Michigan Dog Sledding and Races: Where to Experience in Upper and Lower Peninsula! (Top Winter Things To Do!)

Where to Experience Michigan Dog Sledding and Races in Upper and Lower Peninsula | By Sherry Trautman | Traveling Michigan

Did you know you can go dog sledding in both the upper and lower peninsula of Michigan?  Munising is a popular destination. So if you are wondering, "Where can I dog sled in Michigan?" or "Do they have sled races in Michigan?"  You betcha! Keep reading!  

Top Winter Things To Do in Marquette, Gaylord, Cadillac

Where To Go Michigan Dog Sledding

We created this Michigan Dog Sledding Interactive Map to help aid in planning your trip. It's so hard to know where locations are without a map!

Helpful Map Tips:

• Click on the plus and minus in the left corner to zoom in or out of the map.
• Click on the icons for more info, addresses and photos of the stops.
• Click on the map to drag and move it to view surrounding areas.
• In the Header, click on the rectangle in the upper left of the map to see a menu of all of our stops. Click on anything that looks interesting to see where it is on the map. To hide the menu, click the rectangle in the header. 
• In the Header, click on the "square" icon in the upper right side to expand the map for better viewing. 

Shemhadar Dog Sled Adventures - 1826 Schuss Mountain Ln, Mancelona, MI. Shemhadar Kennels is a great place to learn about dog sledding and see the dog kennels!  This Michigan dog sledding adventure is located 1 1/2 hours north of Grand Rapids and about 3 hours from Detroit. Check out their "Musher Experience."

These Michigan dog sled adventures glide through 80 acres of beautiful woods and fields.  Your visit will be for 1 to 4 hours (depending on the package you choose) of learning, riding and sharing in the sled dog adventure.  Rides are 2-3 miles long and include cookies and cocoa!  There are Kennel Tours also.  

Dog sled loads accommodate the following:

• 1 adult 
• 1 adult and 1 child or
• 3 small children

We don't want to overload the dogs! Be sure to schedule ahead of time so you can book your family's time slots right after each other.

Nature's Kennel Sled Dog Racing and Adventures - McMillan, Michigan. Nature's Kennel is a great place to learn about dog sledding!! Nature's Kennel offers 10 mile, 20 mile or several day trips.  The day trips take place seven days a week and will need to call to schedule. 

Husky Haven Kennels - E17769 Nugent Lake Ln, Shingleton, Michigan.  The Husky Haven Kennels dog sled tours begin with a kennel tour, talk about the history of dog-sledding, an instruction on how to handle the team and sled on a run. The distance is 8-10 miles with the instructor/team. When you get back, you will enjoy a snack, give water to the sled dogs and put them back in the yard!  Then it's time for hot chocolate and cookies while seeing the fun photos taken during the dog sledding adventure. Total time is approximately 3-4 hours. This is one of our favorite places to visit for things to do in Michigan in winter.

Treetops - 3962 Wilkinson Rd, Gaylord, MI, (Book very early, they are booked by December) A separate time slot must be booked for each “sled load.” To accommodate families, it is recommended that you reserve time slots that are back to back.  Rides are up to 2 miles and are about 10 minutes in duration.

A “sled load” consists of the following: 

• 1 adult under 200 lbs.
• 1 adult and 1 child under 200 lbs.
• 2 children under 200 lbs.

Michigan Dog Sledding is on my list of fun things to do in Michigan in winter. 

Watch Dog Sled Races in Marquette, Newberry and Kalkaska!

The UP200 Marquette sled dog races are held in Marquette, Michigan every winter around February (updates here). The UP 200, Midnight Run and Jack Pine 30 are incredible Upper Peninsula Michigan events!

Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race – Co Rd 407, Newberry, Michigan. The Tahquamenon County Sled Dog Race includes 5 different classes of races where you can come out and cheer the racers on, meet the dog sled teams, and pet the dogs in this all-day event! Event is held in January, see the updated Tahquamenon County Sled Dog Race dates here.

Kalkaska Winterfest – Kalkaska, Michigan. During the Kalkaska Winterfest, sled dogs overtake the town for the largest sprint sled dog race in the Lower 48 states. Classes and distances range from 2-dog fun run at 2.1-miles to 10-dog teams racing 12-miles. Between the races spectators can enjoy craft shows, performances and family fun. Event is held in February, see the updated Kalkaska Winterfest dates here.

Keep Reading For Fun Things to Do in Michigan in Winter!

Don't be bored this winter!  We have TONS of fun things to do in Michigan in winter...both inside and outside!  

So guys, January in Michigan is packed with fun festivals (who doesn't want to watch people jump into ice cold water during Polar Bear Plunges?!), sleigh rides and events you don't want to miss!

Oh, and February...check out our list of Best Things to do in Michigan in February!  Snowmobile races, Winter Carnival in the UP, snow parties, WINE...

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