Pere Marquette Rail-Trail

Not to be confused with Pere Marquette State Trail.

Pere Marquette Rail-Trail
Length	28 mi (45 km)
Location	Clare, Isabella, and Midland Counties, Michigan
Trailheads	Clare, Michigan Loomis, Michigan Coleman, Michigan Sanford, Michigan Midland, Michigan
Use	Walking, running, biking, rollerblading
Difficulty	Easy
Surface	Asphalt
Trail map

The trail in Clare passing underneath U.S. Route 127

The Pere Marquette Rail-Trail (PMRT) is a rail trail in Michigan occupying a 28-mile (45 km) abandoned CSX railroad corridor in Midland County and Isabella County that was once part of the Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad. In 1874, the tracks stretched from Ludington to Flint, transporting supplies to the timber industry in southern Michigan's mills. It is currently a Michigan Rails to Trails Conservancy Hall of Fame trail.

History

In the late 1980s, William C. Gibson and Paul D. Pounders worked with the County of Midland's Parks and Recreation Department and were at the forefront of the creation of the trail.

The trail is named after the Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad, named after Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary who founded Michigan's first European settlement at Sault Ste. Marie. Père is the French word for father; ergo, Father Marquette.

The first portion of the trail opened in June 1993. This portion was almost wholly contained in the city of Midland and started at The Tridge.

Location

Pere Marquette Rail-Trail

Location	Coordinates
Midland (The Tridge)	43°36′39.8″N 84°14′55.3″W
Clare (Fourth St. and Pine St.)	43°49′07.7″N 84°45′58.9″W

See also

• The Tridge

External links

• Midland County Parks and Recreation: Pere Marquette Rail-Trail
• Isabella County Parks and Recreation: Pere Marquette Rail-Trail
• Description of the rail trail
• Michigan State University: Pere Marquette Rail-Trail Research Study
• Pere Marquette Rail Trail Page at RailsToTrails.us
• YouTube Video: "Virtual Bike Ride: Pere Marquette Rail-Trail"