Explore the best rated trails in Detroit, MI. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Clinton River Park Trail and Island Lake Trail Connector . With more than 42 trails covering 373 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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This unassuming recreational path in Goodrich, Genesee County is actually a part of the Iron Belle Trail, Michigan's state-spanning multiuse trail system. The Gale Road Trail starts near Perry Road...
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Clocking in at over four and a half miles, the ITC Corridor Trail in Novi is a fantastic recreational asset for the community, providing a paved pathway that connects neighborhoods and recreation...
Stretching from the small riverside community of Rockwood to the East-West Connector Trail north of the city, the Rockwood Pathway provides a great way for cyclists and pedestrians to get around town...
The Bridge to Bay Trail extends from the village of Lake Port on Lake Huron south to Algonac on the St. Clair River; however, only about 37.5 miles of the 54 planned miles are completed as of early...
The Border-to-Border Trail is a work in progress, which when complete, will stretch across Washtenaw County from its border with Livingston County in the northwest to Wayne County in the east. Much of...
An extension of the paved paths that connect the Oakwoods, Willow, and Lower Huron Metroparks, the Oakwoods Metropark to Flat Rock Trail allows you to continue your trail experience into the small...
You won’t find this trail’s name on the ground: the continuous stretch is actually made up of the scenic trails within Oakwoods Metropark, Willow Metropark and Lower Huron Metropark, as well as a...
With 4,461 acres of prime recreational lands, this top-rated park's scenic, hilly terrain surrounds beautiful 500-acre Stony Creek Lake. Park features include a nature center, a hike-bike trail,...
The West Bloomfield Trail sails along for nearly 7 miles through a municipality that claims to be one of the wettest in the nation—not from rainfall but from the sheer number of lakes (28), ponds...
The M-5 Metro Trail runs for 2 miles between Commerce Township and the city of Novi in southeastern Michigan. The paved trail parallels the west side of its namesake roadway (also known as the...
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Canton's ITC Corridor Trail makes use of a power-line utility corridor, converting this space that previously served as a barrier between neighborhoods into a means of connecting various parts of the...
The Dequindre Cut Greenway is a paved path nearly 2 miles long in downtown Detroit. The trail has separate lanes for cyclists and pedestrians and you'll find entrance ramps at Lafayette Street,...
The Metro Connector Trail works as its name suggests, closing the gap between two local favorites in Novi: the M-5 Metro Trail and the I-275 Metro Trail. The trail begins on 13 Mile Road and then...
Clinton River Park Trail winds along the east bank of its namesake river in Sterling Heights, a northern suburb of Detroit. The paved trail runs through a tranquil, wooded area; keep a lookout for...
A paved path, suitable for walking and cycling, the Trenton Walking Path follows the small but tranquil Frank and Poet Creek through a series of parks and green space that cuts right through the heart...
The automotive industry has the most impact on Macomb County’s economy, but it’s the freshly picked apples and squeezed cider that leave lasting impressions on visitors to the Macomb Orchard Trail....
The Lower Rouge River Recreation Trail closely follows the river for 4 miles through the town of Canton, located between the urban centers of Ann Arbor and Detroit. The compacted crushed stone pathway...
The Michigan Air Line Trail stretches nearly 6 miles across the communities of Wixom, Walled Lake and Commerce Township in Oakland County. The trail begins on Wixom Road and travels east in the former...
The Grosse Ile Trail is a smooth, paved route running nearly the entire north–south length of Grosse Ile, which rests in the Detroit River between mainland Michigan and Ontario, Canada. The trail...
The Island Lake Pathway runs east–west through the densely-wooded landscape of the Island Lake Recreation Area southeast of Brighton. Although relatively short, the paved trail may prove a challenge...
Closure Notice: Parts of the Milford Trail will be closed from June to October 2020 for the Saginaw Trail Pipeline project. A map of the affected area can be found on the project website. The...
The Michigan Air Line Trail stretches nearly 6 miles across the communities of Wixom, Walled Lake and Commerce Township in Oakland County. The trail begins on Wixom Road and travels east in the former...
The Kensington Metropark Trail forms a paved loop around Kent Lake in western Oakland County. The scenic area, which features 4,481 acres of hilly terrain around the large lake, is one of the most...
This unassuming recreational path in Goodrich, Genesee County is actually a part of the Iron Belle Trail, Michigan's state-spanning multiuse trail system. The Gale Road Trail starts near Perry Road...
The Clinton River Trail is a 16-mile recreational trail on an abandoned rail line through the heart of Oakland County, including the cities of Sylvan Lake, Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills and...
The Polly Ann Trail is a 34-mile long, non-motorized trail extending north from suburban Detroit on a former Pontiac, Oxford & Northern Railroad corridor. The trail is managed separately by groups in...
Canton's ITC Corridor Trail makes use of a power-line utility corridor, converting this space that previously served as a barrier between neighborhoods into a means of connecting various parts of the...
The Island Lake Connector Trail allows cyclists, pedestrians, and other residents of Green Oak Township to connect to the Island Lake Recreation Area. The trail sits on a converted railroad bed, and...
The I-275 Metro Trail began back in the 1970s as the Michigan Department of Transportation's response to the then-fuel crisis. The original trail linked Wayne, Oakland and Monroe counties along a...
The Clinton River Spillway Trail passes through a mostly wooded corridor above and parallel to the spillway between Velger Boat Harbor on Lake St. Clair and Shady Side Park in Mt. Clemens. At the east...
Clocking in at over four and a half miles, the ITC Corridor Trail in Novi is a fantastic recreational asset for the community, providing a paved pathway that connects neighborhoods and recreation...
The Dequindre Cut Greenway is a paved path nearly 2 miles long in downtown Detroit. The trail has separate lanes for cyclists and pedestrians and you'll find entrance ramps at Lafayette Street,...
The Lower Rouge River Recreation Trail closely follows the river for 4 miles through the town of Canton, located between the urban centers of Ann Arbor and Detroit. The compacted crushed stone pathway...
The M-5 Metro Trail runs for 2 miles between Commerce Township and the city of Novi in southeastern Michigan. The paved trail parallels the west side of its namesake roadway (also known as the...
The Island Lake Pathway runs east–west through the densely-wooded landscape of the Island Lake Recreation Area southeast of Brighton. Although relatively short, the paved trail may prove a challenge...
The East-West Connector Trail is true to its name, providing an important off-road connection between several trails in the Downriver Linked Greenways network, which enables cyclists and pedestrians...
The Border-to-Border Trail is a work in progress, which when complete, will stretch across Washtenaw County from its border with Livingston County in the northwest to Wayne County in the east. Much of...
The Metro Connector Trail works as its name suggests, closing the gap between two local favorites in Novi: the M-5 Metro Trail and the I-275 Metro Trail. The trail begins on 13 Mile Road and then...
The Grosse Ile Trail is a smooth, paved route running nearly the entire north–south length of Grosse Ile, which rests in the Detroit River between mainland Michigan and Ontario, Canada. The trail...
Clinton River Park Trail winds along the east bank of its namesake river in Sterling Heights, a northern suburb of Detroit. The paved trail runs through a tranquil, wooded area; keep a lookout for...
This trail runs from the Matthaei Botanical Gardens two miles south to Parker Mill Park. It was conceived in response to the need for a safer alternative for non-motorized travelers. Dixboro Road only...
Paved and mostly flat, the Huron Valley Trail links several suburban communities, parks, and a large recreation area while providing connections to a growing network of trails. Forming a lowercase...
The Michigan Air Line Trail stretches nearly 6 miles across the communities of Wixom, Walled Lake and Commerce Township in Oakland County. The trail begins on Wixom Road and travels east in the former...
The Border-to-Border Trail is a work in progress, which when complete, will stretch across Washtenaw County from its border with Livingston County in the northwest to Wayne County in the east. Much of...
Canton's ITC Corridor Trail makes use of a power-line utility corridor, converting this space that previously served as a barrier between neighborhoods into a means of connecting various parts of the...
Stretching from the small riverside community of Rockwood to the East-West Connector Trail north of the city, the Rockwood Pathway provides a great way for cyclists and pedestrians to get around town...
A paved path, suitable for walking and cycling, the Trenton Walking Path follows the small but tranquil Frank and Poet Creek through a series of parks and green space that cuts right through the heart...
The Metro Parkway Trail—also known as the Freedom Trail—parallels the busy Metropolitan Parkway (16 Mile Road) through urban Macomb County. You'll find many street crossings throughout a mix of...
The Chelsea Community Wellness Path weaves through a large campus home to many of Chelsea’s amenities. Although the total length of the trail is less than 2 miles, it is divided into three separate...
The Bridge to Bay Trail extends from the village of Lake Port on Lake Huron south to Algonac on the St. Clair River; however, only about 37.5 miles of the 54 planned miles are completed as of early...
The Island Lake Connector Trail allows cyclists, pedestrians, and other residents of Green Oak Township to connect to the Island Lake Recreation Area. The trail sits on a converted railroad bed, and...
The Grosse Ile Trail is a smooth, paved route running nearly the entire north–south length of Grosse Ile, which rests in the Detroit River between mainland Michigan and Ontario, Canada. The trail...
A popular destination year-round for residents across the Detroit area, the Lake Erie Metropark offers a wide variety of activities and recreation sites across its 1600-plus acres. Nestled along the...
The West Bloomfield Trail sails along for nearly 7 miles through a municipality that claims to be one of the wettest in the nation—not from rainfall but from the sheer number of lakes (28), ponds...
The I-275 Metro Trail began back in the 1970s as the Michigan Department of Transportation's response to the then-fuel crisis. The original trail linked Wayne, Oakland and Monroe counties along a...
The Fieldcrest Pathway stretches 3 miles in the Green Oak Township, a suburb of Detroit. The trail follows Fieldcrest Drive from Lee Road south to Silver Lake Road. The paved recreational trail...
You won’t find this trail’s name on the ground: the continuous stretch is actually made up of the scenic trails within Oakwoods Metropark, Willow Metropark and Lower Huron Metropark, as well as a...
The East-West Connector Trail is true to its name, providing an important off-road connection between several trails in the Downriver Linked Greenways network, which enables cyclists and pedestrians...
With 4,461 acres of prime recreational lands, this top-rated park's scenic, hilly terrain surrounds beautiful 500-acre Stony Creek Lake. Park features include a nature center, a hike-bike trail,...
The Lower Rouge River Recreation Trail closely follows the river for 4 miles through the town of Canton, located between the urban centers of Ann Arbor and Detroit. The compacted crushed stone pathway...
The north part of this trail is quite nice, but the south half is very rough. The south end has many driveways cut through the older trail surface which makes for a rough ride. I rode this trail with my recumbent trike and will not do it again.
Very nice ride with some natural areas. Subdivision contractor should be fined for disrupting the trail for so long. Apparently, it’s been going on for over a year. The biggest issue is the contractor has cut off the asphalt where they are working and there’s a drop off of nearly a foot that you don’t notice when going south until you’re right at the end of end. You have to go around on mud/grass (if you see it in time)!
As a disclaimer, the Border-to-Border Trail isn't technically complete yet. There are still connecting pieces of it being worked on and created, but once this trail is complete you will be able to ride from Ypsilanti all the way to Chelsea without once having to turn onto any roads.
I rode this trail a lot in summer 2020, starting in Ypsi and making my way to either Ann Arbor or Dexter. It is a shared trail and goes through some very popular parks, so expect to see more leisurely bikers, runners/walkers and families on parts of this trail. Unless you're heading out very early or very late, this is not the trail to smash PRs or sprint on. It is a wonderful trail for scenic routes, has plenty of places to stop for a snack break (tables available in parks) and has access to restrooms (also available in the parks). There are a couple water fountains in certain sections on the trail for refilling any water bottles and there are also bike stations with air pumps for any needed bike repairs while on the trail.
There are sections that definitely need some TLC - hence the 4 star rating - mainly the section right after the Gallup Park wooden bridge (when heading west). The path here is rough - the pavement is rutted, not smooth and often I have to ride in the middle of the path since the edges are worn and broken. The going is very slow here -- but hopefully that will be repaired sometime in the future.
The Ann Arbor "terminus" is at Bandemeer Park. There currently isn't a connection to the Dexter portion of the B2B trail (currently being worked on and not slated for completion until 2022, I believe), so if you wish to continue your journey to Dexter some road riding is needed. You can either ride through the Barton Hills neighborhood (the first left outside of Bandemeer Park) to Huron River Drive, or take a shorter route through the Barton Nature Area to connect to Huron River Drive. The route through Barton Nature Area is short while the ride through Barton Hills is longer and has some steep hills (especially near the Barton Hills Golf Course). Still a pretty ride, though. Once you get to Huron River Drive -- there's no bike lanes but it's a popular road cycling route so drivers are usually familiar with seeing cyclists there. It's about 6 miles of curvy road riding on Huron River Drive before you can connect to the Dexter portion of the B2B trail. Ypsilanti to downtown Dexter is the longest section of the trail I've ridden so far, so I can't comment on the Dexter to Chelsea route.
Overall I highly recommend this trail, and I really commend the cities of Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Dexter and Chelsea for creating and managing it. You can ride select parts of the trail or all of the trail -- since the B2B goes through main parks it's easy to drive and park at different spots to start. And since the trails also pass through or near each of the cities' downtown areas, you can also easily hop off to check out any restaurants, events or sites in town. My favorite stops are the Argo Cascades in Ann Arbor (you can pull to the side of the trail and watch the kayakers and tubers go down the river -- and even take a dip in the river if it's a particularly hot day), the local Dairy Queen in Dexter during the summer, the Dexter Cider Mill in the fall, and Go! Ice Cream in Ypsilanti any time of the year. When I'm doing shorter, leisurely rides with others I like to pack a lunch and bike from the east end of Gallup Park (off N Dixboro Road) to the Argo Cascades and stop to have lunch on the river bank and bike back, or bike from Ypsilanti to Gallup Park, have a picnic at Gallup Park and then bike back to Ypsilanti.
As one last head's up there is a local bike shop near the Ann Arbor B2B trail if you have any major bike issues during your trip - Sic Transit Cycles - only about 200 feet from the trail, right by the Argo Cascades.
The path is well maintained even in winter. The views at Kensington are truly spectacular, especially in fall on the I-96 side looking across Kent Lake. 4-stars because... COVID has brought out A LOT of foot traffic and it’s fairly clear many don’t know trail etiquette. It’s hard to get into any rhythm on a weekend because you’re dodging pedestrians. And many of them will move for you but some just stay in your way causing you to ditch into the grass. If you want a nice ride, go on a weeknight after work to avoid the COVID crowds.
I live a couple miles away and I ride this trail often. Only a couple miles long but you get a nice mix of forest, marsh, and lakeside views! Path is smooth and cleared very quickly after snowfall, highly recommend!
I have a recumbent trike and this is one of my favorite trails to ride on. The path is all paved and well maintained so I never have no worry about going off road. I even ride in and going fishing in the lake at the park.
To to the proximity we Love to spend quality time on this trail with family and friends. It was a blessing during Covid time to spend outdoors and keep us healthy. Kudos to Novi city and ITC for bringing it to our community and to help make Novi better place to live.
We rode this yesterday. It is just gorgeous and very well maintained. In regard to some of the recent reviews regarding crowds - although we saw a good number of people riding or walking, it was totally fine since we were there on a Thursday. Weekends are much busier. There are a lot of curves on the trail, so that's something to look out for if it's crowded and some are trying to pass when they shouldn't. Side note - on the south end of Kent Lake, there's a short connecter bike path that goes under I-96 to Island Lake. The Island Lake trails aren't nearly as well maintained and are very bumpy.
Just rode this trail on 10/22/20 and it is all paved, hardly any bumps now. The only thing to watch out for are some bumps near the wooden bridges and traffic over the few road crossings- traffic does not stop.
Ran it yesterday for the first time, parked at the ITC park and ran up to Providence Hospital. FYI, the whole thing was open - just need to take the dirt road at 9 Mile and Garfield to catch the rest of the trail. Nice trail.
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