TRIPS: Hell was colder than expected
Pinckney Village/Hell, Mich.

The Potawatomi Trail (aka “Poto”) is an incredibly fun 24-mile roller coaster ride that you can bomb in a couple of hours, or thoroughly enjoy taking your time with. It sits just outside Pinckney Village and butts right up to Hell, Mich., home of Survivor contestant Erik Reichenbach, the ice cream scooper from Hell. The trail should not be confused with the more infamous Potawatomi Trail of Death from Indiana to Kansas.

It was two days before a business trip to Lansing, Mich., that the June/July issue of National Geographic Adventure landed in the mailbox. About halfway through it was a little blurb about a “bombing through glacial hills” in the Pinckney Recreation Area about an hour east of Lansing (or an hour west of Detroit) outside the small village of Pinckney, Mich. The story included a quote from local bike shop owner John Calvert saying the trail had everything from trees, to swamp, to sand (and some other stuff I can’t remember now that I gave him my copy), and that bike rentals were a mere $15 a day.

I also got this description from the Michigan Mountain Bikers Association: “… you'll find three trails: the 17-mile Potawatomi Trail [aka “Poto”], the 5.1-mile Crooked Lake Trail and the 1.9-mile Silver Lake Trail. The routes are shared with hikers.”

After a few phone calls and visit to Village Cyclery website, we (me, John and his shop dog Woody) met at the shop and he set me up with one of the standard rentals: a 25+-pound steel Pro Flex that was older than my teenage daughter. He even threw on some new Richey SPDs and a trail pump (which I forgot) at no extra charge before sending me on the 10-minute drive to the trail head.

MMBA calls the trails “intermediate & advanced,” but it ranks closer to “intermediate” in my book, although the roots and unexpected sand pits during descents demand some savvy. There’s a detailed and accurate description of the trails here, And you can get an up-to-date map, camping information and more from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The park closes at 10 p.m., so you can even get a night ride in.

Although I get the impression that the trails (all shared with hikers) get crowded during the summer, only 4 hikers and 5 bikers crossed my path all day, which meant building a head of steam was never an issue. Both the scenery (all types as John described) and the wildlife (deer, cranes, chipmunks, foxes) were terrific, but the numerous lakes and no fewer than a dozen, twisting wooden bridges over marshes and waterways were the surprise of the day.

A short visit to Hell after the ride is a must before leaving the area. The good news is that you won’t starve there, thanks to fresh pizza (cheese bread’s the local favorite) from Hell’s Kitchen and dessert at Screams Ice Cream, which also boasts the only 365-day Halloween shops I’ve ever seen under its roof. There’s also a pub – as one might expect – in Hell; but these three places plus a church with a question mark on top instead of a cross are about all you’ll find there.

Best of all there’s no hurry to get back even if you’ve rented your bike. Although John closes at 7 or 8 p.m. depending on the day, he’s got a convenient rack and lock out back for after-ours returns!

I almost forgot: It was 56 degrees in Hell today, and “yes,” Hell does freeze over here every year.


Check out more photos below, and enjoy the ride through Hell!