The Boyne City to Charlevoix Trail (BC-CVX) will link the two largest cities in Charlevoix County along the north shore of beautiful Lake Charlevoix, passing through Horton Bay and Evangeline, Bay, and Hayes Townships. Already known as premier locations for outdoor recreation, the BC-CVX Trail will increase community connections and accessible recreation with 14 miles of mostly separate, non-motorized trail.
Follow Charlevoix County’s efforts on this trail on the County’s website.
Completed Trail Segments
Phase 1
Phase 1 begins at the intersection of W. Michigan Avenue and Boyne City Road in Boyne City and runs along the Lake Charlevoix side of Boyne City Road, through Young State Park, to N. Springwater Beach Road at the Evangeline/Bay Township line for a distance of 3.2 miles. Phase 1 was completed in 2016.
Phase 2
Phase 2 begins at the Little Traverse Wheelway in Hayes Township, east of Waller Road, crosses US-31 and follows a series of easements across private property to Boyne City Road east of the Argonne Supper Club, and then runs parallel to, but separate from Boyne City Road within the road right-of-way on the north (Susan Lake) side of the road to Quarterline Road, southeast of Susan Lake, for a distance of 2.97 miles. At the point where the trail meets Boyne City Road east of the Argonne Supper Club, a trail spur runs west within the right-of-way on the north side of the road to Eastern Avenue to create an access point for Pine Point Subdivision. Trail users can follow Eastern Avenue to Lake Charlevoix where there is a public waterfront access with a picnic area and swimming beach. Phase 2 was constructed in 2017.
Phase 3
Phase 3 begins at the completed Phase 1 of the trail at N. Springwater Beach Road (the Evangeline/Bay Township line) and continues as a separated trail within the road right-of-way on the Lake Charlevoix side of Boyne City Road through Bay Township. Just east of the Village of Horton Bay, the trail connects to the (paved) wide shoulder of the road through the Village (vehicle speed limit: 35 mph). The trail utilizes the shoulder of the road due to the close proximity of homes to the road. In Horton Bay, trail users can take Lake Street to a public access beach on Lake Charlevoix where there are benches to relax and enjoy the view. The famous Horton Bay General Store and Red Fox Inn are also located along the trail route. Phase 3 was completed in spring 2025.
Planned Future Segments
The final phase will begin at the completed end of Phase 2 at Quarterline Road in Hayes Township and continue detached within the right-of-way along Boyne City Road to Hayes Township Park (Camp Sea-Gull) on the east/north side of the road (the side opposite Lake Charlevoix). The trail will cross Boyne City Road in the vicinity of Hayes Township Park, where there will be a trailhead. This section will cover a distance of 2.69 miles.
The final phase continues from Hayes Township Park (formerly Camp Sea-Gull) as a detached trail within the right-of-way along Boyne City Road on the south (Lake Charlevoix) side of the road to Pincherry Road in Bay Township, where it will connect to the end of Phase 3 in Horton Bay. This phase will cover a distance of 3.3 miles.
Let’s Finish the Trail!
Since 2016, we have completed 8.37 miles of the planned 14.36 – about 58%! With just 6 miles left to build to finish the trail, the Charlevoix County Trail Team (CCTT) and Top of Michigan Trails Council (TOMTC) need your help to keep things moving.
Trail projects take a lot of planning and engineering design work, so to save time and money we are bundling the remaining 6 miles of trail together into one big engineering plan. This work can only happen at the speed of funding so every dollar counts to get this trail designed and built!
Thank you for your support, we will see you on the trail!
