Partnerships Paired with Passion –The Vasa Pathway

Before there was a trail, there was a race. Conceived by Ted Okerstrom and Vojin Baic, the first North American Vasa race took place in 1977. Based on the Swedish Vasaloppet, the North American Vasa was a point-to-point, cross-country ski race that existed for a decade without a permanent home. Epic tales are told of races over melting lakes and course changes made with minutes to spare. In 1989, to help the race continue to thrive and find a permanent home, Grand Traverse County, through the leadership of Mac McClelland and Ross Childs, successfully secured a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant to build the first permanent cross-country ski course in Grand Traverse County.

NMMBA takes pride in building relationships within our mountain biking community. The Vasa Pathway is an integral hub, connecting the Vasa Single Track to the Vasa Bike Park that we collaborated with TART Trails to build and maintain, and beyond that to Traverse City businesses and neighborhoods by easy access to the TART. The great infrastructure and accessibility of trails from the Vasa trailhead are super valuable for four seasons of fun, fitness, and friendships!”

—Tim Reicha, Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association Board of Directors

ParaOlympian cross-country skier and Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation Commissioner, George Lombard, put his passion to work. Under George’s leadership, the Vasa Pathway began to take shape. Working closely with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, George pulled the community together, securing land for the trail, building the 10k and 25k loops, and constructing a barn to house the grooming equipment.

While the Vasa Pathway was developed to provide premium cross-country skiing, it was intended and designated for year-round recreation. Today, residents and visitors alike enjoy the Vasa for a myriad of recreational activities. No matter what you have underneath you—sneakers, skis, or a bike—the Pathway offers everyone the opportunity to escape the day and disappear into the woods. The land in the Pere Marquette Forest is owned by the MDNR with agreements in place with TART Trails and Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association for maintenance to keep the Pathway and single track trails that weave through it in tip top shape for all to enjoy.

1977

First North American Vasa Race held

1987

North American Vasa, Inc. formed

1991

Volunteers, MDNR, Grand Traverse County and NAV construct permanent trail (10k and 25k) and trailhead; first NAV race held on the Pathway

1999

TART Trails takes on Vasa Pathway trail maintenance and grooming program

2000

5k Headwaters Trail opens

2010

1st annual Winter Trails Day at Timber Ridge

2014

Steve Brown/Iceman and Timber Ridge donate a new Kubota tractor for trail maintenance

2021

Vasa Bike Park constructed

2024

In 2005, TART Trails launched the Grooming Badge Program as a way for trail users to directly support trail grooming, equipment purchases and trail maintenance.

In 2005, TART Trails launched the Grooming Badge Program as a way for trail users to directly support trail grooming, equipment purchases and trail maintenance, ensuring world-class conditions all season long.

To this day, as early winter mornings beckon badge owners out from under the covers, a grooming report is likely already waiting in their inbox with a full report. Thanks to the support of Short’s Brewing, the Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association, and the fun-loving, growing and tight-knit community of skiers who come back year after year, the Grooming Badge Program continues to grow with funding to support great winter trail conditions.

To this day, as early winter mornings beckon badge owners out from under the covers, a grooming report is likely already waiting in their inbox with a full report. Thanks to the support of Short’s Brewing, the Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association, and the fun-loving, tight-knit community of skiers who come back year after year, the Grooming Badge Program continues to grow.

The year of the PistenBully 100! Collaboration with NMMBA on plans for a grooming barn at Supply Rd Trailhead; more trail on the Vasa Bike Park; more improvements and amenities

Collaboration Today for a Better Tomorrow –Three Mile Trail

The Three Mile Trail project began over 15 years ago when the existing section between Munson Avenue and just south of S. Airport Road was constructed. The vision was always to extend the trail to Hammond Road and the surrounding businesses, neighborhoods and schools. In 2008, this community priority was stymied by a sudden severe economic recession, challenging terrain such as wetlands and stream embankments, and limited public right of way.

In 2018 the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy purchased the old golf course on what is now the land of Mitchell Creek Meadows: The Don and Jerry Oleson Nature Preserve, opening up the collaborative opportunity to develop a transportation and recreation trail that will showcase world class natural features and provide critical community connections. The Three Mile Trail extension will link thousands of kids and trail users to the places they need to go and want to be.

“The long-desired Three Mile Trail will be a tremendous asset to our community. Students being able to get to school on foot or bike, traversing through a nature preserve teeming with opportunities to learn about their surroundings and their role in caring for our natural resources, will be a unique and inspiring opportunity. We are so pleased to partner with TART, East Bay Township, and Norte to accomplish this Safe Routes to School goal.”

This once unwalkable, unbikeable, heavily trafficked corridor will connect trail users to area recreation facilities, grocery stores, six schools, a library, East Bay Township hall and incredible natural areas. At the center of this corridor, the keystone of the passageway, lies the 200-acre Mitchell Creek Meadows: The Don and Jerry Oleson Nature Preserve, a Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy property. The trail extension through these uplands, lowlands, forested areas, and creek crossings will transport trail users from an urban setting into an outdoor recreation sanctuary. This stunning preserve is packed with ecological significance and passive recreational potential.

Thanks to catalytic gifts from community changemakers matched by a significant investment of $900,000 from a Federal Appropriation through Congressman Jack Bergman’s office, design engineering is well underway. Significant private and public investments have come together, along with critical community partnerships with East Bay Township, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, and Norte to establish a clear direction for the project to evolve by leaps and bounds over the next few years.

2006

Trail built from Traverse City State Park Beach on US 31 to S Airport Rd

2021

Conceptual Planning for Three Mile Trail Extension completed 2024

Design Engineering for Trail Extension completed 2026

Construction; East Bay residents and visitors alike are moving around the Three Mile corridor in more non-motorized ways than ever before