up with family who were coming from Beulah. them we turned around & went back to Frankfort & had lunch. the trail very easy & well maintained. there are benches every now & then to rest if you want. there are trails maps along the way. the trail is a combo of sun & shade. Part of the trail nearer Beulah is hard packed gravel or stone-- according to family who came from that way.

The trail runs from downtown Frankfort all the way to Beulah. Paved nearly all the way, It follows an old railroad grade, so there aren't any steep hills. The trail is about ten miles one way (20 miles round trip), and is one of my favorite bike trails in northern Michigan. The scenery is beautiful as it passes through woodland, marshes, rivers, etc. I usually start in Frankfort, and park across the street from the riverside public park downtown (free parking). I then ride to Beulah, stopping for a swim at Crystal Lake along the trail a couple of miles from Beulah--beautiful lake and scenery for a couple of miles in this area. The section along Crystal Lake is the only unpaved section, but it is hard packed crushed gravel, so you won't need a mountain bike on this trail--I always take my road bike with no problems. When I get to Beulah, I get a bite to eat at the L'Chayim Delicatessen before turning around for the ride back to Frankfort. There are lots of choices of places to eat in Frankfort or to get ice cream, but I usually head right for Lake Michigan and spend an hour or so at the public beach in town before heading home. I've gone on this trip with lots of novice bike riders and no one has had trouble completing the round trip ride--plan on spending a half day or so if you want to enjoy the scenery, swim, eat, etc. It is also good for hiking, particularly the section that traverses the Betsie River marshland just outside of Frankfort--there is a parking area by the big steam ship propeller just outside of town--lots of birds, and beautiful scenery. If you like bike rides, be sure to check out this fantastic trail--and bring your swimming suit!

I've ridden the section between Elberta and Mollineaux rd several times with my kids. It is a well paved trail that is pretty flat. Nice ride for elementary school kids and up. Nothing particularly scenic but a pretty ride with limited traffic. Parking at the Elberta trailhead can sometimes be tight.

Nice trail through some beautiful scenery along the Betsie River. Take a morning hike then head into Petals and Perks in Frankfort for coffee and/or ice cream.

With the exception of a few areas along the Crystal Lake shoreline near Beulah that need improvement (paving), this is a stellar bike trail that we highly recommend.

Every summer I enjoy running and biking on this trail! I like the gravel section for running and the paved section for biking, but I have used both sections for either activity. The scenery makes the trail fun and offers a variety of views - lakes, trees, a marina...all the "stuff" that makes this one of the most beautiful areas in our country.

The paved section starts outside of Beulah, so don't bother starting there - start at Molineaux road instead. Selfish residents of Beulah want to discourage bicycle traffic on the right-of-way, so it is left graveled and in poor condition. The slow down grade into Elberta is relaxing and offers a nice variety of scenery, and it is worth stopping here, or continuing the ride to Frankfort before heading back. It is especially nice bicycling in on Thursdays and Saturday's when Elberta and Frankfort, respectively, have their farmer's market.For the more adventurous, the roads to the Southeast of Elberta offer fine workouts on hills. The real screamer is Forester Road that has a 14% grade right before it dumps you onto River Road where just a few hundred yards to the west, one can pick up the trail back into Frankfort.