Bike Routes of Sault Ste Marie 2017

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Sophie Cobb
6 years ago
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1 Bike Routes of Sault Ste Marie 2017

2 East Portage - Riverside - Nicolet - Scenic (15-20 miles, mostly flat) Proceed east on Portage Ave. Portage Ave becomes Riverside Drive at Mission Rd. Portage is a wide street and once you get past the Portage Avenue Bridge there are few parked cars. East Portage/Riverside Dr is a flat, pleasant ride out to Rotary Park. You re riding along the river and can view the river, including freighter traffic, as you ride. If you want you can stop and rest at Rotary Park, take in some food at Clyde s Drive-In or take the ferry over to Sugar Island. Beyond the Sugar Island Ferry dock the nearly 5 feet of paved shoulder reduces to about 3 feet and then somewhat less than 3 feet. The shoulder has deteriorated over the years, particularly on the minor hill just beyond Rotary Park. Nicolet Road diverges from Riverside Dr. Stay left (east) to follow Nicolet. Nicolet has no paved shoulder but there is very little traffic and only well-spaced semi-rural residences along the river. At 4 Mile Road there is a small public beach called 4 Mile Beach. This is a township park. Turn left (east) on 5 Mile Rd. Turn right (south) on Scenic Dr. Scenic Dr continues along the St Mary s River. It is not uncommon to see a variety of waterfowl or raptors here. Turn right (west) on 7 Mile Rd. From here you can: turn around and backtrack on Scenic, turn right (north) on Nicolet toward town, or turn left (south) on Nicolet to tie into out-county routes.

3 West Portage - Easterday - West (flat, ~15-20 miles) Proceed west on Portage from Ashmun. Alternate for less experienced riders: North on Ashmun, left on Water St, left at curve onto Osborn Blvd, right on Ridge or Spruce to Portage The first few blocks on West Portage Ave typically have alot of parked vehicles and considerable traffic. Beyond that, West Portage does not have bike lanes and is not particularly wide. For those looking for a bite to eat, West Pier Drive-In is located on West Pier Dr. off Portage near Ridge. Beyond Ridge and Portage, there is very little traffic on West Portage. The street has 4 lanes and a multipurpose trail begins south of the power canal. There is a bit of an incline as you go south and west. Turn right (west) at light on Easterday Ave. Becomes 4th Ave at 12th St (stop sign past recycling center). The road west is a 3 lane road with very little traffic. There are no bike lanes at this time. At 12 th St, just beyond the recycling plant, the road is in very rough condition and is scheduled to be resurfaced in the summer of 2017 with a bike path on the north side. An alternative to the path straight ahead is to go north on 12 th Street to South Street and go left (west) on South Street. South Street isn t paved but it s in reasonable condition. Go west to 4 th Ave. Turn right at next stop sign following 4th Ave. Continue out to Sherman Park. There is a beach at Sherman Park, along with picnic tables, but no food vendors. If you go straight after the stop sign, the road turns into Oak St. Turn left onto 24th St from Sherman Park. There is no paved shoulder on 24 th St. but there is very little traffic. Turn right (west) on Sherman Park Dr. Sherman Park Drive goes though subdivisions. There is no paved shoulder but there is very little traffic. Turn right on Bermuda Ave. Bermuda has no paved shoulder but again there is very little traffic. Turn around at Shallow Beach Ave. There is a small public beach on Shallow Beach Ave. That s a good place to stop to rest and refresh. Proceed east on Bermuda (returning to downtown Sault Ste Marie) Turn left (north) on Sherman Park Dr. Turn right (east) on W 16th Ave. Becomes Oak St at 20th St. Becomes 4th St at stop sign. Becomes Easterday Ave at 12th St. Some stretches of W. 16 th Ave. have a bit of a paved shoulder while a stretch by Tanglewood Golf Course does not have a paved shoulder. A redeeming feature of riding on W. 16 th Ave is that there isn t much traffic. Continue east on Easterday Ave. beyond West Portage past Lake Superior State University (LSSU). Turn left (north) on Ryan at east edge of LSSU. Turn right on Prospect. Turn right (east) on Sheridan. Go down the hill on Prospect to Sheridan and east on Sheridan to Ashmun. Ashmun St. is the main street in Sault Ste. Marie. Turn right (south) onto Ashmun, then left into the Burger King driveway. Go through Burger King and take Hursley Street to Bingham Ave. Go left (north) on Bingham to Portage, then go left (west) on Portage to Ashmun. Bingham is a 3 lane street with no bike lanes but it has little traffic compared to Ashmun. A canal trail will pass along the power canal and is scheduled to be paved in 2018.

Circle Tour of Southern Sault Ste Marie #1 (~10 miles, one good hill climb) Proceed east on Portage Ave. Turn right (south) on Ord. Turn left (east) on Spruce St.

4 Circle Tour of Southern Sault Ste Marie #1 (~10 miles, one good hill climb) Proceed east on Portage Ave. Turn right (south) on Ord. Turn left (east) on Spruce St. Ord and Spruce are fairly wide with little traffic, so not bad for biking. Turn right (south) on Shunk Rd. If you want you can stop at Kawadin Casino, or continue south to 3 Mile Rd. Turn right (west) on 3 Mile Rd. Climb the hill on 3 Mile to Seymour St. 3 Mile and Seymour have narrow paved shoulders. Turn right (north) on Seymour Rd. Turn left (west) on Spruce St. Turn right (north) on Johnston St. Turn left (west) on Portage Ave back to Ashmun St.

Circle Tour of Southern Sault Ste Marie #2 (~6 miles, one good hill climb) Proceed east on Portage Ave. Turn right (south) on Ord St. Turn left (east) on Spruce St.

5 Circle Tour of Southern Sault Ste Marie #2 (~6 miles, one good hill climb) Proceed east on Portage Ave. Turn right (south) on Ord St. Turn left (east) on Spruce St. Ord and Spruce are fairly wide with little traffic so not bad for biking. Turn right (south) on Shunk Road. Turn right (west) on Marquette past the high school. You have to climb a hill on Marquette a little east of Ashmun St to reach the Dairy Queen at Ashmun Street. Why don t you stop at the Dairy Queen as a reward for making it up the hill? Marquette turns into 12 th Ave. on the west side of Ashmun. Continue west on 12th Ave to Davitt St. Turn right (north) on Davitt St to 8 th Ave. Turn left (west) on 8 th Ave. Turn right (north) on Ryan past Easterday to its end at Sheridan Dr. Turn right (east) onto Sheridan, then a quick left (north) onto Fort Street. Go down the hill and over the Fort Street Bridge to Spruce Street. Turn right (east) on Spruce St. Turn left (north) on Ashmun St to Portage.

Circle Tour on Portage and Spruce (~4-5 miles, flat) Proceed east on Portage Ave ~2 miles. Turn right (south) on Mission Rd. Turn right at end onto Spruce St. Turn left on Ord St/Easterday Ave.

6 Circle Tour on Portage and Spruce (~4-5 miles, flat) Proceed east on Portage Ave ~2 miles. Turn right (south) on Mission Rd. Turn right at end onto Spruce St. Turn left on Ord St/Easterday Ave. Turn right (west) to continue on Spruce St. Turn right (north) on Ashmun St. Return to Portage Ave. Alternative route: Continue west on Spruce. Turn right (north) on Portage Ave. Follow Portage through curve to east back to Ashmun St.

Circle Tour Around Downtown (~1-2 miles, flat) Proceed north on Ashmun. Turn left (west) on Water St. Follow curve to left onto Osborn Blvd. Continue through the light at Portage Ave.

7 Circle Tour Around Downtown (~1-2 miles, flat) Proceed north on Ashmun. Turn left (west) on Water St. Follow curve to left onto Osborn Blvd. Continue through the light at Portage Ave. Turn right (west) onto Ridge St. Turn left (south) at Magazine St. Turn left (east) onto Spruce St. Continue through downtown. Turn left (north) onto Johnston St. Johnston St. becomes Water St. after the Portage Ave traffic light. Follow Water St through the curve to the west past the Coast Guard base, City Hall, Brady Park and the Historical Homes of Water Street. Turn left (south) and return to Portage.

Bikes talk to each other like dogs, they wag their wheels and tinkle their bells, the riders let their mounts mingle.

Bikes talk to each other like dogs, they wag their wheels and tinkle their bells, the riders let their mounts mingle. Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles W hitmore Lake Loop route: Dexter, the corner