Maple Hill Trail — Attraction in Cooper Charter Township

Lots of SPH: Smiles Per Hour. The Maple Hill Trail is at Markin Glen County Park - West Side. This is a fun, modern, flow style trail with banked turns, whoop-de-doos, tabletops, well designed switchback climbs, mature shade forest, on 2-foot wide hardpacked singletrack. The designers packed the miles in a small space with good variety, so that it doesn't feel like riding back and forth redundantly in a small spaghetti bowl. The parking lot has a pit toilet, bike repair stand, picnic shelter, close access to Kalamazoo, and a lake to jump in across the street at Markin Glen Park's east side (camping available there, too).

Thrill seekers can ride the trail hard and get air, XC riders can crank up the heart rate, intermediate riders can practice skills yet keep both wheels on the ground over the humps, while beginner riders can get a taste for trail riding in the low land trail (low trail can be wet after a rain) while riding around the larger hump obstacles on the hill side trail as the bigger humps have side bi-pass trails. Well marked, easy to follow trail, easy access to the parking lot via paved roads if you want to cut the ride short, do only part of the trail, or repeat a section.

Rideable (depending on cyclist's ability and skills) for cyclocross bikes, single speeds, full suspension, downhill bombers, fully rigid, hard...

You'll need a mountain bike. Trails are narrow & sandy & have large rocks. Without proper tires you'll hurt yourself or damage your bike Trails aren't clearly marked. Being new to the area I couldn't easily figure out which trail was North side, Upper Douglas, Gravity Run, or Lower Douglas. Access to the trails depends on the day if the week, so be prepared to ride somewhere other than you planned. Even South Flats, listed as easy, you'll need a mountain bike for Lesson learned the hard way And trails are narrow. Other riders may want to zip around you if you're...

Best trail in the Kalamazoo area, worth the 5$ daily pass, you can really hone fitness and skills here, because there are 2 lengthy climbs and 2 lengthy descents, changes direction depending on the day, but both directions are equally amazing. Jump trails (non-committal) and techy chunk. Shortish distance for the whole loop, so you can easily get multiple laps in and really practice and...