Michigan's 1st rail biking business adds new tour, bikes for 2024 season: What to know

Looking for something new and unique to do on your trip Up North? Hop aboard the newest adventure into Michigan's gorgeous woods.

Last summer, Macie Hefron opened Michigan's first rail biking business, Wheels on Rails, outside of Traverse City. The business took off, attracting visitors from around the country, and leaving Hefron bubbling over with ideas and excitement to incorporate into this year.

"I literally can’t wait to be around everyone this summer and continue to share my railroad spirit and my railroad passion for my home state," Hefron said.

The basics of rail biking

Rail biking is a relatively new outdoor recreational activity that opens up a new way to become one with nature: enjoying the sights and sounds as you pedal a "bike" on out-of-service railroad tracks.

The funky contraptions look more like recumbent bikes than your standard bicycle with chairs as opposed to bicycle seats, all pieced together into a quad. Hefron says she's seen people push the bikes to about 15 mph, but the faster they go, the more they risk breaking the bike — and missing out on the pretty, organic views they'd see during what's supposed to be a more leisurely ride.

The family-friendly activity has existed along the east and west coasts for several years, but when Hefron launched Wheels on Rails last summer, it became the first rail biking business to enter the Great Lakes State.

More: Wheels on Rails rail biking company opens near Traverse City

Wheels on Rails

Hefron, an avid cyclist, first stumbled upon rail biking at the same time that she was working for the Michigan Department of Transportation Office of Rail after graduating high school in 2019.

While scouring the internet for a new bike, rail biking found its way into her feed, and she was immediately captured by it.

“I saw a rail bike and was like, ‘What in the heck is this? This is so amazing; my two passions coming together,’” Hefron said.

She reached out to the business owners to learn more about rail biking, and pretty soon, bringing the business to Michigan was Hefron's new aspiration. About halfway through college at the time, she switched her coursework to reflect these goals, and immediately after college, she dove into her dream headfirst.

It took her about three years to nail down railroad tracks to use since most of Michigan's inactive railroad tracks are being ripped up and removed to create bike paths, Hefron said, but she eventually found some tracks in Grawn off of US-31, about 10 miles south of Traverse City, and was able to open Wheels on Rails in time for the summer of 2023.

Last summer's success

In Wheels on Rails' very first season, the rail biking tours were booked out nearly all summer.

“There were a lot of people who wanted to ride last year and just couldn’t because we didn’t have enough spots for them,” Hefron said.

The first tour, called the "M-37 Expedition," took visitors past wildflowers and spring-fed creeks, over a couple of road crossings, and even under a graffiti-decorated bridge for a total 3.4-mile ride. Nearing the halfway point in the hour-long tour, the tour guide told the group about the history of Michigan's railroads before helping them to turn the bikes to head back to where they started.

“People love learning about the history of the railroad track," Hefron said. "It's another huge thing about why I love the railroad so much, there’s just so much history."

More: How to ride train in Michigan: Amtrak ticket prices, lines, amenities

As the weeks passed, a map in their location filled up with pins, signifying that Wheels on Rails received visitors from most — if not all — 50 U.S. states, along with a couple of other countries.

Although the summer finally wound to a close, the work continued for Hefron as she searched for ways to improve her business for the following year.

What's new this upcoming season

"Last season was super busy, super high-paced, so this year I really want to pour more into my customers," said Hefron, noting that most of her additions and changes to this upcoming season came straight from customers' feedback.

To start, she's adding a longer tour option: the Hoosier Valley Hotshot, which takes visitors on a six-mile ride into the gorgeous valley for about an hour and 45 minutes — while still accessible, Hefron does add that pedaling the rail bike up the incline of the valley takes more effort than other parts of the tours.

The Hoosier Valley Hotshot runs at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. and the M-37 Expedition runs at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., making for four guided tours a day, operating Thursday through Monday.

She's also purchasing new rail bikes to replace the older rail bikes that were borrowed from other rail biking businesses for Wheels on Rails' first year.

“Last year, we were renting a lot of bikes just to get our foot in the door, and this year, we’re getting our own bikes, and they’re a lot more accommodating," Hefron said. "We had a lot of people say they couldn’t reach the pedal or the seats were uncomfortable, so we worked diligently to find bikes this year that can accommodate a lot more leg lengths and are a lot more comfortable and easier to pedal.”

With 10 new rail bikes, each tour can now fit up to 38 people.

Further, Hefron wants to begin "theme days" to give her customers a better idea of what to wear during their ride, whether it be decade day, hat day, jersey day, pattern day, or whatever else she can brainstorm. Additionally, she plans to bring off-season winter holidays to her summertime customers, with "Christmas in July" and "Halloween in August." She also hopes to push the current end date further into the fall so customers can ride Wheels on Rails while surrounded by vibrant northern Michigan autumn leaves.

Lastly, Hefron has decided to donate a portion of Wheels on Rails' proceeds to the National Association for Children of Addiction.

In the long run, Hefron hopes to expand Wheels on Rails to other cities across Michigan, but for now, she plans to focus on building her Traverse City location to the best that it can be.

"I also just want to share more of my story and my business journey ... as a woman in business and a young entrepreneur ... to younger generations," Hefron said. "Honestly I’ve met some of the most amazing people."

The 2024 season begins on May 26 and is expected to run until Sept. 15. The M-37 Expedition costs $45 a person and the Hoosier Valley Hotshot costs $50 a person. Reservations can be made online here.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Wheels on Rails, near Traverse City, adds new tour, bikes for 2024