Falling Waters Trail:
Michigan
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Description:
The Falling Waters Trail is a 10.5-mile asphalt rail-trail that links the town of Concord with the city of Jackson. The trail follows the old rail bed of the former Michigan Central Railroad, and connects Cascades, Ella Sharp, Lime Lake and Swains Lake parks. At its northeast terminus the trail carries on as the Jackson Intercity Trail to Belden Road.

The trail is mostly rural, with only a few road crossings. It also crosses the Lime Lake causeway where you can drop a line for fish. There are plenty of places to stop along the way and admire the scenery, have a picnic and take a swim.

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Parking & Trail Access:
You can access the Falling Waters Trail at the following locations; parking is also available. For more detailed directions to each of these trailheads, visit Friends of the Falling Waters Trail.

Lime Lake County Park, Teft Road between Cox and Mathews roads.

Weatherwax Drive, south of Park Road near the cell phone tower.

New Leaf parking area near the Jackson Intercity Trail, on 4th St. just south of Audubon Blvd. Take the bike trail southwest directly to the Falling Waters Trail.

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Reviews: [5 trail ratings]
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Good Trail
By theisen22 in June, 2011
I rode the Falling Waters Trail today and it is a very nice trail. As a previous person had mention parking to leave from Jackson is a bit tricky. I started at Park Rd. and there is a little area to park but no parking lot. I did ride towards Jackson at first to see if there was a parking lot along the path, but did not find one. However the school that had been mention would have parking and would be a good place to start. The path cuts through Lime Lake which is a nice place to stop and if its hot enough out, to take a dip to cool off. I took video of the trail and have posted it to YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHKESzguOvM However even though the trail is quite smooth there is a lot of shaking going on. I will see if I can find a way to improve this for future videos. Still take a look if you want to get a better visual of the path.
Hometown Review of Falling Waters Trail: Excellent - Forgot Rating
By TimGalic in April, 2011
To the Web Master: Sorry I forgot to include the 5 star rating of everyone else. Could you please include the rating with my other original comments?
Hometown Review of Falling Waters Trail: Excellent
By TimGalic in April, 2011
I grew up in Jackson and I am very familiar with the area near the trail. I have biked the trail on a half dozen occasions. The trail goes straight through a causeway on Lime Lake. The lakes 19th century loss is your gain. If you have a fishing liscense the fish are excellent; I can't attest to the numbers of fish near the trail anymore. Much of the trail goes through natural wetlands, and I have seen Hawks, Swans, Geese, Ducks and other Waterfowl so birdwatchers take your cameras. The surrounding lakes and natural ponds have pictures suitable for your PC wallpapers. The view through the brush is improved before and after leaves have fallen from the trees so the trail is still beautiful in fall and early spring on warm days. About half of the trail is through woods so wind is not a problem. There is no drinking water available on the trail, but port-a-potties are available at the time of this review. As the Trail Description indicates the trail continues on into Jackson, and access to the town is available where the trail crosses West Avenue. Parkside Middle school is at that point and you can probably park there after the school is closed for the summer from Mid June to Labor Day. Bikers wanting amenities like restaurants or motels should consider Jackson as the other stops are rural communities. However one particular treat is Ice Cream in Concord. The Satler's Tasty Treat Ice Cream stand has been in business for decades and offers nice snacks that includes Dogs and Burgers. Perfect for a summer break at the midpoint of an out and back. I have no association with the owners, and the web master can feel free to delete this reference if he/she finds it inappropriate. To get there simply continue on the road from the Concord trailhead to the main road in town named main street and turn right to North. The store is on the North side of Michigan Hwy 60 about 2/3 of a mile from the trail end point.

Additional useful information is available about the trail on the Friends of the Falling Waters Trail Website.