Lakelands Trail State Park:
Michigan
Trail Map
  • Get Personalized Driving Directions!
  • Find Trail Side Shops with Google Search!
  • See Users’ Geocoded Photos!
  • Get a Print-Friendly Map and Get Outdoors!
Description:
Stretching 26 miles through central Michigan, this rail-trail has two personalities: rural and suburban. Twenty miles of soft limestone surface from Stockbridge to Pinckney offer a pastoral backdrop and 6 miles of smooth asphalt carry you through rapidly growing Hamburg Township. The trail is an easy drive from the major population centers of Detroit, Lansing, Jackson and Ann Arbor, which contributes to its popularity.
Heading east from the Stockbridge Trailhead amid working farms, wide open fields, and woods, you will understand why equestrians feel right at home on this trail. A diverse collection of wildflowers and butterflies flourish here. The small town of Gregory, followed by the equally quaint Pinckney, add charm to this quiet agricultural area and are good stopping points to enjoy lunch or ice cream or to stock up on supplies.
Mountain bikers and walkers have a seamless transition to the trail's recently paved 6-mile section, where they join skinny tires and strollers to continue through the swiftly developing suburb of Hamburg Township. The woods grow thicker and frequently arch into a canopy as the trail meanders to Zukey Lake, a popular destination for swimming, boating and fishing.
Trail traffic increases as you head east, but the corridor remains a peaceful getaway. Just before reaching Pettysville Road at mile 15.5, there is a tunnel under State Route 36, transporting you safely under the road. At that point there is a large trailhead. A little farther along, the trail skirts along behind shops, restaurants and snack stops in Hamburg Township.
Locals are looking to expansion plans that would take the Lakelands Trail another 16 miles to Jackson, where it would link into Jackson's urban pathway system and provide a journey from sweeping rural vistas to urban conveniences.
... Click to read more
Parking & Trail Access:
To access the Stockbridge trailhead, take State Route M-106/M-52 south through Stockbridge, crossing Main St in downtown Stockbridge. After crossing Main Street, the trail is approximately 0.5 miles ahread on the left.
To access the Hamburg Township trailhead, take Interstate 23 to exit 54. Head west on State Route M-36/Nine Mile Road. Turn left on to head south on Merrill Road. The trailhead at Manly W Bennett Memorial Park is on the left.
... Click to read more
... Click to read more
Reviews: [3 trail ratings]
[View all reviews for this trail]
[register/login to Submit a Review of this Trail]
This trail is not useable for bikers & walkers :(
By justthe2ofus in August, 2011
Like other bike riders, we found it impossible to ride west of M-36. We have heard how bad this was but thought maybe others were over exaggerating...but nope...the trail is so full of divots left by the horse riders (not to mention all the crap). After 3 miles of it...we could take no more! It would have been so nice to ride to Stockbridge. Such a shame. What I can not understand is the Lakeland trail has a very wide "grass" shoulder; I am positive 2 horse riders could ride side by side on the grass to get to THE DESIGNATED HORSE trails. So, why do the horse riders have to travel on gravel trail? It is apparent they are making a statement and want this trail all to themselves. Let those amaetuer horse riders and their "sissy" horses have the trail. Trail Link: please REMOVE this trail from your list. This is not a bike/walk trail...this is a horse trail.
Lakelands Trail
By benny93 in May, 2011
The trail itself is very nice from Hamburg to Pinckney, and Gregory to Stockbridge. But Equestrians have dug up the trail between Pinckney and Gregory. This was the roughest stretch of RTT I have ever encountered. For my return trip to Hamburg I had to forgo the trail altogether and ride M36 back to Pinckney. Its a shame that the horse owners seem to think they own that portion of the trail.
Beautiful trail except for horse dug parts
By copper_eye in May, 2011
I "discovered" this trail a couple years back and use it regularly. From the East trail end at Hamburg Road to the old Pinckney train station it is a beautiful smooth ride. On bike or foot you can exchange a lot of smiles. I rode the part West of Pinckney where it crosses M-36 a few times but stopped going after my fillings kept getting jarred loose by the horse hoof divots. There was no practical way to avoid them, not to mention the road apples.
I thought it was multi-use, but the few times I encountered horses, the riders treated me to glares and dirty looks. (I always nodded, smiled and or waved - just being friendly, folks!) There are dedicated horse trails just off the main rail-trail, so I don't quite get why they leave the main trail torn up like that. It would be nice if this main part were groomed occasionally.
Browse Trails by Activity: