Find the top rated trails in Monroe, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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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 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 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 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 Milford Trail connects the Village of Milford with the popular Kensington Metropark in Oakland County. The winding trail offers plenty of scenery as it travels through woodlands and...
Tradition says that Michigan has 11,000 lakes. The eastern section of the Lakelands Trail State Park passes through a chain of them as it rolls from the town of Hamburg and Lakeland to Munith some 26...
The Dr. Richard D. Ruppert Rotary Trail circles International Park along the east bank of the Maumee River in East Toledo. The trail runs between the Main Street bridge and Navarre Avenue, where it...
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...
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NOTE: Although other segments of the North Coast Inland Trail may permit equestrians, this segment does not. This portion of North Coast Inland Trail, managed by the Sandusky County Park District,...
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...
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 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 University/Parks Trail is a wide, paved trail that extends from Toledo into its western suburbs along a former railroad corridor. More than half the trail also parallels an active freight...
The Wabash Cannonball Trail in northwest Ohio is actually two trails in one: the north fork runs east–west for 46 miles and the south fork makes up the balance of this 63-mile trail. The trails...
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 Russell Street to Patterson Street Trail links the two roads via a former railroad corridor in Tecumseh. Located in a residential area nearly equidistant between downtown Tecumseh to the north and...
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The Kiwanis Trail occupies an old railroad bed between Adrian and the southern edge of Tecumseh. The trail is currently the only open component of a much longer proposed regional greenway trail. In...
The mileage slips by on the Slippery Elm Rail-Trail as you take in the flat, fast and scenic northwest Ohio countryside. The 13-mile paved path runs south from Bowling Green through the small town of...
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 Wabash Cannonball Trail in northwest Ohio is actually two trails in one: the north fork runs east–west for 46 miles and the south fork makes up the balance of this 63-mile trail. The trails...
The Lower Rouge River Recreation Trail closely follows the river for 4 miles through the town of Canton on the western outskirts of Detroit. The compacted crushed stone pathway includes eight wooden...
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 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 Dr. Richard D. Ruppert Rotary Trail circles International Park along the east bank of the Maumee River in East Toledo. The trail runs between the Main Street bridge and Navarre Avenue, where it...
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 Kiwanis Trail occupies an old railroad bed between Adrian and the southern edge of Tecumseh. The trail is currently the only open component of a much longer proposed regional greenway trail. In...
The Milford Trail connects the Village of Milford with the popular Kensington Metropark in Oakland County. The winding trail offers plenty of scenery as it travels through woodlands and...
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 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...
NOTE: Although other segments of the North Coast Inland Trail may permit equestrians, this segment does not. This portion of North Coast Inland Trail, managed by the Sandusky County Park District,...
Along its 3.5-mile route, the RiverWalk offers breathtaking views of the Detroit River and city skyline. Recreational opportunities abound as the trail links Milliken State Park and numerous plazas...
For much of its 9-mile length, the Towpath Trail traces the scenic Maumee River, paralleling US 24 (at some distance), on the southwestern outskirts of Toledo. It traverses three parks as it follows...
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 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...
Tradition says that Michigan has 11,000 lakes. The eastern section of the Lakelands Trail State Park passes through a chain of them as it rolls from the town of Hamburg and Lakeland to Munith some 26...
The new Riverbend Preserve in southern Washtenaw County features 58 acres of wetlands on both sides of the Raisin River. The area is a common resting place for migratory birds on their trek across the...
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 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...
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 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 Wabash Cannonball Trail Connector is a short, but valuable, paved route on the west end of Maumee that connects historical attractions, a popular park, and a rail-trail that spans more than 60...
The Dr. Richard D. Ruppert Rotary Trail circles International Park along the east bank of the Maumee River in East Toledo. The trail runs between the Main Street bridge and Navarre Avenue, where it...
This trail is actually composed of two trails: the 2-mile Rouge River Gateway Greenway and the 17.5-mile Hines Park Trail, which create a seamless 19.5-mile connection between Dearborn and...
The new Riverbend Preserve in southern Washtenaw County features 58 acres of wetlands on both sides of the Raisin River. The area is a common resting place for migratory birds on their trek across the...
The Lower Rouge River Recreation Trail closely follows the river for 4 miles through the town of Canton on the western outskirts of Detroit. The compacted crushed stone pathway includes eight wooden...
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 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...
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...
NOTE: Although other segments of the North Coast Inland Trail may permit equestrians, this segment does not. This portion of North Coast Inland Trail, managed by the Sandusky County Park District,...
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 Kiwanis Trail occupies an old railroad bed between Adrian and the southern edge of Tecumseh. The trail is currently the only open component of a much longer proposed regional greenway trail. In...
The Milford Trail connects the Village of Milford with the popular Kensington Metropark in Oakland County. The winding trail offers plenty of scenery as it travels through woodlands 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 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...
Along its 3.5-mile route, the RiverWalk offers breathtaking views of the Detroit River and city skyline. Recreational opportunities abound as the trail links Milliken State Park and numerous plazas...
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 mileage slips by on the Slippery Elm Rail-Trail as you take in the flat, fast and scenic northwest Ohio countryside. The 13-mile paved path runs south from Bowling Green through the small town of...
The Russell Street to Patterson Street Trail links the two roads via a former railroad corridor in Tecumseh. Located in a residential area nearly equidistant between downtown Tecumseh to the north and...
I use the trail mostly West of Stockbridge, but I am a hiker. I do think that there needs to be some rules set for the horse people. They need to stay either on the left or right side, but stay out of the center for the bike people. It is no secret the horses tear up the trail, and in wet weather it is much worse. This is a multi purpose trail, and the horse people have a right to ride on it, but must respect the rights of others as well. As a hiker it makes little difference to me, but I know that many cyclist claim that the trail is not usable, after horses have used the trail. A little consideration on all sides would make the trail much more enjoyable for all.
They have started to clear and improve the trail from Munith to Jackson. It is my understanding they will connect with Jackson Intercity Trail, sometime in 2018. I would guess that the surface will be crushed lime stone. It should be a great additional resource.
My family and I are a bit biased, we live less than a half mile from the Slippery Elm, and bike, run and walk it frequently. But we've ridden bucket-list trails in many places around the US, and they often fall short of our humble Slippery-Elm in many ways.
This trail is wide, flat, and smooth. It is well maintained by the county parks, and local volunteers. It is calm, peaceful, quaint, charming, and beautiful. It can be ridden at a relaxed pace to observe the scenery and wildlife, or rocketed along and a fast pace. Road racers however will find the sections very short, but that can make for great interval training.
My wife and I ride a tandem, and pull our two boys in a tag-along. The whole family loves to ride this trail. My wife says that I claim each section is my favorite, and a short ride often goes several miles extra, because "the next section is my favorite". The trail ranges from woods to swamps and prairies, to fields, and if observed carefully they all are interesting and beautiful.
Mid-day can get very hot on this trail, as long sections are in the open, but morning and evening are usually nice. Pay attention to the wind and plan your ride around it! We like to plan our trips to go out into the head-wind, and then ride a tail-wind home.
Well kept short little ride to keep off the road.
I have logged 2,000 miles a year on this trail for 7 years using this trail as a go between to get to Tecumseh or Saline from Adrian. It is a safe wonderful family trail, flat easy riding. There is a mix of joggers, walkers, bikers and inline. There is currently a 20 ft or so section awaiting new black top after the repair the spring. Other than that this a blacktop all the way. The parking is at either end and at Riverside or the church on Valley. Once you reach the end on Green and Ives, you have a short ride to Tecumseh heading left on a not busy 45 mph rd, for a wonderful small town visit.
Previous reviews have mentioned the poor condition of the asphalt trail through the parks in Ann Arbor. I was in Gallup Park May 11, 2017 and can report that the Ann Arbor Park system had just freshly replaced asphalt on the trail through that park.
Enjoy the smooth ride y'all!
2/17/17 Parker Mill to to west side of Bandemer park.I give this section 5 stars for the ability to travel through a big town of Ann Arbor and only have to cross one major road, doing this on my mountain bike. I was surprised of the quite wooded sections,and many walking trails along the river.There is no easy way to bike around the perimeter of Ann Arbor.This trail is a great ride right through the middle of town with out being on the shoulder of a road.Will play important role on the Border to Border system.
The Montessori school does not allow parking weekdays while school is in session. Drive to wal-Mart to park. Trail is only 1/4 mi from parking lot. Pleasant paved path. Trail ends in North Baltimore and has men's and women's restrooms along with places to sit. Many benches along entire route. Mile markers also.
I ride this trail every week 26 miles round trip.It has 3 big hills that take me right down into low gears.Really good work out.Lots of smaller hills.You only cross two roads from north end to nature center at south end and very little traffic on those roads.Very scenic with wildlife everywhere.I often see herds of deer in the Willow section(as many as 30 in a group)Never a boring ride.Road bikes to (Rollerblades with biggest wheels possible)will enjoy this trail.Connector trail at I275 near Huron River bridge can then get you on the I275 bike trail then will connect to Hines park trail and other trails.Try this trail,you will be surprised.
2/11/17 Hamburg to west side of Pinckney is 8.5 miles of smoothe pavement.Rodebikes to rollerblades will enjoy this section.Warm today 44 degrees and thawing.Unpaved section west of Pinckney today was tough go.Soft, wet, and divits slowed me down to 6 mph on my mountain bike.Still I plowed on to Gregory.Can't wait to try again when trail dry's up.
My son and I use this trail when I come home to see my mom in Ottawa Hills. Perfect for a brisk walk any time of the year. The residents/walkers/joggers/bikers are very courteous of one another. Anyone living along this trail are really blessed to have it.
From Hamburg this is a nice trail. Just to see it I rode the .4K east to the end from Hall road. There it is completely blocked with a barricade and dense trees and brush.
Going West it's nice asphalt just beginning to crack in some places. Lovely mix of scenery. Just past Pinckney you have to cross busy highway 36. At that point the trail is the mentioned limestone surface and relatively hard and not bumpy. I've been on worse pavement. There are a number of bridges and the transitions of this limestone part are excellent - better than the asphalt bridge transitions.
Unfortunately this part of the trail is only good to the Unadilla township line just before you cross highway 36 again.
I did continue to ride from the line the 300 or so yards to 36 but it was cautious going on my road bike. At 36 I looked down the trail and it was 2 track and seemed sandier yet. I wasn't even tempted to fight it and just turned around. Wider knobby rides would probably be okay.
With the scenery and central state access this has the potential to be one of the better touring trails in Michigan. Someone should push the legislature to putt priority to this trail.
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