Experience

Discover the river, trails, and community that make River Trails a place worth calling home.

The Pilgrim River

The Pilgrim River runs through the heart of River Trails, and it's more than a scenic backdrop. This 13-mile river winds through Houghton County before emptying into the Keweenaw Waterway and ultimately connecting to Lake Superior, making it part of one of the most significant watersheds in the region. Over 1,600 acres of mature forestland along its banks have been protected through easements secured by the Pilgrim River Watershed Project, preserving more than three miles of the river for non-motorized recreation. For River Trails residents, that means fishing, hiking, and quiet time along the water are built into daily life here, not a drive away. The river isn't just a amenity. It's the reason this land feels the way it does.

  • The Pilgrim River is one of the Keweenaw's most treasured natural corridors. A 13-mile cold-water trout stream winding through Portage Township just south of Houghton, it sits at the center of a multi-decade conservation effort that has protected over 1,600 acres of land along its banks. Mature northern hardwood forests, miles of multi-use trails, and the river itself make this one of the most ecologically rich and recreationally valuable stretches of land in the region. River Trails sits within this corridor, which means residents aren't just near something special. They're part of it.

  • Caring for the natural resources at River Trails is part of what makes this place worth living in, today and for generations to come. The Pilgrim River is worth protecting, and the community takes that seriously. Catch and release is encouraged throughout, and all anglers are expected to follow State of Michigan fishing regulations. It's a simple commitment with a long reach, and it's the reason this river will still fish the way it does decades from now.

  • The Morning Sun Trail runs along land that parallels the River Trails property, land that Don and the McLean family chose to donate to Michigan Tech rather than develop. That decision secures its protection for generations, ensuring it stays wild for the people who walk it long after any of us are gone. The trail is shared ground, open to landowners and to anyone who feels the pull of wild places and wants to spend time in them. A bridge will soon cross the Pilgrim River, connecting landowners to even more acreage of protected land on the other side, expanding the reach of the trail system without ever compromising the wildness that makes it worth protecting in the first place.

+ The Pilgrim River

Trail System

River Trails LLC partnered with Rock Solid Trail Contracting to design a natural surface, multi-use trail system that pairs unparalleled access to the outdoors with your future residence. Once the design process wrapped up, Superior Dwellings LLC crews began work in Fall 2024, and the project is now complete. The result is a four-season recreational asset that residents can enjoy right from home, whether it's hiking in summer or skiing the same trails come winter.

*Future bridge over Pilgrim River for concept and planning purposes only with no representation made by River Trails LLC for completion of Pilgrim River Bridge.

  • The trail network at River Trails was built with both privacy and connection in mind. Residents have access to private trails woven through the property, designed for quiet, everyday use close to home. Those trails connect directly to the broader network of public land surrounding the community, including the Michigan Tech Trails (a trail pass is required) and Nara Nature Park. It's the kind of access that's hard to find: step out your door and within minutes you're moving through some of the best terrain the Keweenaw has to offer.

  • River Trails Development is directly adjacent to the Michigan Tech Trails, which offer mountain biking, trail running, hiking, and Nordic skiing. Trail connections now link River Trails Development to the surrounding trail network, giving residents easy access to an abundance of trail-based recreational opportunities right from home.

  • For residents at River Trails, the daily commute doesn't have to mean a car. Michigan Tech and Houghton's schools sit within reasonable distance through the connected trail network, close enough that getting to work or getting the kids to school can happen on foot, by bike, or on skis in the winter. It's a different way to start the day: instead of hopping straight into the car, you're getting your body moving. Not a bad way to commute.

Trail System Project Goals

01
Multi-use Trail System

02
Natural Surface Trail Access

03
Neighborhood Connectivity

04
Winter Trails

FULL TRAIL PLAN CONCEPT

Outdoor-oriented Community

River Trails is rooted in the Houghton community, not just located in it. To us, that means showing up where it matters. We’ve served as a title sponsor of the Michigan Nordic Skiing High School Championship and have been proud sponsors of the UP Health System Great Bear Chase Ski Marathon, one of the Upper Peninsula's most celebrated Nordic events. We also support the local xc skiing youth club Ski Tigers. When the Michigan Tech Nordic Ski Team headed to Alaska to compete, River Trails was with them, too.

That same spirit carries into the neighborhood itself. Open fields and green spaces are planned throughout the property, giving residents room to gather, explore, and connect close to home. The outdoor culture that makes the Keweenaw worth living in is something this community actively supports, because the land and the people who love this place are what River Trails is built around.

  • River Trails sits within easy reach of some of the Keweenaw's best schools, making it a natural fit for families putting down roots.

    Houghton offers strong K-12 options, and Michigan Technological University is just minutes away, bringing the energy and resources of a world-class research institution into everyday life here. And because River Trails connects directly to the surrounding trail network, kids could even ride or walk to school the way kids used to, through trees and open land instead of along a road.

  • Houghton County is a small place with a lot of life in it. Local restaurants, live music, seasonal festivals, and a community calendar that surprises first-time visitors give this corner of the UP a culture that's hard to find this far off the beaten path. Michigan Tech keeps the area young and forward-thinking, attracting people from around the world who end up putting down roots and becoming exactly the kind of neighbors a community is built on. River Trails sits right in the heart of it, close enough to everything the county has to offer, and tucked away enough to feel like home.

  • River Trails is designed with shared space built into its bones. Open fields and open spaces are planned throughout the neighborhood, giving residents room to gather, explore, and connect without leaving the property. These aren't amenities bolted on as an afterthought. They're part of how the community is structured, because the relationships that make a neighborhood worth living in tend to happen in the in-between moments, and those moments need somewhere to land.

"A community of like-minded people that are into active outdoor sports, be it summer, winter — and community is really important to us. It's this rural neighborhood adjacent to the Michigan Tech ski trails and mountain bike single track system."

— Bill Steyer, Iditarod Finisher, Track Coach, River Trails Property Owner