Michigan’s Underground Railroad

Following Freedom Seekers Across Michigan.

Now Booking for September 8 - 14, 2023

Tour Info

Michigan is famous for its role in America’s national automobile culture. Less known is Michigan’s role as an Underground Railroad (UGRR) route used by thousands of Freedom Seekers from the south and west. Michigan, a free state where slavery was prohibited, had strong populations of free African Americans, Quakers and Abolitionists. These Michiganders were willing to actively violate the Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 & 1850 to support Freedom Seekers escaping to Canada. It’s estimated that over 200 UGRR stations existed in Michigan.

People, not places, were the UGRR. While, there will be bicycle riding, and time spent in museums, churches and historic places learning about the Underground Railroad, we’ve taken special care to focus on the people. Pedalstroke Tours also recognizes you are here on vacation! That means plenty of time to relax, have fun, and riding bikes. Enjoy not having to do anything while on tour except ride, explore, eat, recharge and repeat!

Pedalstroke Tours (PST) is proud to partner with local Underground Railroad (UGRR) societies and guides to present the story of Freedom Seekers and others who risked much to help them. A portion of the profits from this tour will be used to support the organizations who are saving and sharing the story of the Underground Railroad in Michigan.

Experience Michigan’s Underground Railroad:

Wonder at the human spirit as you follow Freedom Seekers on the UGRR who risked everything to find codified freedom in Canada.
Guided by local UGRR organizations and historians, you’ll discover the stories of determined and brave people escaping slavery and those working to help them cross Michigan. Explore the communities who rallied to protect Freedom Seekers from fugitive slave hunters.
Monuments, Memorials, and Murals and those places lost to time. See the largest Underground Railroad monument in the United States. Visit the Sojourner Truth Memorial to her work as an abolitionist and women’s suffrage advocate. Walk the oaks where abolitionists gathered as a fledgling political party, and other places now lost to time.
Stand at a gateway to freedom on the shores of the Detroit River that was crossed by thousands of Freedom Seekers.
Enjoy the Great Lakes Climate. These large freshwater bodies of water gentle the climate with an average high temp in the low 80’s (F). August is one of the driest months of the year here, but a shower is possible and morning temps can drop into the 50’s, so pack accordingly.
Relax each evening in your private room. If you prefer, you can bring roommates for significant savings.
Let us take a load off your shoulders. Once you arrive and check-in, the Pedalstroke crew will transport your luggage each day from room to room. Just focus on your pedal stroke and enjoy your vacation.
There is no better spice than bicycling to make food delicious! Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included most days unless noted in the detailed itinerary. The Great Lakes climate provides a diversity of fruits and vegetables which makes Michigan one of the most agriculturally diverse states. This bounty gives fudge makers, craft brewers, micro-distillers, vintners and restaurateurs an extensive palette to entertain your palate. Coney’s, pasties, blueberry beer, maple syrup, bourbon and many others will tickle your tastebuds! This diversity of fruits and vegetables gives craft brewers, distillers, vintners and restaurateurs an extensive palette to entertain your palate!
Pedal without worrying about your fitness. The grades are rail trail gentle and each day has route options to meet your mood and condition. Choose your daily distance simply by letting the Pedalstroke team know what you’ve chosen for the next day. It’s your vacation, ride what you want!
Time to explore and wonder. Relax on the route. Soak in the stories. Spend some quiet time at a site that moves you. Share their story.

General Itinerary

Arrival

Gather in South Haven and prepare to follow Freedom Seekers across Michigan. We begin on the shores of Lake Michigan to consider the people who used “freedom ships” on the Great Lakes to make their way Canada. After check-in relax in South Haven restaurants, on the beach, or visit the maritime museum. Tonight at orientation and light reception meet your fellow riders and support crew.

Compiled from *"The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom*" by Wilbur H. Siebert, The Macmillan Company, 1898.

Day 1 - Cassopolis

September 8. After breakfast, cycle east along a the Great Lake-to-Lake Trail Route 1. This car-free, tree canopied trail travels through large tracts of forest and farmland from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron. Then it’s on to Cassopolis where several UGRR routes from the south and west converged. The Underground Railroad Society of Cass County will guide us through local UGRR history including raiders, UGRR conductors, station masters, and the settlement of Ramptown. We’ll then follow Freedom Seekers to the UGRR station led by Dr. Nathan Thomas, the first physician in Kalamazoo County. Afterwards we’ll head to our overnight in Kalamazoo and dine at a renowned craft brewery. Mileage options 0 - 21.

Day 2 - Battle Creek

September 9. Pedal along the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, part of the Great Lake-to-Lake Trail to Battle Creek and the largest UGRR monument in the United States. Depicting UGRR conductors Harriet Tubman, Sarah Hussey and Erastus Hussey, the monument pays homage to the bravery and resourcefulness of freedom seekers, UGRR agents and abolitionists. Then it’s a short walk to the memorial dedicated to Battle Creek resident Sojourner Truth, a Freedom Seeker, abolitionist, and women’s rights advocate who is buried in nearby Oak Hill Cemetery. Spend some time with a descendant of Sojourner Truth and visit their small private museum. We end in Marshall and enjoy dinner at a local icon famous for its prime rib and bar-scheeze. Mileage options 0 - 41.

Day 3 - Marshall & Jackson

September 10. Start the day pedaling through Marshall’s historic district, one of the largest national Historic Landmark Districts for a small community in the United States. Take time to tour the city’s many sites which include Marshall’s Governor’s Mansion Museum. As you leave Marshall you’ll pass a small stone and plaque that marks the location of the Crosswhite home and learn about the Crosswhite Family. We continue following Freedom Seekers east using old rail beds of the Falling Waters Trail and MLK Equality Trail into Jackson. Here you can tour the downtown murals and historic sites including Michigan’s first anti-slavery newspaper - American Freeman. Then enjoy a refreshment while local historians share Jackson’s amazing role in the UGRR, the Civil War, and Emancipation Proclamation. Mileage options 0 - 36.

Day 4 - Ann Arbor

September 11. Continue pedalstroking east along the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail and Border to Border Trail into Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor was home to the first meeting of the Michigan Anti-Slavery Society. Along the way take a well-intentioned road down into Hell, Michigan. Here we’ll enjoy lunch at the local saloon, but we won’t be staying! After pedaling up out of Hell and into Ann Arbor, we’ll freshen up and join the Journey to Freedom Tour conducted by the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County. Tonight enjoy dinner on your own along Ann Arbor’s famous Main Street. Mileage options 0 - 48.

Day 5 - Henry Ford Museum

September 12. A mixed mode day of riding and walking focused on touring the Henry Ford Museum of America Innovation. It’s a 36 mile bike ride but we recommend skipping the ride and spending the full day at the Ford Museum. A private guide will take us through the African American Innovator Tour celebrating the accomplishments of African Americans and it’s “With Liberty and Justice for All” exhibit focused on artifacts and people of the anti-slavery, civil rights and women’s rights movements which were intertwined since the days of Frederick Douglass. Then visit the rest of the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, or Greenfield Village. Enjoy dinner on your own at one of the many dining options in the museum. Mileage options 0 - 36.

Day 6 - Code Name “Midnight”

September 13. Today we rack the bikes and continue following Freedom Seekers to Detroit, known on the UGRR by its code name “Midnight”. After touring the Detroit Historical Museum’s “Doorway to Freedom” exhibit and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, a guide will lead us to a few significant UGRR sites in Detroit and hear the stories of people like the members of Second Baptist Church who housed an estimated 5,000 Freedom Seekers. Then finish at the International Memorial to the Underground Railroad on the shores of the Detroit River just a half mile from the shores of Canada. Wonder at the courage and resourcefulness of the many people who risked everything to reach freedom. Tonight we’ll gather for the last time sharing a meal and say our goodbyes. Mileage options 0.

Day 7 - Departure

September 14. After breakfast you’ll meet up with your private transportation, board the return shuttle to South Haven, or take our private shuttle to Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport (DTW) and airport hotels (hotels not included in tour pricing).

Please note, registered participants will receive detailed itineraries and timelines each day during the Rider Meeting.

2023 Pricing

Rooming

Private

Double

Triple

Quad

Before May 30

$2,599

$2,099

$1,699

$1,599

Before Aug 15

$2,999

$2,499

$2,099

$1,999

Before June 30

$2,799

$2,299

$1,899

$1,799

Pricing is per person based on the number of people sharing a room. Registration Deadline is August 15.

What’s included:

6 days of exploration tracing the Underground Railroad across Michigan.
6 nights lodging. 7 breakfasts, 4 dinners, 2 lunches.
Wine and cheese reception on check-in day to meet your riding companions.
Optional daily riding distances that let you choose the one that fits your plans.
The AMAZING Pedalstroke Tours (PST) crew which includes a mechanic, massage therapist, and SAG stewards to make your bicycling vacation a thing of wonder.
Transport of your luggage from room to room each day.
Full SAG support. SAG stops with a full snack selection, ice cold drinks, electrolytes and water. SAG vehicles on route.
Charging station for e-bikes and electronics at the SAG Stop.
A GPS device with turn by turn navigation or GPS files for those who wish to use their own device, daily paper cue sheets.
Daily rider meeting to review tomorrow’s route and schedule.
Guided tours in Cassopolis, Jackson, Ann Arbor, Henry Ford Museum and Detroit. Tickets for the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

Free Long Term Parking, Transfers and Return Transportation - Long term parking in South Haven, transfers on tour and transportation returning you from Detroit to the long term parking lot.
Airport Shuttle - transportation from Kalamazoo Airport at the start, and to Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport (DTW) or surrounding hotels at the finish.
Bike Unboxing and Assembly - Our tour mechanic will unbox and re-assemble your bike upon arrival if needed.
Flat Repair Kit - Everything you need to fix your flats on the tour. Includes a Patch Repair Kit, tire boot, CO2 inflator, 2 cartridges and replacement of used cartridges during the tour.

Tour Options:

You can also add the following options:

Bike Rental - A great option if you don’t want to transport your bike. Pedalstroke Tours manages the delivery and return of bike rentals with a local bike shop. We don’t rent bikes, but we do partner with a bike shop to provide the best possible price and keep it easy for you. Make sure to check the rental option at registration so we can contact you and plan accordingly.
Bike Boxing and Shipping - Post tour boxing and shipping by our tour mechanic or qualified bike shop. Due to market fluctuations pricing may vary.

Garmin Edge GPS device with pre-loaded routes are included for everyone who does not have a GPS device. Folks who prefer to bring their own GPS device including their phone for turn by turn directions will be sent RideWithGPS files prior to the tour. A short tutorial on how to use the Garmin Edge and RideWithGPS will be conducted at the end of orientation.

Bikes on Tour:

All bikes in good mechanical condition are welcome at PST including e-bikes, unicycles, trikes, tandems, recumbents, mountain, road, hybrid, gravel, touring and fat bikes.

The route consists of asphalt, fine crushed compacted limestone, and gravel roads. Past participants recommend using a bicycle with wider non-racing tires of at least 32c for maximum comfort and minimum effort. Hybrid, mountain, gravel bikes, and road bikes with wider tires will easily traverse the route.

Adjustments by our tour mechanic are included with registration. Parts, major repairs, and shipping will incur a fee from the tour mechanic. If you would like the tour mechanic to assemble your bike prior to the tour, or box and shipped home to you after the tour, please make arrangements prior to your arrival.

Pedalstroke Tours will transport your bike and box for the duration of the Great Lake to Lake Trail Tour. Please contact us for bike rental options.

SAG on Tour:

PST provides SAG support for all participants. The route is patrolled by SAG and SAG stops are provided. Support includes transport of riders and their bikes as necessary to make sure they are safe. Bicycles are transported on a hitch style bike rack. If your bike requires special handling, please review those needs with us prior to arrival on the tour so we can respect your wishes. SAG stop locations are reviewed during the evening Rider Meeting. SAG wagons also provide transportation to riders who have chosen a custom riding distance.

Tour Pricing

Standard pricing is based on single occupancy. Those who wish, can take advantage of discounts for double, triple and quad occupancy by indicating their roommates who are or will be registered participants including non-riding participants. Please sign up for our newsletter for notifications of upcoming tours and discounts.

Reserve your space by registering and placing a $500 deposit. You will receive balance reminders until the registration deadline which is the last day to submit your balance. For cancellation and refund information click here.

Arriving and Departing the Tour:

Detailed itinerary including arrival and departure information is provided upon registration.