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3,074 ft
Distance
58 ft
Climb
-59 ft
Descent
879 ft
High Point
-1 ft
Altitude change
819 ft
Altitude min
879 ft
Altitude start
879 ft
Altitude end
-0%
Grade
-10.4%
Grade max
9.2%
Grade min
1,421 ft
Distance climb
1,565 ft
Distance down
85 ft
Distance flat
Balsam Loop Details
-
Activities
- Nordic Ski
- E-Bike
-
Riding AreaMichigan Tech Trails
Houghton, Michigan -
Difficulty Rating
-
Local Popularity85 in Nordic Skiing [+]
- 5 in E-Biking
-
Global Ranking
-
State Ranking
-
Winter only trail
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Trail TypeSki Run (Piste)
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Snow GroomingClassic / Skating
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DirectionOne Direction
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Physical RatingModerate
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Trail VisibilityAlways easy to follow
-
eBike Allowed
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LightingYes
-
Land OwnerMichigan Technological University, City of Houghton
No community description for Balsam Loop trail has been added yet!
AI Generated Description
Balsam Loop is ranked #11 for nordic skiing in Michigan. It is a 3,074 ft blue difficulty ski run (piste) trail located near Houghton Michigan. It is lit for night riding. This nordic ski primary trail can be used one direction and has a moderate overall physical rating. Winter use: Classic / Skating snow grooming. Trail visibility is always easy to follow.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 0 rides
6 Months
- 0 rides
All
- 26 rides
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Balsam Loop Trail Reports
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Trail reports are used to indicate a trails current condition and inform builders and other users about any issues on a trail.
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Trail Conditions
- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Partial
- Freeze/thaw Cycle
- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
- Wet
- Variable
- Ideal
- Dry
- Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
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The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
- > 96%
- > 90%
- > 80%
- > 70%
- > 50%
- < 50%
- bi-directional trail
- no data
Trail Last Used
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
- < 2 days
- < 1 week
- < 2 weeks
- < 1 month
- < 6 months
- > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
- Downhill Only
- Downhill Primary
- Both Directions
- Uphill Primary
- Uphill Only
- One Direction
Contribute Details
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- Description
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- Description & Photos
- Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months.
Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades.
Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
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- popular
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Activity Recordings
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Activity Recordings
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Winter Trails
Warning
A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.
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Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
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BC Backroad Status
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Directions to balsam-loop trailhead
(47.106790, -88.548260)
Photos
No photos have been added for Balsam Loop yet, add a photo.
Videos
1 more »
skixc
3:14 |
175 |
Nov 23, 2025 , Houghton
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Nearby Trails
- Littmann Gateway Loop 10 ft
- Skidder Loop 420 ft
- Linden Loop 538 ft
- Portage Loop 623 ft
- Hairpin Loop 666 ft
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