Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that formed in 1998 when four individual trail groups in the Traverse City area united to create a stronger force for recreation and alternative transportation in northwest Michigan.
Led by 8 staff and 15 volunteer board members, TART Trails’ mission is to provide and promote a trail network that enriches people and communities throughout the greater Traverse region.
TART Trails is dedicated to providing recreation and transportation opportunities through preserving open space corridors, building trails and advocating for active living and outdoor recreation. Our work includes negotiating easements, hosting annual events that promote healthy lifestyles, and defending cyclist and pedestrian interests. Learn about our active projects or ways to give or volunteer.
Learn about our Community Initiatives like “Smart Commute” or “Recycle a Bike.”
The featured TART Trail in Leelanau is the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, a non-motorized trail that showcases destinations within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the two Lakeshore towns of Glen Arbor and Empire. Currently the trail is 20 miles end to end including a 3 mile route on the road through Glen Arbor. There are 5 miles remaining to complete the 27-mile trail.
Click here for a PDF map of Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail or an interactive map here. In the rural historic district, the trail is a crushed aggregate surface. Otherwise it is asphalt and boardwalk over wetlands.
