I live in Lansing, and I ride some portion of this trail 2 or 3 times a week during the spring, summer and fall. This is my absolute favorite part of Lansing! One of my favorites is the section added last summer, which heads south from Potter Park, winds back to Mt. Hope Rd, and takes you through Hawk Island Park. Hawk Island has a 1.5 mi paved path around a small lake, which is great for jogging, walking, rollerblading, etc. It also has boat rentals, a small beach, an awesome play structure, and a kids' waterpark. If you go out the south entrance to Hawk Island and cross Cavanaugh, the River Trail continues and takes you all the way to Jolly Rd, ending at a 7-11 (yeah Slurpee break!). Another little fun part is the mountain bike trails in Hawk Island - just keep an eye out for them while you're in the woods. Overall, the Lansing Rail Trail has few upkeep issues but really it's very rideable, and I think the wooden bridges are especially fun. I agree with other posters that it's not good for rollerblading, and I always go with someone unless I'm only riding the new section I described above.

I really enjoy this trail because it is an easy-going one I can ride with my kids. It also goes to places my kids want to visit: Michigan State University campus, Potter Park Zoo, Impression 5 Science Museum, the Lansing Farmers Market, Old Town and the Turner-Dodge House. It passes near the Lugnuts' Stadium and downtown Lansing, and there are several small parks with play equipment along the way for resting and playing. The newest part of the trail goes south to Hawk Island Park, but we have not tried that yet. We spent a very pleasant afternoon today riding almost the entire length from East Lansing to the Turner Dodge House (7 miles approx.) with a stop in Old Town for ice cream. (We usually visit Pruess Pet Shop, but didn't take the time today.)

There are several parking lots along the trail so it is easy to park and get on the trail quickly. However, an unfortunate aspect to the trail is that it is not being kept up. The wood in the bridges and boardwalks is deteriorating making for bumpy transitions between these and the asphalt. In many places the asphalt is pocked and worn, and its is not really smooth enough for rollerblading. We've tried. The city is making efforts to do upkeep, but there are so many places along the trail that need work,that it must be hard to do all repairs and replacements. I agree with the previous review that talks about the safety of the trail duirng the day, however, it is not well-lit and may not be a safe place to be after dark. The previous reviewer is also right about the people fishing in the Grand River on the boardwalks. They are not always aware of cyclists and runners and a friendly "hello" will give them a "heads up".

I love this trail, it is my second favorite in the state next to Ann Arbor's B2B which is saying a whole lot. Its beautiful, it can make getting around town a snap, and its decently long. That being said, there are some negative aspects that you should know about. I'm not focusing on the negative but rather giving a friendly warning. 1)its gonna be bad for your road bike rims if you ride this trail 2)all the boardwalks and bridges that are wood are unsafe when wet unless you are decently experienced -just be careful when they are wet. 3)don't ride on the part that goes along potter's park after dark. just don't. Lansing is way safer than most American cities, especially if you know how to be careful, but this is an especially dangerous place. 4)you gotta look out for people fishing! I ride this trail every nice day that I'm in town and I've noticed that a lot of people like to fish the rivers. Make sure they don't cast when you ride by. Just saying "Hello," is a great way to let walkers, kids, other bikers, and fishers know that you are passing by.

Not only does this trail connect with fantastic on-campus bike routes at MSU, but you can ride over the bridge at riverfront park and you're at Lansing Community College. I recommend checking out the statue of the Windlord if you haven't seen it (just on the other side of the river) as well as the Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame located in LCC's gvt building 3rd floor (the big building you can see from the park with a parking ramp attached).