Places to Ride
http://www.themounds.org/
About Us
What makes The Mounds the undisputed king of Michigan off-road facilities? Easy: Every day, all week, all year, all kinds of terrain, all kinds of vehicles, only The Mounds. If you love going off road, we've got one of the greatest playgrounds you'll ever find. That's why all kinds of ORVers bring all kinds of ORVs - from Jeeps and trucks to quads and cycles - to The Mounds. If you've never been, it's time to plan a visit. If you're a Mounds veteran, any time is a great time to come back.
Ride Around the Thumb
Start in Point Huron, MI and look for Pine Grove Ave heading north, which will then veer right, onto 24th Ave. These roads get you through town, and onto M-25, or Lakeshore Rd. Head north out of town on MI-25. MI-25 will follow the thumb shaped coastline all the way up to Harbor Beach, Port Hope, and Port Austin (you'll see that Lakeshore Rd. turns into Grindstone Rd. and heads west into Port Austin). Continue on to the town of Sebewaing and to the end point of Bay City, MI.
From there you can go through Bay City and hop on I-75 to go the fast way home. Or, for the more adventurous, travel directly south from Port Austin on M-53/Van Dyke Rd. towards Bad Axe. At Bad Axe, turn right heading west on M-53 and then turn right, onto Huron Line Rd heading west [about 35 miles south from Port Austin at this point]. Huron Line road will intersect Richie Rd. Turning left [south] will take you to the famous Octagon Barn [https://www.thumboctagonbarn.org/] - a true rarity and must see. After seeing the barn, keep going south on Richie Rd. to Bay City Forestville Rd. - turn right and head west again, towards Gagetown - who's claim to fame is the first bank to have FDIC!! And, if it's still there, also home of Michigan's only Anastazi Indian / Southwestern style restaurant. You can either backtrack to M-53 and continue south, or beeline straight south of Gagetown on Dodge Rd. til you T-bone M-81 / Cass City Rd., where turning left [heading east] will take you to M-53, or turning right [heading west] will take you towards Saginaw where you can jump on M-23.