Should We Spend $25 Million to Repair Northern Michigan's Miracle Mile?

Bay Harbor — This is a place where the wealthy pay millions of dollars to live with views of Little Traverse Bay. Just a few years ago, if you took to the Little Traverse Wheelway, a 26-mile, paved, non-motorized trail that runs from Charlevoix north to Harbor Springs, you would have been able to see multi-million dollar views for yourself, up close and personal. Sadly, that hasn’t been the case in recent years.

In 2020, when the Great Lakes were experiencing record-high water levels, the 1.25 mile so-called Miracle Mile section of the Little Traverse Wheelway suffered multiple collapses along its bluff.

The fallout, according to many in the region, was devastating. The Little Traverse Wheelway is an economic powerhouse. According to the Top of Michigan Trails Council, one of the trail's biggest supporters, the Wheelway generates roughly $10 million in economic activity per year between trail use spending, lodging, and dining. The Trails Council, to date, has been less specific about how much money has been lost since the Miracle Mile section sank.

According to Becca Nelson, the Top of Michigan Trails Council Interim Executive Director, it is hard to give an exact dollar amount.

“The Wheelway collapse that we’re talking about here happened in 2020…And around that time, we did have a lot of phone calls and inquiries about it and people kind of voicing their hesitation and concern to visit the area because of it. So, I have a hunch that those numbers ($10 million annually) actually are a little bit less than what they could be…”

The issue isn’t only economic. Shortly after the closure of the Miracle Mile, cyclists opened up an unofficial detour on US-31 from McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital to East Park.

This stretch of highway has a speed limit of 50 mph, and like most roadways across the state, drivers are going 5 to 10 miles per hour over.

Over the years, the detour has become more or less official. While the City of Petoskey hasn’t endorsed the use of the detour, in July 2025, they received a permit from the Michigan Department of Transportation to set up delineator posts along the highway during the summer. MDOT also improved ruble strips in the area. No injuries have been reported to date, but some think it may only be a matter of time.

Repairing the collapses on the trail is neither simple nor cheap. The price estimate has been reported to be up to $20 million dollars. More recently, the city had to haggle with landowners from whom they previously had land easements.

Kendall Klingelsmith is the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Petoskey and he says while not much has changed in the last few months, things are starting to head in the right direction, though the repair estimate is roughly $25 million.

The questions that remain for locals to answer: Is the alleged economic impact worth spending upwards of $25 million dollars to repair 1.25 miles of trail? Do we keep risking the highway detour?

Michigan was made to be enjoyed. How you want to do that is up to you.