Cheboygan's annual Tap Into the Trails celebration will return Sept. 19 with family fun runs, outdoor recreation activities and events designed to showcase the community's extensive trail network.
The event will feature 10-kilometer and 5-kilometer family fun runs organized by the Top of Michigan Trails Council, according to a community announcement. The races will begin at 8 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. from Festival Square in downtown Cheboygan and will travel through city streets before connecting with the North Central and North Eastern state trails.
Cheboygan is home to the junction of the North Central and North Eastern state trails on the city's south side. The trails meet at a full-service trailhead maintained in part by volunteers. Together, the two rail-trails account for about 150 miles of trail and connect to a broader Northern Michigan trail system spanning roughly 325 miles.
Participants can register for the races at runsignup.com.
"Cheboygan has all the ingredients of a great trail town, with its outstanding trailhead and easy access to two world-class rail trails," Top of Michigan Trails Council's Becca Nelson, who organizes the family fun runs, said in the announcement. "Plus, Cheboygan's bustling downtown and farmers market make it a fun destination for race participants. We're always excited to host our Tap Into the Trail runs because they're so fun for people of all ages."
Tap Into the Trails is a collaborative event intended to highlight Cheboygan's recreational trails, parks, downtown businesses and outdoor destinations, according to the announcement.
Participating organizations include the Top of Michigan Trails Council, Cheboygan Area Visitors Bureau, Little Traverse Conservancy, Downtown Cheboygan, Cheboygan State Park and the Cheboygan County Community Foundation.
Activities scheduled for the event include:
Fall birding at Duncan Bay Nature Preserve with Little Traverse Conservancy and Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch
Live music and artists throughout downtown during the morning
A bicycle ride on the North Central State Trail from Festival Square to the Barbara C. Hoffius Nature Preserve with Little Traverse Conservancy
Children's activities on the Children's Trail of Cheboygan
A mountain bike ride at the Melvin Family Hiking and Biking Trails in Topinabee
A lighted lantern walk at Cheboygan State Park
Tap Into Mornings on Main with live music and artists downtown
The downtown farmers market, shopping and dining opportunities
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This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Tap Into the Trails to bring family fun runs to Cheboygan on Sept. 19