Stretching over 15 miles through the last of the Leelanau County railway corridors, the Leelanau Trail connects Traverse City and Suttons Bay. The trail route features rolling hills, lush forests, picturesque orchards, peaceful meadows, and an aquatic medley of streams, lakes, and ponds.
Key Historical Dates of the Leelanau Trail- 1994 -- The Leelanau Trails Association (LTA) is formed.
- 1995 -- The LTA purchases the 15-mile railroad corridor between Greilickville and Suttons Bay to establish the railroad as a multi purpose commuter and recreational trail.
- 1995 to 1997 -- Paving of the extreme northern section and lower section of the trail takes place.
- 1997 -- Grant from Rotary Charities enables establishment of trailhead at Cherry Bend Road.
- 1998 -- TART Trails, Inc. is formed as 4 individual trail groups unite. TART Trails, Inc. includes the Boardman Lake Trail, the Leelanau Trail, the TART Trail and the Vasa Pathway.
- 1999 -- One mile streach of trail paved between Cherry Bend Road and Carter Road.
- 2001 -- Refinanced the Leelanau Trail mortgage.
- 2001 -- Worked with Elmwood, Suttons Bay and Bingham Townships to adopt the trail into master plans and zoning ordinances.
- 2001 -- Submitted special land use permit applications to Bingham Township.
- 2003 -- Paved 2 miles from Fouch to Lakeview Hills Road.
- 2004 -- Connected the TART-Leelanau Trail trails. This project involved a lot of cooperation among private residents, the City of Traverse City, Grand Traverse County, Leelanau County and TART Trails. Thank you for your patience.
Leelanau Trail Use and User Study by Michigan State University [adobe PDF]
Leelanau Trail Mileage - Distances from Cherry Bend Trail-head [adobe pdf]
Leelanau Trail News
[01/29/2008] TART grooms Leelanau Trail for skiing
[06/27/2007] Participate in the Cherry TART Tour
[06/27/2007] Sign up for the Tour de TART bike ride
[11/1/2006] Bahle receives trail award
[10/16/2006] TART Grooming Badge
[10/16/2006] Schramski family wins trail photo contest
[09/5/2006] Leelanau Trail paving ribbon cutting Sept 9
[08/21/2006] Leelanau Trail paving to begin August 21
[08/9/2006] Leelanau Trail re-route
[04/18/2006] Trail work bees scheduled for Sat. April 22
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