Roscommon: Pump Track, Nature Trails and Culture

In Roscommon, outdoor activities go hand in hand with nature experiences and insights into the region’s history. A notable starting point for planning your trip is the Roscommon Area Community Park and Pump Track in the Village of Roscommon: its paved pump track covers 21,000 square feet and is designed for bicycles, scooters, skateboards and wheelchairs. There is also an on-site Bike Library that lends bicycles and helmets to park visitors. This gives you a choice of ways to get moving—with your own bike or a bicycle you borrow.

Trails and Outdoor Activities

The Tisdale Pathway is eight miles long and runs along the northern edge of the Village of Roscommon. This specific distance is a useful guide for planning your day. Another option is the Marguerite Gahagan Nature Preserve, with 2.5 miles of maintained trails. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are available there in winter. The preserve’s main trail is wheelchair accessible and passes an information kiosk on the way to Marguerite’s cabin, a picnic area and an outdoor restroom. The range of options gives your trip room for biking, walks or winter activities.

The Tisdale Triangle is also among the documented options for outdoor activities. An agreement made with the mDNR in 2013 provides for its trails to be maintained and groomed for hiking, biking and cross-country skiing. If you choose your vacation rental in Roscommon based on your planned activities, differences between trails and types of activities like these may help you decide which stay is right for you.

AuSable River and Nature Experiences

Campbell's Canoe Livery in Roscommon rents canoes, kayaks and tubes for use on the South Branch of the AuSable River. This lets you add an experience on the water to your trip. If you have a particular type of paddling or floating in mind, you can make choosing a rental boat part of your excursion planning.

Nearby, you’ll find South Higgins Lake State Park. It has one mile of shoreline on Higgins Lake and 5.5 miles of wooded trails around Marl Lake. Spending time on the water or on forest trails offers different nature experiences that you can take into account when choosing destinations for your trip.

Culture and Special Discoveries

The AuSable River Center is housed in a historic building constructed in 1936 that served as an administrative building for the Michigan Department of Conservation for almost 40 years. Today, the center presents heritage and artifacts, along with exhibits about the wildlife and environment of the Great AuSable River. On display are also 32 original oil paintings by George W. Kestenholtz. A visit therefore combines insights into history, art and the river’s natural environment.

The Roscommon Historic Model Train Club offers a different kind of discovery. The club displays model trains in N, HO, S, O and G gauges. Its 1.5-inch-gauge garden railway offers rides to children on Saturdays during the summer. For a trip with children, this seasonal offering is a specific activity to add to your plans; the different gauges also make the model train exhibition an attraction in its own right.

Roscommon is well suited to a trip where you can choose how much to focus on nature, outdoor activities and culture. Compare the trails, river activities and cultural visits with your personal interests when looking for a vacation rental for your stay. Find more information about the area on the Roscommon Township page.

For the broader travel overview: Roscommon County.