Southern Links Trailway - Columbiaville, Michigan

The Southern Links Trailway is a 10.2 mile trail that connects the communities of Columbiaville, Otter Lake, and Millington. This non-motorized trailway is paved with asphalt a minimum of 10' wide for hiking and biking with a separate path for those on horseback. This trailway offers its patrons scenic views of open fields and wetlands, wooded forests and farm lands.

The Southern Links Trailway began as a rail system for the Detroit & Bay City Railway Company in 1872. It's main business was to transport lumber from the "thumb" communities. An interesting aspect is that this stretch of rail had a unique 4 degree grade.

As train travel by passengers became a popular mode of transportation, train depots were constructed in the villages of Columbiaville, Otter Lake, and Millington. The depots in Columbiaville and Millington still stand today. In 1879, trains running through Columbiaville carried more than 200,000 passengers a year from Detroit to Bay City. The average cost for this trip was about 2.5 cents per mile!.