Big M Cross-Country Ski Area Trails

4 out of 5

A booming local downhill ski area until the early 1970s, when someone overbuilt it and it went bust, Big M has hosted legions of dedicated cross-country skiers since 1984, when the Manistee Cross-Country Ski Council cut most of the trails that now exist. The result is a great collection of paths that cut through the hardwood highlands east of Lake Michigan. The council maintains the runs today, along with a log warming lodge heated by a woodstove at the trailhead and parking lot. All trail intersections are numbered so you’ll know where you are when you look at the trail map. The council has taken care not to scare skiers half to oblivion by making their trails so difficult they can only be handled by experts. Even on most-difficult-rated loops with hills, most steeps have straight runouts. Surface quality: Groomed weekly or as necessary.