Between spring 2024 and summer 2026, trail builders rebuilt six stretches of the Potawatomi Trail in Pinckney Recreation Area. Each one was a spot where the old trail had failed. The Potawatomi Mountain Biking Association reported on July 19, 2026, that all six formal Phase 1 reroutes are done, though riders may still see some in-corridor work.

If your last full lap was a couple of seasons ago, you'll still recognize the loop. But the sections you used to brace for have been fixed.

A 1960s trail that wore out in specific places

Boy Scouts built the Poto in the 1960s. Since then hikers, runners, cross-country skiers and mountain bikers have all used it, and decades of rain cut what MLive described in May 2024 as "mini-canyons of erosion" and left plastic webbing exposed where it was supposed to hold the soil. Spectrum Trail Design broke ground in early May 2024. The project is a partnership between the Poto MBA and Pinckney State Recreation Area.

The work is reroutes plus drainage improvements on the existing loop. The Michigan DNR and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved six reroutes, and each one bypasses a problem spot. The ground that's gone is the washed-out geomesh, the sand climb, the mud, the eroded trench and the boat-launch road.

The Poto MBA's own updates have numbered the reroutes inconsistently, so the list below goes by place, not number.

Six fixes, listed by where you'll ride them

1. Coming into the Hills of Hell. Finished in spring 2025, this one has a creek overlook, a new boardwalk and bridge, and stonework. It replaces a section where the plastic geomesh had washed out.
2. Glenbrook Road. A new shortcut and road crossing.
3. After Blind Lake campground. The sand-hill climb is gone, and the Boy Scout Hill descent has been reworked. Blind Lake's hike-in rustic sites sit about halfway around the loop, so this change lands in the middle of a full lap.
4. South of Patterson Lake Road. Singletrack now replaces the stretch that used the Gosling Lake boat-launch road.
5. Near the DTE connector. A new section bypasses an eroded trench.
6. The low wet area. The last piece finished. A low spot and a slippery boardwalk are gone. In their place are wetland views, a few stone features and a short boardwalk built from rough-sawn black locust.

The timeline explains why some regulars only know part of this. In November 2025 the Poto MBA reported five reroutes complete and the sixth roughed in and open to riders and hikers, with the club hoping to finish it in early December, weather permitting. The finished version wasn't announced until July 2026. If you rode the loop last fall, you rode part of the old trail.

What the rebuild didn't change

Before the project began, the Poto MBA put the loop at 17.5 miles. The published updates don't give a mileage change for each reroute or a new total length, so no one has published an official new number yet. Treat any GPS lap that differs from your old one as your own data.

Phase 2 is also an open question. The Poto MBA has said more in-corridor improvements are coming, but it hasn't published a Phase 2 scope or schedule.

The basic rules haven't changed either. According to MichiganTrailMaps, bikes ride the Poto clockwise and hikers go counter-clockwise. You need a Recreation Passport to drive in and park at state recreation areas and trailheads. If you ride or walk in from home, the DNR's Passport page says you don't need one. Park headquarters is at 8555 Silver Hill Road. Check the DNR's current trail conditions before a long lap, since crews may still be working inside the trail corridor.

The fall window is shorter than it looks

It's October 4, and the new sections have had one summer of traffic. The next few weeks are the easiest time to ride the whole loop this year. After that, the calendar starts closing things off.

• Already underway: early archery deer season, Oct. 1 through Nov. 14. Most of Pinckney Recreation Area is open to hunting in season. The exceptions are safety zones around developed day-use areas, campgrounds and offices. The Poto MBA recommends wearing orange or bright colors on trails that pass through areas open to hunting.
• Saturday, Oct. 24: the Batman Ride. It's the Poto ridden backwards at night. Riders stage at the Silver Lake parking lot, should arrive by 6:30 p.m. and roll at 7. The Poto MBA calls it an advanced, self-supported ride and asks riders to bring lights plus a backup. A campfire just off the Silver Lake lot follows, and riders usually bring food and drinks to share. Because the ride runs backwards, regulars get to see every reroute from the opposite direction.
• Nov. 1: Halfmoon Lake day-use closes. The DNR closes it every year from Nov. 1 to April 1.
• Nov. 15–30: regular firearm deer season. Then late archery runs Dec. 1 through Jan. 1, 2027, December firearm runs Dec. 4–6, and late antlerless firearm runs Dec. 7 through Jan. 1, 2027.
• Once snow arrives: grooming. The Poto MBA's March 2026 member deck reported six groomings and a 6.1-mile Poto winter fat-bike route last season. The DNR's park page lists five groomed miles, so check the club's current posts for this winter's route. When the snow is soft, the club asks people not to walk on groomed trail if their boots would leave deep postholes.

The rebuild was paid for partly by riders. Since 2020, the Tree Fort Bikes Triple Trail Challenge has raised $100,000 for the Poto Revitalization Project. This year's event ran Sept. 18 and 19, with a cap of 1,000 riders. This year's fundraising went to the DTE Energy Foundation Trail in Waterloo Recreation Area. The new pavilion there at the Cassidy Road lot, 16500 Cassidy Road in Chelsea, has picnic tables and a grill. As of July, the club still had no date for its grand opening.

After the ride, a short drive from the trailheads

The restaurants near the trail have changed over the past year too. The dates below are the most recent confirmations available, so check hours before you go.

Bliss & Fish, 102 S. Howell St., Pinckney. It opened in May 2025 in the former Fondness Sushi Bar space and serves fish and chips, Mediterranean food and owner Shadia Zamlut's family-sourced olive oil. In January 2026, WHMI reported it had been named Pinckney's 2025 Business of the Year. Zamlut's family ran Bet & Jessie's Fish & Chips from 1979 to 2013.

Taqueria Los Dos Potrillos, 126 W. Main St., Pinckney. It took over the former Aunt Betty's, which closed in November 2025 after decades in business. Owner Bernardo Pacheco held a soft opening on Feb. 9, 2026, and Livingston Daily listed hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The menu covers street tacos, tortas, fajitas, flan and churros.

Smitty's Hell Saloon, 4095 Patterson Lake Road, Hell. It's on the same road as the Gosling Lake reroute. Its website lists 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. but no fall or winter schedule. The DNR places Glenbrook Yurt, which is steps from the trail, about one mile from Hell.

Aladdin's Shawarma, 9670 Chilson Common Circle, Hamburg Township. It's a family-owned halal Mediterranean spot next to Kroger in Chilson Commons. At its October 2025 soft opening, it sold out its first two days in just over four hours.

Dragon Express, 7570 M-36, Hamburg Township. It's a carryout-focused restaurant in the former Dragon Court, from New China King owner Bing Li, and it officially opened in April 2026.

If you own land or a home near Pinckney Recreation Area, a valuation should reflect what's actually around the property, and that includes the trail. Surline Real Estate knows these roads, from Silver Hill and Patterson Lake to Glenbrook. Get Your Instant Home Valuation and see what your place is worth right now.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.