Swedetown Trails Club

The Keweenaw Peninsula, located at the northern tip of Upper Michigan, is known for its abundant snowfall and long winters. It’s only natural that the trail system at the Swedetown Recreation Area, located in Calumet Township in the heart of the Keweenaw (known as the Copper Country to honor the region’s roots in mining), has its origins tied to cross country skiing.

The Swedetown trail system got its start in the early 1960’s when Len Oikarinen, known locally as “Mr. Ski”, began planning and building ski trails. In 1975, what had been a grassroots effort by Len and other enthusiasts was formalized when the non-profit Copper Island Ski Club was created. The club’s purpose was simply “to promote the sport of cross-country skiing in our area of the Upper Peninsula”. With an initial bank balance of $556.77 and a plan to finance the club “by membership funds and donations from individuals”, the nine-member board of directors got to work.

The ski trails continued to evolve, as they do to this day. Long-time board member and trail designer Craig Hughes says that “continual improvement and expansion has been the hallmark of the winter trails at Swedetown.” Early efforts were on widening trails to enable skating, then to accommodate Pisten Bully and Prinoth tracked groomers with tillers. The current emphasis is on continuing to improve trail quality and expanding from the current 29 to 35 Km by 2030.

Over time, interest grew in other silent sports activities, and Swedetown was a natural place to support them. Mountain biking gained a foothold at Swedetown in the late 1990s, and a singletrack mountain bike trail system was started as a grassroots effort similar to how the ski trails had been established more than 30 years prior. Marc Norton, who was one of the early mountain bikers, recalls that “we started to ride on the ski trails in the late nineties. And what began as a singletrack to get around a wet spot in the trail expanded into a network of hand-built singletrack over the next decade, with the efforts and guidance of Rick Oikarinen, Jeff Parker, and Jim Meese.”

In 2012 the club’s mission was expanded “to support year-round non-motorized sports” and its name was changed to the Swedetown Trails Club. Fast forward to the present, where the club supports an ever-improving and ever-expanding year-round trail system for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snow biking, sledding, mountain biking, hiking, and running.

Facilities have evolved to support trail users. Most of the facilities at Swedetown are owned by Calumet Township, and the land is owned by the township and the North Houghton County Water and Sewer Authority. A strong and long-lasting partnership between the club and the township has been instrumental in Swedetown’s success. According to Calumet Township Supervisor Tim Gasperich, “The township and club are aligned on supporting the Swedetown Recreation Area as a valuable community resource, and our enduring partnership has proved invaluable in carrying out this mission”.

Calumet Township’s 5-year Recreation Plan reveals the history of this evolution. Over the years, the township has received several grants from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to provide recreational opportunities at several locations within the township, including Swedetown. In 1989, a grant was awarded to “Establish the Swedetown Recreation Area as a premier ski touring facility through the construction of a chalet, site work, trail work, parking, and lighted hill and trails.” This allowed the Swedetown chalet to be constructed and opened in 1991.

In 1997, the township received a grant for “Acquisition of 931 acres in Calumet and Osceola Townships to protect the existing Swedetown trail system and to secure permanent access to the recreation area”. In 2019, another yet another grant allowed the township to acquire the parcel of land that is used as the start and finish area for the club’s annual Great Bear Chase ski race. The acquisition of these parcels facilitated expanding and improving the trail system and has secured use of the trails for future generations.

Efforts to expand the trail system and provide an ever-increasing variety of experiences have led to the next logical step in the progression: Provide something for everybody. This is the concept of Universal Access, and an ambitious effort is underway to achieve this at Swedetown. With the support of many other community organizations, the township and club have made significant progress toward designing, securing funding, and beginning construction for the various aspects of this effort that will ultimately include an expanded, updated, and universally-accessible chalet, accessible parking, and a universally-accessible trail, along with connections between all of these.

In 2024, a two-mile beginner trail was constructed at Swedetown by Rock Solid Trail Contracting. Aaron Rogers, CEO, says that the new trail “is a wise investment as it builds the trail user community by providing an entry point for those who might initially find other trails intimidating”. This year, efforts are underway to add a hard surface to bring the trail up to standards for Universal Access. Nicky Bates, Development and Membership Director of the League of Michigan Bicyclists, says that “Inclusive recreation ensures that everyone, regardless of age, ability, or equipment, can experience the joy, freedom, and health benefits of trails. No one should be left out of the fun!” For winter trail users, the ski trails have been made more friendly to sit skiers, and the 2025 Great Bear Chase offered a Sit Ski race for the first time ever.

Synergy between the club, township, and other community organizations has been a key in achieving this momentum for providing universal access. Although these organizations have varying stated missions, all share the same underlying purpose: To help improve the physical, mental, and economic health of the community. The same benefits that Swedetown provides to the local community are equally important to the ever-increasing number of people who visit the area. According to Visit Keweenaw Executive Director Brad Barnett, “Swedetown and other favorite Keweenaw destinations draw visitors seeking to escape the daily grind and connect with nature. By making these experiences accessible, we ensure families and groups fall in love with the Keweenaw and become life-long visitors and even future community members.”

The club is governed by a skilled and dedicated board of directors, with the help of many other volunteers. Nearly all who help at Swedetown are also trail users, and achieve satisfaction from experiencing first hand the positive impact of their work. They bring a variety of skills and interests acquired from other life experiences, but what all share is the same passion for helping Swedetown. Although more structure has been added to club operations to facilitate taking on more ambitious projects, maintaining an informal and friendly atmosphere is always foremost on the minds of board members.

Swedetown is known for having a “working board”. Board members spend as much time literally getting their hands dirty building and maintaining trails as they do sitting in meetings or in front of computers. All of the “typical” non-profit board activities like planning, budgeting, fundraising, communication, and compliance, are central to the club’s success. However, equally important is that those who are involved in such activities also lead by example by being front-and-center with the various projects that the club undertakes.

Back when the club’s focus was primarily on winter, the board’s work would ebb at the end of ski season and pick up again in the fall. With increased focus on year-round trails and activities, and an increasing list of projects that can only be undertaken when the ground is free of snow (usually from May thru October), that is no longer the case. As ski season winds down, the club switches its focus to planning trail improvements, trail maintenance, and other outdoor projects, then work gets underway as soon as conditions allow. The dual focus of providing both a quality experience and constant enhancements has proven to be a key to sustaining the club’s growth. As stated in the club’s 2022 annual newsletter, “A goal of the Swedetown Trails Club is to make your next visit even better than the last one”.

If you come to Swedetown during the snow-free months to enjoy the trails, you’re likely to encounter someone performing trail maintenance, building trails, installing signage, or doing any of myriad other things to improve a trail user’s experience.

A key aspect to maintaining the trails is keeping invasive species at bay. According to Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area (KISMA) coordinator Sigrid Resh “Invasive glossy buckthorn has decreased native plant and insect populations and tree regeneration on portions of the Swedetown Trails, and if not managed it will have a long-term impact on silent sport enthusiasts. The Swedetown Trails Club understands the problem and has been partnering with KISMA on several projects, including using goats and having weekly volunteer days for buckthorn removal—working together for healthy forests and healthy communities.” Swedetown volunteer and trail user Barb Flanagin adds that “The quality of the experience people have when visiting Swedetown comes not only from well maintained trails but from the quality of the environment through which they are passing. We must be mindful to be good stewards of the land so that future generations can continue to enjoy it.”

During the snow-free months, the club supports several biking- and running-related events. The first of these was Ride the Keweenaw, where Swedetown and other local trail systems hosted rides over Memorial Day weekend. As is common, Swedetown was the last area in the Midwest to lose its snow this Spring, so uncertainty about the details of the event at Swedetown prevailed until a warm spell finally arrived in early May, finally ending the ski season and assuring that the event could go on as planned. The signature summer event at Swedetown is the Great Deer Chase mountain bike race, which returns on August 16 after a one-year hiatus. The Deer Chase attracts a mix of local bikers and visitors, and this year will be held on the same day as Calumet’s Pasty Fest, another of the Keweenaw’s signature summer events.

What started as a local trail system with a winter focus has evolved into a year-round system that attracts many visitors while still retaining its focus on the local community. Come on up and see for yourself!

The Great Deer Chase

The Great Deer Chase, presented by Rhythm Bike of Houghton, returns to Swedetown on Saturday, August 16, and is excited to offer a tots’ race, 2 mile, 8 mile, and 15 mile distances, as well as the iconic 30 mile 1 lap XC at the Swedetown Trails. Also, a new untimed adventure ride is offered for those looking to do a longer event with additional Keweenaw scenery. The Deer Chase occurs a week after the Ore to Shore Mountain Bike Epic, providing riders with an ideal opportunity to spend the week between the events enjoying all that the Keweenaw and other areas of the UP have to offer! After the Deer Chase, head to nearby downtown Calumet to partake in the annual Pasty Fest. For more information, visit www.greatdeerchase.org, www.oretoshore.com, and www.uppastyfest.com.