The current trail system at Fort Custer was developed by the Southwest Chapter of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association (SWMMBA). Existing roads within the Park were linked to singletrack loops that were designed from scratch. The Amusement Park was built in 1993, with subsequent construction of The Trenches, Rocks and Roots, Granny's Garden, Crazy Beaver, and the entire Green Loop. Trail markers were purchased and installed by the SWMMBA as well. The Yellow and Blue Loops were marked using preexisting trails. The Horse Friends group added trail markers to the system in 2005, encouraging equestrians and bikers to ride in opposite directions for improved safety. The Sled Dog group added markers in 2006. Updates to the system are planned this year to repair vandalized markers and update the "You Are Here" maps.

THE RED LOOP

The Red Loop has the most technical sections and biggest climbs of the four loops in the park. The loop has (17) trail markers, and covers a distance of just under eight miles. Starting at the trailhead (1), The Trenches introduce you to one of the many unique features of The Fort. The Trenches were dug by solders as part of the training facilities for combat troops when the Fort was a military training base.  Winding through this section is like riding a combination of roller coaster and half pipe. Breaking out of The Trenches, you cross an old intersection of the abandon town of Lawler and enter Rocks and Roots (3). This section is flat, but twisty, with - you guessed it - a lot of rocks and roots.

Exiting Rocks and Roots takes you into an open meadow and then to The Gravel Pit. A new addition to this section is a roller coaster ride that has become known as the Camel Humps. The trail then twists along a small stream through dense underbrush before making a 90 degree left and beginning a small climb (4). Here, the Red and Yellow Loops merge for a short distance. A quick descent is followed by the biggest climb in the Fort - Cardiac Climb - nothing like out west, but it will get your heart pumping. A new switchback (to the left half way down the descent) was added in 2008 that makes the climb more gradual - your choice. "The Crotch" is a little skills option on this section. At the top, the trail breaks out into the edge of a meadow (5) and travels along the fenced boundary between the recreation area and the present day military training ground. Don't be alarmed by heavy artillery or small arms fire. They're using blanks - we think.

Just past the (5) marker you have the option of going straight up the second climb, CPR, it is steep, but short OR you can take a left fork that takes a more circuitous route to the top where both intersect at the entrance to Granny's Garden (6) - the most technical section in the Fort. Granny's winds across ravines that are a part of an ancient glacial moraine, with lots of drops and climbs, log crossings and other technical challenges. A final downhill drop exits Granny's (7) and begins the last big climb of the Red Loop - DOA. A quarter mile later you reach a major intersection of trail options (8) with shortcut options if you've had enough. Turning right takes you on a fairly flat connector to The Freeway (9). This section is fairly flat with long straights, wide turns, and can be very fast. This is a great "pace-line" section. With a fast group you can hit 23 mph for more than a mile.

The Freeway ends at the Whoop-Dee-Doos - a fast downhill with two large rollers (for erosion control). Getting air is optional. A quick climb (10) and a right (11) takes you into the lead-out to No Fear Chute - a fast downhill chicane. Half way you'll encounter a skills option. If you haven't ridden it before, take the bypass and check out the backside before riding it. No Fear ends by crossing the Green loop at The Table Top (12) - Reese Rd. and enters The Amusement Park. This was the first section of singletrack developed by and for mountain bikers in 1995 as a demonstration project. The trail meanders along Eagle Lake with great views of the lake and several steep ups and downs. A shortcut out can be taken at (13), about midway through or you can continue twisting through the woods to exit the Amusement Park at (14). A long, straight downhill leads to The Peninsula (15), a fast, flat, out-and-back on a finger that extends into Eagle Lake. Two quick turns at the end of The Peninsula (16) and your on the last section of the Red Loop - Crazy Beaver! This section loops around a large spring-fed pond with great scenery and swans in the summer. A beaver used to call this pond home, but she had no place to build a dam (no inlet or outlet stream) and in four years she had felled all the poplar trees (preferred food source and building materials) and had literally eaten herself out of house and home - thus Crazy Beaver Loop! There's a couple of technical downhills and a final ride through another set of technical trenches before exiting where a left at (17) will return you to the trailhead in about a quarter mile.

THE GREEN LOOP

The Green Loop circumnavigates Eagle Lake for a distance of just under eight miles - (14) trail markers. Although less technical than the Red Loop, the Green still has some pretty challenging sections. It also has great views of Eagle Lake, especially at sunset. The Green Loop starts at the trailhead (1) as a two track, following the remnant of one of the side streets of the old town of Lawler. The trail breaks away from the Yellow Loop at (2) continuing straight for about one eighth mile where it intersects Reese Road, an old thoroughfare that ran from Battle Creek to Augusta in the early 1900's. Turning left at this junction (3) takes you east along old Reese Road for about half a mile; past a trail junction at (4); across the Red Loop (5) and finally onto singletrack.

There the military fence cuts off further travel down Reese Road. The trail parallels the fence and across a culvert - which carries the primary inlet to Eagle Lake. The trail then begins climbing a steep series of three technical switchbacks up away from the stream. At the top, the trail continues as meandering singletrack with mild changes in elevation. The trail encounters an old fence that used to enclose a mortar range. It follows the perimeter of the range on the west side. The trail then splits. To the left is the old mountain bike trail - horses should take this route. Going right leads to a downhill switchback, and then a gradual climb which ends by crossing the old trail. After crossing the old trail you will dive into a big gully that rides like a half-pipe - technical, but FUN. A short climb with a nice view of Eagle Lake is followed by another gully half-pipe and another short climb that then dives down to cross a small brook. The brook cascades down the face of a tiny old dam, probably built by a homesteader and since silted in over the decades.

The trail winds down to the edge of Eagle Lake once again, and then begins double switchback climb up and away from the lake. After another little down-and-up, the trail runs smack-dab into the chain-link fence separating the park from the military grounds. The trail makes a ninety-degree left and runs right along the fence for a hundred feet or so. The trail then leaves the fence and twists tightly through the woods and across a second small brook. It then skirts the edge of a large meadow (look for deer), then up a gradual climb through a stand of Blue Spruce, planted by the Boy Scouts over 50 years ago. The trail then crosses old Harmonia Road (6) and travels to the northern edge of the park before doubling back, re-crossing Harmonia (7) via a fun downhill with three narrow sweeps through the trees. A short climb precedes a straight and fast downhill that breaks into a grassy meadow interspersed with more of those Boy Scout Blue Spruce. Another twisty climb and a very twisty downhill takes you the edge - the very edge- of Eagle Lake. On a hot summer day, this is a great spot to take a break, and maybe a dip in the lake. This is a high use area for hiking along the lake, so keep an eye out.

Continuing along the lake the trail meets the Boat Launch for Eagle Lake at (8) and then climbs away from the lake and back into the trees. A tricky little down-and-up precedes a break out into a long narrow meadow that runs slightly downhill with wide sweeping turns (look for deer) for about a quarter mile. Then it's back into the woods, another tricky down-and-up, and a short section of old railroad bed before crossing Harmonia Rd. again and entering Sniper's reroute (12). This is a very tight twisty section that has been rerouted four times thanks to a busy beaver that has caused the adjacent pond to flood the trail repeatedly. At the top of a short climb that takes you up close to a guard-rail (Dickman Rd. is on the other side. Stop here and look to your left - that's the beaver dam. You can find a foot path that leads out to the dam (leave your bike off the trail). A little technical climb and a big log pile challenge you before dropping down to cross Harmonia Rd. (13) for the fourth time. The last section of singletrack winds through a stand of pine, before crossing the main park road (14), up an embankment, and along a half mile of two track returning you to the trailhead parking lot.

THE YELLOW LOOP

The Yellow Loop is slightly over eight miles in length. It has only one significant climb and no technical sections. It was designed as an easy tour of the park with several "bail-outs" if the whole eight miles is too much. There are (20) markers on the Yellow Loop. Beginning at the trailhead, the trail starts as two track on an old Lawler street, turns right (2) onto another old street,crosses the Red Loop and continues to yet another old street (3) where it turns left and then right (4) onto singletrack. The trail runs downhill for about half a mile crossing the old Climax-Augusta Road before reaching the Campground (5) and turning left onto old Reese Road. This two track climb returns you to the old Climax-Augusta Road where it turns right (6), taking the paved road to the southern edge of the park. At (7) the trail turns left, and down across an small bridge (8) where it merges with the Red Loop for a short distance.

At the top of a short climb the Yellow Loop breaks away to the left (9) and into a flat section of single track. It emerges from the woods and enters a large meadow for about 100 yards. In late summer this meadow is filled with numerous species of yellow wildflowers. At (10) the trail makes a 180, then a moderate climb before descending to rejoin the Red Loop very briefly (11). The Yellow breaks to the left at (11) and follows a two track on a long slightly downhill ride through the woods. A moderate climb (the biggest on the Yellow) merges back with the Red Loop (12) for the next mile and a half passing (13), (14) and (15) on the Freeway. At (16) the Yellow keeps to the left down an old two track for about a half mile where it crosses Reese Road ((17) and continues downhill to (18). The Yellow Loop goes left, The Peninsula to the right. The trail continues as a singletrack crossing the Red again at (19). Continuing on flat wide singletrack another few minutes, returns you to the Trailhead.

THE BLUE LOOP

The Blue Loop is located in the southwest corner of the Fort and starts at the Whitford Lake parking lot rather than the Trailhead. The Campground lies just north of this trail. The trail winds around Whitford-Lawler Lakes, and Jackson Hole and is actually two loops with a common section between the two lakes. There are no technical sections, but several moderate climbs and descents. There are (10) trail markers to guide you, beginning just south of the parking lot (to the right of the toilets). It begins as singletrack skirting the south side of Whitford Lake and along open fields which are planted by the DNR with either soybeans or corn and left standing for waterfowl. In the spring a pair of Sandhill Cranes can often be seen performing their mating dance - a truly fascinating sight.

The trail then passes an old homestead. The foundations to the house, barn and outbuildings, as well as the silo are all that remain of the structures. Lilac bushes, cherry trees, and flowers planted by the former owners bloom in the early spring. The trail then crosses a small brook, which is dry most of the year. After climbing a short steep hill, the trail forks (2). Stay to the left. The trail follows a ridge above Lawler Lake then makes a descent, a climb, a descent and another climb before crossing a dirt road leading to one of the rental cabins (3). Follow the trail past a hand-pump (you can get a refill on water here) and past one of the rental cabins to marker (4). The trail then descends a steep rooted section to a junction (5).Going left will shortcut between Whitford Lake and Jackson Hole rejoining the trail at the boat launch parking lot (10). This is a cool downhill section that skirts the very edge of both lakes, and is worth checking out after you complete the main loop.

Taking a right at (5), the trail continues with short ups and downs for another half mile. It then crosses a bridge, built by the MMBA in 2002, makes a sharp left (6) turning back toward the parking lot. A moderate climb followed by a steep gravel descent follows through the woods and along Jackson Hole on your left. The trail intersects with a two track from the campground (7). It crosses a meadow and a two track to a small boat launch on Jackson Hole (8). Back into the woods the trail skirts the south edge of the Campground. The trail dumps out onto the gravel access road for the Whitford and Jackson boat launches. Go left on the gravel road to the parking lot. The shortcut from (5) rejoins (9). Make a right, past the toilets and hop back on singletrack. The trail returns you to the Whitford Lake parking lot. This is a great place to picnic, take a swim, fish, or just lay out in the grass and watch the clouds pass overhead.