Bikepacking the Manistee National Forest: Part 5

Day three was planned to be the shortest of all to allow for time to travel home, unpack and prep ourselves for returning to reality. Nonetheless, it wasn't a day to write off with some spectacular scenery and views ahead. We packed up shortly after breakfast and headed south then west towards the Pine river via forest roads and a bit of pavement. It was pleasant to start the day out mostly descending towards the river and warming the legs up. When planning a route it's always good to consider the terrain you start and finish each day with. After the river naturally we began climbing back up into higher terrain via frequently used motor vehicle routes. The roads near this area are notoriously sandy and we were pleased to have a fair amount of moisture in the ground to keep the sand packed down.

Saying goodbye to our shelter until the next time!

Awesome forest roads near the Pine river

Enjoying a nice downhill jaunt

ORV bridge on the Pine River

After slogging through some pretty sandy sections we meandered back north a while to stay close to the Pine river and avoid busier sections of road. With the Pine river being a National Scenic area this is a great section to see untainted views and less trammeled terrain. The forest roads we took varied from river lowlands to pine plantations several hundred feet about the river. Every time i cover new terrain is this area it only makes me want to come back and explore more! Before approaching one of my favorite sections in the area we stopped for a short snack break to enjoy some nice hardwood fall colors.

Tyler cruising 

Nice quiet area for a snack break

Seldom used two tracks are the best!

The section of forest road from M37 to Low Bridge on the Pine river is one of my favorite stretches of two track in the area. There are many areas to stop and take in views of the swift Pine below, areas to camp opposite the riverside of the road (camping is not permitted within a set distance of the river as it is a National Scenic section). Although we had the end is sight we found ourselves stopping frequently and slow rolling this section to enjoy the scenery. Even if you don't make it up there for a whole bikepacking trip, this section makes a great day trip ride.

Nice spot for a photo op while searching for an unobstructed view

Beautiful overlook

Hardpacked two-track makes for an easy roll

Even the bikes enjoyed the views

Low Bridge gets its name for an obvious reason, it's really low to the river. In fact, most of the time there is water over the road here so it's a pretty cool area to bomb through in warm temps for a quick cool down. We took more than our share of photos of the area then ventured further south towards the Jerky mecca of Michigan in Dublin. After the hefty climb away from the river the terrain rolls mostly flat to downhill southward to Dublin and to where our journey began. If you haven't stopped at the Dublin General Store and consider yourself to be a carnivore then you're only doing yourself a disservice. Aside from the jerky this is a great lunch stop or resupply point for any trip. After an obligatory stop we quickly covered the last few miles of the journey with some last minute exploration to chart out some new terrain for future trips.

View of Low Bridge from a high bluff

Water on the road

Aptly named river crossing

In summary, our trip covered approximately 155 miles of beautiful terrain. It took about 13 and a half hours of pedaling to cover the ground along with 11,5K feet of elevation. You can find the rest of the nerd data on my Strava account around the time period of Saturday October 10th. Even if you don't have the time/ability/energy/resources to make it out for this long of a trip i highly recommend getting out to explore the area and take advantage of what Michigan has to offer. The best part is that this whole area is totally free to visit, no tickets required or long lines with $4 bottles of mountain dew mocking you in 100 degree heat. Get out and explore!