Hey guys,
this winter i would like to make a trip to oscoda. i have a place in st helen and i would like to try something a little different this year. i have never taken a trip that far east of st helen.
If anybody has done that trip or is familiar with those trails and roads, what is the best way to get there. and how is the trail system out that way?? i never ride st helen trails because they always suck. i mostly ride seasonal roads to bypass the trails when they are beat up but i have no problem getting on the trails if they are in good shape.
Any information is greatly appreciated!

Ive rode from Alley Park to Oscoda many times and the trail system is usually very good. And we have returned back on the other trail north of Oscoda around to Alley park which was a great ride.

If you make that trip it will be a full day of riding.

I'm not familiar with the seasonal roads or off trail routes.

Just Doo it. You won't be dissappointed.

APC,
thanks for the info! where exactly is alley park? is that along trail 6 ? i remember hearing that name before but i cant remember? and when you say that it will be a full day of riding do you mean one way or round trip? i would try to do a round trip in a day if possible, about how many hours would you say.
thanks

Alley Park Trail Head is north of West Branch. It's close to Fairview I believe. Yes it is trail 6. Then take trail 96 out of Oscoda to the west, back to St Helen.

It's a full day round trip with horsing around, getting gas, sight seeing, and stopping for a bite to eat.

Depending how you ride and how large your group is, could be as much as 8-10 hours?

They also have porta johns along the trails here for the ladies. Nice feature for the gals.

There is also a warming shack at an intersection along the trail. You could roast a hot dog there if you bring some along.

Lot of twisties also.

I think it's a great ride.

it's an amazing ride, i love that area!!

I ride out of the south branch area. I've ridden the ride you are talking about. It's a good ride. Like it was mentioned above it's probably an all day ride, depending on the size of your group and riding speed.

In general if you take trail 6/9 north out of St Helen to trail 6 east. 6 will take you all the way to Oscoda. I've seen where 6 ends in Oscoda by car, it's not near anything like a gas station or restaurant/bar. If you ride to the footsite dam short of Oscoda there is a gas station and Desi's mexican restaurant. From there cross the Ausable river and take trail 96 west to 6/96 south to 6 west back into St Helen. South Branch has Timbers bar/restaurant, no gas. If you need gas the Jose Lake store east of south branch has gas. The trail doesn't go by it, you have to take jose lake trail, it forks off trail 6. Footsite has gas and food. Once you cross the river and take the north side of the river back you won't really go by any food or gas. However you can hit Mckinly or Mio or Luzerne, they're out of your way but have those things. Mckinly is hit or miss on the gas station, sometimes it's open, sometimes not. Bull gap is also a place to visit on your way back, it's a large hill you can climb, some people find it exciting, some don't. If you ride with a GPS I recomend buying the vvmapping software at vvmapping.com. It puts the trails on your GPS. Also check out this map the DNR provides.

http://www.midnr.com/Publications/pdfs/For..._snowmobile.pdf

04revdoo,
thanks for the detailed info! greatly appreciated! im looking forward to making the trip, it wont be anymore than 4 guys going so i think it should work out well.
how far is oscoda from mio and luzerne? i love going to luzerne and having lunch at ma deeters. maybe i will just stop there first, then head to oscoda from there. or would that be too much of a detour? usually when i go to luzerne, i dont get on the trail at all, mostly all roads, which i love. is trail 6 east to oscoda usually kept up well by groomers, i know that is sucks around st helen, and thats why i never get on it. is there seaonal roads thats you can pick up along the way or is it basically all trail?
and this bull gap area you speak of, is that along trail 6 or do you go elsewhere? i would like to check that out also.
we just need some SNOW now!!
thanks

Oscoda (When I say Oscoda I speak from Foote Site Dam, it's just short of Oscoda by a few miles) I'd have to estimate to be 3 - 4hrs from Deeters. That isn't all trails, it's a mix of trails and roads. And that's taking the south side of the river. I can tell you that it takes us 1hr to get to deters from south branch. We take Mack Lake Rd up to trail 96, cross 33 on trail 96, then pick up mapes road to another road (don't have the name right now) that angles you into a neighborhood in luzerne. Having said that, if you take that route after leaving deters you'll be in south branch in an hour and can take the south side of the river first. On the south side of the river there are a few roads you can pick up that run you east to take a break from the trails after you cross M65. Stopping at ma deters isn't too much of a detour. If you look at that map that I put in above, after you leave deters you can head south a bit then catch forest roads to get East to pick up trail 96 and take the north side of the river. I think they do a good job keeping up trail 6, I usually ride Friday night when I get up there and see the groomer. However you know that on a saturday afternoon they're gonna start to get rough. Look at the map, zoom in on the area you will be riding and you can see the forest roads. I ride with a GPS and vvmapping software on it. The trails and roads are on your GPS. My friends and I don't get in fights any more when we get to intersections trying to figure out which way to go. Bull gap is south of Mio, sort of between Mio and Mckinley.