Explore the best rated trails in Grand Rapids, MI. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Fred Meijer Flat River Trail and Fred Meijer Standale Trail. With more than 42 trails covering 746 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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The Laketon Trail offers an important connection between the Muskegon Lakeshore Trail and the Musketawa Trail in the City of Muskegon. The paved pathway largely parallels Laketon Avenue, along the...
The Butterworth Trail connects several neighborhoods in Grand Rapids on both sides of the Grand River. The majority of the paved trail loops through a large swath of land formerly home to the...
The East West Trail follows an electric utility corridor for more than 2 arrow-straight miles through Kentwood, Michigan. The trail runs along a creek for a short distance and features some short...
The Musketawa Trail is one of the best places to get away from it all if you live and work in the western Michigan population centers of Muskegon or Grand Rapids. The 25-mile paved rail-trail rolls...
The Portage Bikeway trail system is a 17.5-mile network of multi-use trails throughout the city of Portage, south of Kalamazoo. The 4-mile segment through Portage Creek Bicentennial Park is cleared of...
When complete, the Paul Henry - Thornapple Trail will be a 42-mile, multi-use recreation trail, extending from Grand Rapids to Vermontville; it eventually may be extended to Jackson. The trail is...
The Battle Creek Linear Park trail encompasses nearly 26 miles of connected trails in Battle Creek. Residents use the loop trails to put some snap, crackle, and pop in their exercise routines, while...
The Plaster Creek Trail provides a non-motorized way to access Grand Rapids neighborhoods via a pleasant, tree-lined route. The path meanders along a tributary of the Grand River from Ken-O-Sha Park...
To be in Holland, Michigan, is to experience authentic Dutch culture in the American Midwest, from dikes and canals, to tulip fields and even a windmill. The city sits on the Lake Michigan shoreline...
Grand Haven's Waterfront Trail is scenic route from the shore of Lake Michigan inland along the Grand River a short ways. You'll find shops and eateries, as well as plenty of boats, on the Grand...
The North Bank Trail will one day stretch 18 miles from Spring Lake to Marne, on the western outskirts of Grand Rapids. Currently, six miles are complete on the trail's western end, beginning at a...
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The City of Wyoming’s Interurban Trail follows a former interurban railroad corridor through the heart of the community just south of Grand Rapids. Trains between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo ceased...
The White Lake Pathway provides an important connection between two neighboring towns that face each other across the beautiful White Lake. The trail traces a former railroad bed for just over 3...
The Fred Meijer Millennium Trail courses through the 1,500-acre Millennium Park in Walker, a community southwest of Grand Rapids. The trail network has both paved and crushed stone trails, allowing...
An easy, flat, and well-maintained trail system, the Kent Trails provide transportation and access to nature in the bustling, second-largest metropolitan area in Michigan. The southern trail section...
The Portland Riverwalk ushers visitors around the charming town of Portland on 9 miles of paved trail. Also known as the Rivertrail Linear Park, the trail connects a handful of parks, scenic views...
The Medbery Bike Trail runs from a junction with the Hart-Montague Trail State Park and White Lake Pathway in Montague, Michigan, to an industrial park west of town. The rail-trail passes primarily...
The name tells the tale of the William Field Memorial Hart-Montague Trail State Park. Rolling for 22 paved miles through the farms, orchards, and forests of western Michigan between Hart and Montague,...
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Following the north side of the creek, the Buck Creek Trail provides a pleasant route through Grandville's neighborhoods and, with a newer extension, connects the downtown area with a network of...
At its southern end, the Spoonville Trail begins near the Grand River in western Michigan's Robinson Township. Bicyclists and pedestrians can safely cross the river on a concrete-barrier-protected...
At its southern end, the Spoonville Trail begins near the Grand River in western Michigan's Robinson Township. Bicyclists and pedestrians can safely cross the river on a concrete-barrier-protected...
The Fred Meijer Kenowa Trail begins in the rural community of Jamestown southwest of Grand Rapids and travels nearly 10 miles west, primarily along existing roads, to Zeeland Township. Passing by one...
The North Bank Trail will one day stretch 18 miles from Spring Lake to Marne, on the western outskirts of Grand Rapids. Currently, six miles are complete on the trail's western end, beginning at a...
The City of Wyoming’s Interurban Trail follows a former interurban railroad corridor through the heart of the community just south of Grand Rapids. Trains between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo ceased...
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Allegan County’s Interurban Trail runs north-south through the City of Wayland. The trail follows a former interurban railroad corridor through the heart of the community between Grand Rapids and...
The Fred Thwaites Grand River Trail, also known as the Ionia River Trail, travels for just over 3 miles along the edge of Grand River. The paved pathway begins at Quarry Road and travels to the Ionia...
The White Lake Pathway provides an important connection between two neighboring towns that face each other across the beautiful White Lake. The trail traces a former railroad bed for just over 3...
The Portage Bikeway trail system is a 17.5-mile network of multi-use trails throughout the city of Portage, south of Kalamazoo. The 4-mile segment through Portage Creek Bicentennial Park is cleared of...
Muskegon's Lakeshore Trail provides scenic views of Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake, while also passing among beautiful sand dunes, lively parks and the city of Muskegon itself. Small sections of the...
The Upper Macatawa Trail is sited within the stunning natural area of the same name, in Zeeland, Michigan. The trail runs 2.8 miles and offers a sensory as it passes through hardwood forest, verdant...
The Fred Meijer Flat River Valley Rail Trail links the cities of Lowell, Belding and Greenville in Kent, Ionia and Montcalm counties, respectively. Running along a former railroad corridor, the trail...
The Fred Meijer Standale Trail—one of several trails in western Michigan named for the grocery magnate and philanthropist who donated generously to their development—connects retail, civic and...
The Grand River Edges Trail runs in loops on the east and west banks of the Grand River near downtown Grand Rapids. At the south end, the trail crosses back and forth over the river via pedestrian...
Following the north side of the creek, the Buck Creek Trail provides a pleasant route through Grandville's neighborhoods and, with a newer extension, connects the downtown area with a network of...
The Fred Meijer Grand River Valley Rail Trail is one component of a network of trails in mid-west Michigan that, when complete, will stretch 125 miles from Alma to Owosso. The trails are named after...
The Portland Riverwalk ushers visitors around the charming town of Portland on 9 miles of paved trail. Also known as the Rivertrail Linear Park, the trail connects a handful of parks, scenic views...
The paved Fred Meijer Heartland Trail rolls for 42 miles through farmland and forests in central Michigan as it links a half-dozen rural towns with recreational opportunities. Its route follows the...
The Laketon Trail offers an important connection between the Muskegon Lakeshore Trail and the Musketawa Trail in the City of Muskegon. The paved pathway largely parallels Laketon Avenue, along the...
The Fred Meijer M-6 Trail runs for 9 miles, paralleling Michigan Highway 6/Paul B. Henry Expressway south of Grand Rapids (a.k.a. the M-6). As such, it's not the quietest of trails, but it still...
The Medbery Bike Trail runs from a junction with the Hart-Montague Trail State Park and White Lake Pathway in Montague, Michigan, to an industrial park west of town. The rail-trail passes primarily...
The Medbery Bike Trail runs from a junction with the Hart-Montague Trail State Park and White Lake Pathway in Montague, Michigan, to an industrial park west of town. The rail-trail passes primarily...
Grand Haven's Waterfront Trail is scenic route from the shore of Lake Michigan inland along the Grand River a short ways. You'll find shops and eateries, as well as plenty of boats, on the Grand...
In just 4 miles, visitors to the Cannon Township Trail are able to experience a variety of landscapes. The greenway begins in the Cannon Township Center, and travels through pine forests, grassy...
The Portland Riverwalk ushers visitors around the charming town of Portland on 9 miles of paved trail. Also known as the Rivertrail Linear Park, the trail connects a handful of parks, scenic views...
More than a half-dozen old railroad towns between Kalamazoo and South Haven offer rest and replenishment to travelers using the Kal-Haven Trail. The 34-mile crushed-limestone rail-trail links these...
The Fred Meijer Grand River Valley Rail Trail is one component of a network of trails in mid-west Michigan that, when complete, will stretch 125 miles from Alma to Owosso. The trails are named after...
The Fred Meijer Berry Junction Trail is situated between two natural treasures: Lake Michigan to the west and the Manistee National Forest to the east. The pathway, built on an inactive section of the...
The Lakeside Trail system offers more than 25 miles of paved paths through the villages of Fruitport, Ferrysburg, and Spring Lake. Its main loop circles Spring Lake (the lake) and encompasses spur...
An easy, flat, and well-maintained trail system, the Kent Trails provide transportation and access to nature in the bustling, second-largest metropolitan area in Michigan. The southern trail section...
To be in Holland, Michigan, is to experience authentic Dutch culture in the American Midwest, from dikes and canals, to tulip fields and even a windmill. The city sits on the Lake Michigan shoreline...
The Fred Meijer Standale Trail—one of several trails in western Michigan named for the grocery magnate and philanthropist who donated generously to their development—connects retail, civic and...
The City of Wyoming’s Interurban Trail follows a former interurban railroad corridor through the heart of the community just south of Grand Rapids. Trains between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo ceased...
The Grand River Edges Trail runs in loops on the east and west banks of the Grand River near downtown Grand Rapids. At the south end, the trail crosses back and forth over the river via pedestrian...
The Portage Bikeway trail system is a 17.5-mile network of multi-use trails throughout the city of Portage, south of Kalamazoo. The 4-mile segment through Portage Creek Bicentennial Park is cleared of...
Muskegon's Lakeshore Trail provides scenic views of Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake, while also passing among beautiful sand dunes, lively parks and the city of Muskegon itself. Small sections of the...
The Plaster Creek Trail provides a non-motorized way to access Grand Rapids neighborhoods via a pleasant, tree-lined route. The path meanders along a tributary of the Grand River from Ken-O-Sha Park...
The Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park connects a bustling Grand Rapids community to the forests, farmlands, and friendly towns of Northern Lower Michigan. At nearly 93 miles, it is the state’s...
The White Lake Pathway provides an important connection between two neighboring towns that face each other across the beautiful White Lake. The trail traces a former railroad bed for just over 3...
The paved Fred Meijer Heartland Trail rolls for 42 miles through farmland and forests in central Michigan as it links a half-dozen rural towns with recreational opportunities. Its route follows the...
The Lakeshore Connector Path runs along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, between Grand Haven and Holland, a distance of nearly 20 miles. The paved path parallels Lakeshore Drive and offers access...
I will preface this by saying I am only reviewing the portion of the trail between the Marne endpoint and the long rail trestle just shy of Ravenna, AND I am reviewing this from the standpoint of road cyclists. Rail trails (especially rural ones) are usually very good to great for road cyclists. This is one of the few that I would say to simply not even bother with. It is obvious this trail was put down years ago and then has had little (very little) money spent on maintenance through the years. There are so many trouble spots which were painted so long ago that the paint has now faded and is barely visible. The repairs were never done.
If you have a bike that can absorb a lot (and I mean "A LOT!") of impact without discomfort, this might be OK, IF you are capable of quick reactions and have good riding skills. We traveled an hour to reach this trail via car and it truly was not worth it.
Starting at the trailhead outside of Marne, the parking is plentiful, paved, and quite inviting. There is a larger portable toilet provided, which was well-maintained on this day. The parking leads directly onto the trail without using any roads or connectors, which is good.
The first three miles are truly the worst paved trail we have ever ridden on and we have ridden trails in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Utah, ... We had been told that the pavement was "not the best" but we kinda underestimated just what that meant. By the time those first three miles were finished, my hands and wrists hurt so badly, I needed some ibuprofen, and this has NEVER happened to me in my years of riding. Sadly, I had none with me. There were so many spots where the grass is actually growing up through the pavement right in the middle that it is starting to look like a 2-track. There were several ruts/bumps that were so severe, they could possibly damage a rim if taken at any speed above 10 mph. The worst part is, this section is mostly shady, so your eyes can't pick up on these hazards too well.
The next three miles improved slightly. Not a great trail, but not as dangerous as the first three. This took us to Conklin, which is about one block long. Fortunately, they have a real nice little store there from which you can buy some refreshments or maybe some ibuprofen!
After you leave Conklin and continue on, the trail again gets marginally better. It is beginning to deteriorate, though. There are places where you can see the asphalt is eroding because it hasn't been sealed in so long and the hard surface is becoming almost a gravel. We rode for another five miles or so until we reached the long trestle over Crockery Creek. This is one of the very few sights to see on this trail, but it is a good one. A nice place to simply stop and listen to the rapids beneath you (probably 60 feet down, or so). Nice photo opportunity.
The positives I can give for this trail are (1) they did a great job squaring the crossings to the street (they almost always made sure you were seeing traffic at a 90-degree angle, instead of the actual angle of the trail at the road), and (2) signage was very good (stop signs were well marked and always had the name of the cross-street so you knew exactly where you were on the map).
The good news about the negatives is, these problems are fixable. It simply takes commitment of resources. Some communities do this, some don't. I truly hope that those in control of this trail allocate what is needed to bring this trail up to the standard it could be at. Houses can be run down but have "good bones". This trail has GREAT bones. It could be fabulous. Hopefully, it will be.
The only reason why I rated this 2 stars is for the segment that is downtown. We started from this trailhead to do the westernmost loop. For the most part the trail is awful. It is not maintained. There is very little signage, even at obvious junctions and spurs. And it is covered with goose droppings and overgrowth. Such a shame because it could be a nice way to get to know the city.
This trail is one of the best out there; flat, shaded, well-maintained, perfect for a road-bike. Not all trails are like this one. Take advantage of it!
Paved the whole way. Some rough areas that aren’t terrible. More sun toward the west end of the trail but quite a bit of shade over all. I ride this trail with a mountain bike and love it. Mostly flat but the east end of the trail has 3 to 4 hills. Will do this one again!
July 2022 - Started in Lowell and rode north about 12mi to Smyrna and came back. It was a great trail. The first mile or two was paved, then it switched to well maintained crushed gravel. Most of it was very solid, with a few wet parts that were a bit soft but easily passible on a fat tire e-bike. While there were roughly 10 road crossings, it was very rural with most of your view being pasture, woods, ponds, and farm fields. I saw multiple deer, woodchuck, birds, and other wildlife. They were harvesting haybales at the farms, so that was cool to see as well. The trail was well traveled, so it felt remote yet safe given all the other walkers, runners, and bikers around.
I recently moved to the Cadillac area and have had this trail in my crosshairs for quite some time. So yesterday ( 7-23-22 ) , I set out from Cadillac at 0900 and rode the trail in its entirety, arriving in Grand Rapids just before 5pm. The scenery along with small town Americana was very enjoyable.
I had visited this site several times prior to my adventure to learn of what I may have to look forward to. I would like to add a few thoughts…
First of all, I’m a mountain biker. This trail is very easy, but riding with a M.B. surely has advantages. The unpacked portion was ( for me anyway ) more to my liking. I can’t speak for others, especially you skinny tire riders, but it was my favorite section ( south of Big Rapids to Sand lake roughly ) . I passed a small group on this section but that was it and saw nobody until I picked back up with the paved section at Sand lake. The riding was easy, being hard packed gravel and dirt. I’ve rode trails all over the U.S. and there’s one thing they all have in common- the paved trails usually show signs of degrading and that makes the ride tougher on those that expect a smooth surface. It is what it is. Hence the reason I enjoy natural non paved. And like I eluded, I noticed more users on the paved portions north and south than I did on the natural mid section.
Takeaways—
There’s always someone that feels the need to litter. I don’t know how many Cliff bar wrappers I picked up, at least 6. There’s no need for it.
Those that point out every detail or flaw of this trail- y’all need to get outside more!😂. As I said earlier, skinny tire folks won’t care for the mid section probably. But the entire trail is so easy and well maintained, it’s even better than riding the local roads .
Bring your own food and water, yet there are many places to get off and replenish supplies if need be.
Overall, this was truly a great experience. My hats off to the volunteers and DNR for maintaining such a wonderful resource . I will be doing this ride again in the upcoming fall for sure.
For those that wonder, I had a ride waiting for me in GR. My girlfriend had planned it so that she would be downstate and picked me up for the trip back up north. 90 miles on a bike is enough for one day,😂
Everyone enjoy this trail and others in this great state!
We parked at the lot on North Cedar Dr, just west and under the M-231 Bridge (google Idema Explorers Trail - M-231 Trailhead, for directions). There is no access to this parking lot from M-231. The trail is well marked, has some open areas (think sun) but overall a very nice ride. The trail that skirts the golf course is beautiful. You do see and hear traffic ; especially crossing the 231 bridge, but the trail is very safe and wide. All paved. We turned around in Nunica and headed back to the parking lot although you can pick up the North Bank trail by the Nunica fire station (must cross 4 - way, it is on west side of road).
Once we returned to the lot we headed west to Connor Bayou Park, less than a mile on paved trail. Beautiful setting, a must see park. You can also head east from lot 2.75 miles and it will take you to Riverside Park, all paved, flat. Thank you Ottawa County Parks for these treasures.
The trail from Grand Rapids to just north of Cedar Springs is paved but after that it's a terrible trail and poorly maintained, if at all! Branches & fallen trees across the trail, parts not mowed, rutted paths and lots of very loose sand make this a terrible trail for biking past Cedar Springs! There are obvious signs of horses using the trail as well.
The trail is paved from Comstock to Sand Lake. From Sand Lake to Big Rapids the trail is a combination of gravel, grass and dirt. Biking in general can kick up dirt but my mountain bike was constantly kicking up rocks and debris; it was a rough, messy, slow, 50 miles north (11.5-12 mph) once the trail changed to dirt. I enjoyed the challenge but prefer pavement. I will not likely ride this trail again unless the rumors of paving it become a reality.
Rode out of Alma to Edmore and back for a total of 40 miles. Trail was smooth and well-maintained. Encountered quite a bit of wildlife along the way. Picnicked in Edmore at the park next to the Balmore Factory building. Enjoyed seeing the train depot and elevators along the way. Would highly recommend this stretch of the trail.
This trail is the perfect example of serving an important purpose- connecting to other trails to make the entire area more desirable as a biking destination. WIth a network of trails, riders can all find their sweet spots for distance and topography. HOWEVER, in order to be effective, it should be evident to riders using the trail how to connect. The Fred Meijer White Pines Trail winds down to mile marker 0 when it first reaches Mill Creek Trail, but then seems to continue for another half mile or so parallel to the street. It then abruptly ends at N Park St NE. This trail begins at N Park St NE just a little way down, BUT THERE IS NO SIGN TO INDICATE ANYTHING. The TrailLink app is helpful to explain where the trails are, but why not put up a sign or two at such junctures? It will make the trail system that much more attractive.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
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