NAW board members are all smiles on a day of collaborating and making progress for Michigan trail users.

LMB Events Director Neal Glazebrook attended the Michigan DNR’s annual Trail Summit in Gaylord at the end of October. This year’s summit marked a turning point—a culmination of several years of hard work and collaboration among trail advocates, advisory boards, and partner organizations inside and outside the summit. Efforts both inside and outside of these summits are finally coming together and the progress being seen now is a direct result of time well spent.

Much of that progress has come through the work of the DNR advisory work groups, their subcommittees, and the Michigan Trails Advisory Council (MTAC). Over the past year, these advisory boards have overhauled their bylaws and established stronger internal structures, creating a more effective system for developing recommendations not only to the DNR but also directly to the governor’s office.

This was Neal’s third time attending the statewide summit, and discussions are already underway with the DNR, MParks, Heart of the Lakes, TART Trails, and the League of Michigan Bicyclists to expand the event even further. The goal? A full-scale Statewide Trail Summit in 2027—bringing together directors, land managers, trail organizations, clubs, motorized and non-motorized users, and industry partners to collaborate at a truly statewide level.

The intent is to foster even stronger cooperation between user groups, open the summit to a broader audience, and invite the public to participate in shaping the future of Michigan’s trails. A more inclusive summit means more feedback, more buy-in from legislators, and more innovative ideas to continue to make Michigan the Great Trail State.

A Growing Spirit of Collaboration

The 2025 summit welcomed representatives from all trail user groups—ORV, snowmobile, equestrian, and non-motorized. Together, they shared their successes, challenges, and creative solutions. 

The format brought these diverse user groups together to discuss successes, challenges, concerns, and solutions in a collaborative setting. In recent years, Neal has observed a shift away from competition between user groups toward sharing resources and working together to manage state parks and state forest lands more effectively and safely. “It is really amazing to see the consensus and the working across user group lines to make our state parks and state forest lands an asset for everyone.” said Glazebrook in reflecting on the summit this year.

2025 Advisory Board Highlights

Here’s a snapshot of the progress advisory boards have made this year—and where Neal has been directly involved:

• MTAC Bylaw Revisions: The Michigan Trails Advisory Council revamped its bylaws to strengthen its structure and clarify its role in delivering firm recommendations to the governor’s office.

• Non-Motorized Advisory Workgroup (NAW): The NAW updated its bylaws and expanded from nine to eleven members, adding representation for Michigan’s extensive network of water trails. Several subcommittees have also been hard at work in their respective focus areas.

• E-Bike Subcommittee: Providing input to the DNR on land use orders related to Class 1 e-bikes in state parks and forests.

• Trail Maintenance & Funding Subcommittee: Focused exclusively on natural surface trails, this group is exploring funding solutions—from corporate sponsorships to voluntary trail passes—to address long-term maintenance needs. They’ve launched several surveys and data collection efforts to quantify statewide funding gaps. A pilot dataset will be presented in 2026.

• Signage & Etiquette Subcommittee: This group developed a unified recommendation for cohesive signage across DNR-managed trails, which has now been approved by MTAC and advanced to department leadership and the governor’s office. They’re also developing a statewide etiquette campaign to standardize trail behavior messaging across all land managers—helping reduce user conflict and improve trail experiences for everyone.

• 2027 Statewide Trail Summit Subcommittee: Representatives from multiple agencies and organizations are collaborating to plan the 2027 event and broaden participation.

All subcommittees meet monthly, while NAW and MTAC meet quarterly.

If you want to learn more or get involved, check the Michigan Trails Advisory Council page for details on the boards that advise MTAC and instructions on how to comment or attend upcoming meetings. Neal and others involved welcome public input and encourage anyone passionate about Michigan’s trails to tune in and stay engaged. “We welcome your voice and would love to have folks check in and have their voices heard regarding the policy, procedure, maintenance, and development of our state parks and state forest lands” he shared. “These are the conversations that shape how our trails are built, maintained, and enjoyed by everyone in Michigan.”

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