Explore the best rated trails in Niles, MI. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the North Judson Erie Trail and Prairie Duneland Trail. With more than 35 trails covering 181 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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On the east end of Portage, this paved pathway begins near the intersection of S. Sprinkle Road and Zylman Avenue. On the south side of Zylman Avenue, you can easily reach Ramona Park, which offers a...
Prairies and dunes are just two of the natural features you’ll experience on the Prairie Duneland Trail, located just a few miles south of the Lake Michigan shoreline and the Indiana Dunes National...
The Vicksburg Trailway runs for nearly 2 miles on a former railroad corridor in a small village south of Kalamazoo. The paved trail is surrounded by dense woodlands for all but the southernmost...
The Millrace Trail meanders through wooded parkland on the west side of downtown Goshen, a walkable town itself with historical buildings and nice shops. The scenic trail follows the hydraulic canal...
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The Riverside Trail winds along the west bank of the St. Joseph River for just over 3 miles in northern Indiana's South Bend. Several benches along the way allow you to take in the beautiful river...
The scenic Winona Interurban Trail lies in the southeastern corner of Goshen near the Indiana–Michigan border. The paved pathway is part of the larger Maple City Greenway network that links...
Central City Trail runs right through the heart of the northern Indiana city of Goshen, connecting to the 17-mile Pumpkinvine Nature Trail on its northern end and Goshen College on its southern end....
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...
The Monterey Erie Trail occupies the same railbanked corridor as the longer North Judson Erie Trail to its west, and the two rail-trails are planned to be linked in the future. The paved pathway...
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The northern portion of the East Bank Trail was one of the first rail-trails in Indiana, opening in 1988. The asphalt-surfaced trail stretches for about 0.5 mile through tree-lined South Bend...
Romence Road Bikeway is a utilitarian east-west route across Portage, a city just south of Kalamazoo. The west end of the paved pathway begins at Westnedge Avenue, adjacent to a shopping center...
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Just shy of a mile, Elkhart's Riverwalk offers a pleasant, paved connector through town. It begins downtown, across from City Center Park, and heads north paralleling Waterfall Drive and later Main...
When complete, the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail will run for 35 miles throughout Kalamazoo County. Currently, the trail consists of two continuous segments connected by bike lanes: one segment extends...
The Calumet Trail traverses the south side of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, a unique ecosystem of forest, marsh, dunes and beach along Lake Michigan. This dirt and crushed limestone path...
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Though the Millennium Trail runs just over a mile, it connects several attractions in the southern Michigan city of Portage. Its east end connects to the scenic Portage Creek Bicentennial Trail,...
As its name implies, the Northwest Portage Bikeway traverses the northwestern neighborhoods of Portage, a city in the Kalamazoo metro area. The 3-mile paved trail begins just south of Crossroads Mall,...
The Wayne Avenue Trail serves as a pleasant east-west connector through the quiet, tree-filled neighborhoods of Middlebury in northern Indiana. On its west end, it provides residents with access to...
Although less than 1 mile long, the West Bank Walkway offers lovely views of the St. Joseph River in downtown South Bend. Midway, a converted railroad trestle over the waterway connects trail-goers to...
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The Heritage Trail is nearly a 2-mile path located in Kasciusko county. It is part of a larger multi-use trail called the Lake City Greenway. The trail is just off of Winona Lake and also incorporates...
The North Judson Erie Trail occupies the railbanked right-of-way of the former JK Line Railroad, running 9 miles from downtown North Judson southeast to US 35 near Bass Lake. Eventually, the trail...
The Heritage Trail is nearly a 2-mile path located in Kasciusko county. It is part of a larger multi-use trail called the Lake City Greenway. The trail is just off of Winona Lake and also incorporates...
The Shanklin-Mullet Trail, named for the two parks through which it runs, follows the Elkhart River through dense woodlands on the western side of Goshen. Mullet Park is a peaceful 15-acre open space,...
Although less than 1 mile long, the West Bank Walkway offers lovely views of the St. Joseph River in downtown South Bend. Midway, a converted railroad trestle over the waterway connects trail-goers to...
South Bend’s Northside Trail closely follows the east bank of the St. Joseph River from Howard Park to the western edge of Mishawaka. Along the way, you’ll have access to Viewing Park and Veterans...
The North Judson Erie Trail occupies the railbanked right-of-way of the former JK Line Railroad, running 9 miles from downtown North Judson southeast to US 35 near Bass Lake. Eventually, the trail...
Ridge Run Trail, in the northern Indiana town of Middlebury, offers helpful connections in the community. On its southern end, the paved pathway connects with the beloved Pumpkinvine Nature Trail,...
The scenic Winona Interurban Trail lies in the southeastern corner of Goshen near the Indiana–Michigan border. The paved pathway is part of the larger Maple City Greenway network that links...
Just shy of a mile, Elkhart's Riverwalk offers a pleasant, paved connector through town. It begins downtown, across from City Center Park, and heads north paralleling Waterfall Drive and later Main...
The Dunes Kankakee Trail is a 5.5-mile walking and bike path that It exists in 2 discrete segments: one that is 2.4 miles paralleling County Road 25 East, and the other segment east of that that is...
As its name implies, the Northwest Portage Bikeway traverses the northwestern neighborhoods of Portage, a city in the Kalamazoo metro area. The 3-mile paved trail begins just south of Crossroads Mall,...
The northern portion of the East Bank Trail was one of the first rail-trails in Indiana, opening in 1988. The asphalt-surfaced trail stretches for about 0.5 mile through tree-lined South Bend...
When complete, the LaSalle Trail will travel an arrow-straight 3.5 miles between Roseland Town Park in Roseland and the Indiana–Michigan state line. Michigan is currently working on building a trail...
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 Kalamazoo River Valley Trail will run for 35 miles throughout Kalamazoo County. Currently, the trail consists of two continuous segments connected by bike lanes: one segment extends...
The Vicksburg Trailway runs for nearly 2 miles on a former railroad corridor in a small village south of Kalamazoo. The paved trail is surrounded by dense woodlands for all but the southernmost...
Romence Road Bikeway is a utilitarian east-west route across Portage, a city just south of Kalamazoo. The west end of the paved pathway begins at Westnedge Avenue, adjacent to a shopping center...
Head for Van Buren Trail State Park and take a walk (or ride) on the wild side. Wildlife abounds on this rural 14 miles between Hartford and South Haven. While you might see deer, rabbit, fox and...
The Indiana-Michigan River Valley Trail currently runs for more than 5 miles through Niles, Michigan, on the eastern bank of the St. Joseph River. The trail occupies a former New York Central Railroad...
The Monterey Erie Trail occupies the same railbanked corridor as the longer North Judson Erie Trail to its west, and the two rail-trails are planned to be linked in the future. The paved pathway...
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 Monterey Erie Trail occupies the same railbanked corridor as the longer North Judson Erie Trail to its west, and the two rail-trails are planned to be linked in the future. The paved pathway...
On the east end of Portage, this paved pathway begins near the intersection of S. Sprinkle Road and Zylman Avenue. On the south side of Zylman Avenue, you can easily reach Ramona Park, which offers a...
The Van Buren Trail Spur, which opened in November 2015, offers a paved, off-road route from the southern outskirts of South Haven to Van Buren State Park. The rail-trail begins at 16th Avenue, where...
The Wayne Avenue Trail serves as a pleasant east-west connector through the quiet, tree-filled neighborhoods of Middlebury in northern Indiana. On its west end, it provides residents with access to...
The Riverside Trail winds along the west bank of the St. Joseph River for just over 3 miles in northern Indiana's South Bend. Several benches along the way allow you to take in the beautiful river...
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...
The MapleHeart Trail travels nearly 5 miles from the city of Elkhart south to the outskirts of Goshen. The trail parallels County Road 45 and a Norfolk Southern Railroad corridor through residential...
Lovers Lane Bikeway provides a paved, north-south route through the southern Michigan city of Portage. The paved pathway parallels the east side of Lovers Lane for 2 miles with a wide grassy median...
As its name implies, the Northwest Portage Bikeway traverses the northwestern neighborhoods of Portage, a city in the Kalamazoo metro area. The 3-mile paved trail begins just south of Crossroads Mall,...
The Pumpkinvine Nature Trail covers just over 17 miles between the towns of Goshen, Middlebury, and Shipshewana. The railroad line between Goshen and Middlebury served as a popular passenger and mail...
Although less than 1 mile long, the West Bank Walkway offers lovely views of the St. Joseph River in downtown South Bend. Midway, a converted railroad trestle over the waterway connects trail-goers to...
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...
When complete, the LaSalle Trail will travel an arrow-straight 3.5 miles between Roseland Town Park in Roseland and the Indiana–Michigan state line. Michigan is currently working on building a trail...
The Millrace Trail meanders through wooded parkland on the west side of downtown Goshen, a walkable town itself with historical buildings and nice shops. The scenic trail follows the hydraulic canal...
The northern portion of the East Bank Trail was one of the first rail-trails in Indiana, opening in 1988. The asphalt-surfaced trail stretches for about 0.5 mile through tree-lined South Bend...
The Iron Horse Heritage Trail in Portage, Indiana, runs for over 2 miles between Max Mochal Road (SR 149) at the east end and Hamstrom Rd. at the west end. The trail passes through a greenway corridor...
Prairies and dunes are just two of the natural features you’ll experience on the Prairie Duneland Trail, located just a few miles south of the Lake Michigan shoreline and the Indiana Dunes National...
Just shy of a mile, Elkhart's Riverwalk offers a pleasant, paved connector through town. It begins downtown, across from City Center Park, and heads north paralleling Waterfall Drive and later Main...
The Shanklin-Mullet Trail, named for the two parks through which it runs, follows the Elkhart River through dense woodlands on the western side of Goshen. Mullet Park is a peaceful 15-acre open space,...
Head for Van Buren Trail State Park and take a walk (or ride) on the wild side. Wildlife abounds on this rural 14 miles between Hartford and South Haven. While you might see deer, rabbit, fox and...
Started from the trail head at Miller Athletic Complex; plenty of parking. Before I knew it I was at the end of the trail on Roy St. so I just rode the country roads south. Was peaceful as traffic was very light. They have several mountain bike trails which you can get to from Heritage so maybe one day I'll go back for that. Looks like Warsaw is like most cities with several trails. Be nice if they were connected.
We rode out 16 miles from South Haven at the beginning of the trail head. Although the trail was pretty, it was very monotonous. The total trip was 33 miles (we did not go all the way to Kalamazoo). I thought there would be towns that we could get off at and explore a bit, or grab a bite to eat or have coffee...but there was nothing. We should of investigated the trail further before beginning.
If you start in Goshen, do yourself a favor Abshire Park to start. Very nice trail all around. Very well maintained trail offering plenty of beautiful scenery.
Don't rely on Google Maps if you're trying to access this trail from MIchigan City. We realized after much frustration that it tries to take you through the power plant property, which is not actually an option.
For full disclosure, I'm the VP for the Friends of the Kal-Haven Trail so my review will be a tad biased. But I'm a generally honest guy. Promise.
I've been on this trail from end to end multiple times and it never gets boring. And while some have complained about the surface being rutted or pot-holed, now that the MDNR has taken control of maintenance, they've got a person dedicated to maintaining the trail for its length in Van Buren County. The Kalamazoo Parks Department maintains the trail in Kalamazoo County.
Still, running through the countryside, Amish farms, orchards and small towns in southwest Michigan and almost always under the shade of trees, the Kal-Haven is a nice respite on hot summer days. And come winter, it's a snowmoblie haven.
With the introduction this year of Michigan's first Heritage Trail project led by Dan Spegel of the Michigan History Center, the Kal-Haven offers more than just a tree-covered 34 mile run/ride from Kalamazoo to South Haven and Lake Michigan. Now the history of 'what once was' and the geology and weather of the corridor will come alive. Mentha, Columbia, Williams, Kibbie and other now vanished towns will have a chance to live again.
This project, the first of its kind in Michigan, should be fully installed by August and comes with a mobile app for the visually impaired that will read to you each of the ~30 panels as you come upon them.
Near the 10th Street (Kalamazoo) trail head there's an active native wildflower restoration project under the care of our master gardener, Sue Hodapp. Upgrades for this year will include all new signage including the native names of many of the plants along the way.
We're also proud to be the first leg and Route #1 of Michigan's first Great Lake To Lake trail that will run from South Haven to Port Huron, some 250 miles, with an inaugural ride planned for September 13, 2019.
We're currently in the engineering phase of resurfacing the trail from Bloomingdale to South Haven but we need to find the near $1 million it will cost to do the actual work. The caboose at the depot in Bloomingdale is slated for refurbishment and an interactive exhibit exists 1/4 mile east of Mentha where you can taste some of the actual mint that AM Todd grew on these 2000 acres of mucklands at the beginning of the 20th century.
Visit us at kalhaven.org or on social media.
While it's a nice, if not scenic trail, it is in need of pot hole filling. I must have hit 25 of the 40 or 50 chuck holes. The State of Michigan needs to do a better job maintaining the surface. The Fred Meijer trails are in much better condition.
We started at the Hartford trailhead and road in 7 miles, about half way. This end of the trail is primitive two-track through field and swamp. As of the end of June 2019 we had to go through up to 16 inches of water at a couple of points. It was fun for us but not for everyone.
This trail is OK with a gravel or mountain bike. No chance with a road bike. I would not recommend for families with children as the water is too deep. Maybe try in August.
I have run all along the St. Joseph River in the South Bend area when visiting . I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this section (riverside trail) was already plowed by 7 am on a Sunday morning (1/13/19) from the previous night’s snowfall. Thank you very much to whichever agency is responsible! You made me so happy!
Yes flat nature trail with no facilities unless you go into N Judson but not very helpful at the other end. There were low branches but for the most part clean. Only came across a hand full of people and they were part a youth group ride that were ahead of us. It was a very hot windy day, not the best conditions for cycling. We parked in town unable to find the parking lot with the picnic table which is on Rt 10 east of town pass over trail parking up on right
I thought the trail was great but there are many low hanging branches on the north side of the path that really need to be trimmed.
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