Explore the best rated trails in Portage, MI. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Granger Paths and Riverside Trail (IN). With more than 53 trails covering 462 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 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 Monroe Street Trail is a part of Goshen's Maple City Greenway system. The trail travels east-west adjacent to Monroe Street, providing connections to Goshen High School on the west end, as well as...
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...
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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...
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...
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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,...
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...
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...
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 Jerry Russell Trail is a mile-and-a-half of walking and biking trail located in the City of Jonesville. It is named for the former Superintendent of Public Works, who was passionate about nature...
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 community of Granger is tucked into the north end of Indiana, bordering Michigan. The community itself, through the Friends of Granger Paths recognized the need for safe, separate areas for...
The Plymouth Avenue Trail is located on the west side of Goshen, in north Indiana. The trail is adjacent to Plymouth Avenue for a mile and a half. The paved trail is anchored by parks on both ends,...
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...
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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 pleasant little Albion River Trail runs along the south bank of the Kalamazoo River through the town of Albion. The trail runs between McClure Riverfront Park on the west end and Victory Park on...
Shaver Road Bikeway begins on the south side of E. Centre Avenue in the southern Michigan city of Portage. On the north side of the roadway, a connection to the 4-mile Portage Creek Bicentennial Trail...
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...
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 Wilden Avenue Trail stretches for roughly 3 miles from the northern Goshen city limits to the community's downtown. In the north, the trail is a direct continuation of the MapleHeart Trail (and is...
The Wilden Avenue Trail stretches for roughly 3 miles from the northern Goshen city limits to the community's downtown. In the north, the trail is a direct continuation of the MapleHeart Trail (and is...
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 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,...
Shaver Road Bikeway begins on the south side of E. Centre Avenue in the southern Michigan city of Portage. On the north side of the roadway, a connection to the 4-mile Portage Creek Bicentennial Trail...
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 Jerry Russell Trail is a mile-and-a-half of walking and biking trail located in the City of Jonesville. It is named for the former Superintendent of Public Works, who was passionate about nature...
Jackson County's Falling Waters Trail serves as an important community connector, linking the outskirts of the vibrant City of Jackson to the picturesque Village of Concord, which brims with Victorian...
The community of Granger is tucked into the north end of Indiana, bordering Michigan. The community itself, through the Friends of Granger Paths recognized the need for safe, separate areas for...
The Main Trail runs for just 0.5 mile along an eastwest corridor through the Whitehouse Nature Center. The trail links a series of loop trails through the nature center and begins at the visitor...
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 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...
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...
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...
This bicycle and pedestrian path parallels Lincoln Highway/ US Highway 33 overpass, connecting Goshen High School to the north end of downtown. At its southern end, the concrete sidepath connects to...
The Plymouth Avenue Trail is located on the west side of Goshen, in north Indiana. The trail is adjacent to Plymouth Avenue for a mile and a half. The paved trail is anchored by parks on both ends,...
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 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 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 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 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...
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 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...
Shaver Road Bikeway begins on the south side of E. Centre Avenue in the southern Michigan city of Portage. On the north side of the roadway, a connection to the 4-mile Portage Creek Bicentennial Trail...
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...
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 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...
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...
The Main Trail runs for just 0.5 mile along an eastwest corridor through the Whitehouse Nature Center. The trail links a series of loop trails through the nature center and begins at the visitor...
The Monroe Street Trail is a part of Goshen's Maple City Greenway system. The trail travels east-west adjacent to Monroe Street, providing connections to Goshen High School on the west end, as well as...
The pleasant little Albion River Trail runs along the south bank of the Kalamazoo River through the town of Albion. The trail runs between McClure Riverfront Park on the west end and Victory Park on...
The Wilden Avenue Trail stretches for roughly 3 miles from the northern Goshen city limits to the community's downtown. In the north, the trail is a direct continuation of the MapleHeart Trail (and is...
The Plymouth Avenue Trail is located on the west side of Goshen, in north Indiana. The trail is adjacent to Plymouth Avenue for a mile and a half. The paved trail is anchored by parks on both ends,...
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...
If you’re looking for a rustic escape form the din of everyday life, consider the Calhoun County Trailway. The Trailway weaves through three of the county’s four parks. The 5.3-mile trail kicks off in...
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...
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 community of Granger is tucked into the north end of Indiana, bordering Michigan. The community itself, through the Friends of Granger Paths recognized the need for safe, separate areas for...
Jackson County's Falling Waters Trail serves as an important community connector, linking the outskirts of the vibrant City of Jackson to the picturesque Village of Concord, which brims with Victorian...
The Litchfield Nature Trail meanders through scenic property owned by the City of Litchfield, in some places adjacent to the St. Joseph (St. Joe) River. At one point, the trail passes through...
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,...
The Portage Creek trail is the hub to a great system of trails.
We started on the south end of the trails at the Eliason Nature Reserve Pavilion where there's a parking lot with a full service restroom. The trail took us north through the Reserve to connect with the Shaver Road Bikeway. We took this to E Centre Ave where we crossed the street and biked the walking trail around Portage City Hall. This took us to the Veterans Memorial Park and east to the Portage Creek Bicentennial trail. On our return journey we explored the Central Cemetery.
At Celery Flats we stopped to take photos and read up on the historic Feed Mill and other buildings. There are full service bath rooms at Celery Flats. We detoured west from Celery flats to do the Millennium and Northwest Passage trails. Returning to Celery Flats we continued north on the on the Portage Creek trail to Milham Park. Just before the park there's another full service restroom at the Kilgore Trailhead. Milham Park is not really designed for bikes but it was fun to explore anyway.
On our return we took the Shaver Road trail east to Bishop's Bog Preserve. There are trails through the bog that you can walk but not ride. If you do the bog, expect to get wet. The floating pontoon trail is designed to squirt water up your shorts at every step.
We did not do the Romence or Lovers Lane trails as they appeared to just follow the roads. What we did ride was mostly wooded with plenty of shade. We did 24 miles total so i imagine you could squeek out 30 miles if you did all the trails.
All the trails were paved and in good condition (not including Milham Park which isn't really part of the trail). It was really an enjoyable ride and a nice way to spend a half day.
We took the Millennium Trail west from Celery Flats on the Portage Creek Trail to the Northwest Portage trail and then took it all the way to the end. Most of the trail feels quite secluded. There are a couple mildly busy streets to cross but they are quickly forgotten. There's a full service bathroom about halfway on the trail in Haverhill Park. On our return we took the right fork just before Constitution Blvd down to Romence Rd. This section is nice. We took Romence Rd east back to the Millennium Trail. The Northwest Portage trail is paved and in good condition.
The north end of the trail hooks up with the Portage Creek trail and travels southwest along Shaver road for a bit before heading south and then east to Bishop's Bog. Where it turnes east, you can continue south through the Eliason Nature Reserve on a paved trail all the way to the parking lot and full service restrooms off of Osterhout Ave. This is a nicely wooded area with a winding trail. We actually started our ride from the parking lot heading north to do the Northwest Portage Bikeway and the Portage Creek trails. This gave us a respectable 24 miles of riding.
At the southest end of the Shaver Road trail you can continue into Bishop's Bog. The bog is tranversed by a floating plastic boardwalk peppered with holes. Each step will force water through these holes drenching your socks, underwear, shorts and at times face. A local hiker said it was ok and possible to go on your bike. It wasn't. Completely unridable as the water squirts through the holes in the platform and it's unstable. At the southern end there was a sign forbidding bikes.
We road the trail from Kalamazoo to New Haven. We were riding hybrid bikes with 28x1.75 tires. The crushed limestone is much smoother than most crushed rock trails we've ridden. We don't ride crushed rock because we usually get flats from the splintered rock. But the limestone is much finer and we weren't worried about flats at all. The trail is not as smooth as a paved trail, but nearly. In fact one town paved a section of the trail and it has rivets and bumps actually making it the worst part of the trail.
We really liked that most of the trail is shaded and secluded. So really felt like we were getting away from it. The biggest problem with the trail is that there is only one water faucet (in New Haven). That faucet doesn't spray high enough to fit a water bottle. You need to plan to carry or buy the water you need for the trip. There's also only port-a-let toilets at the trail ends and nothing in-between.
The best part of this trail is the bridge over the elkhart river. The rest was just a path along plymouth avenue. Handy for us as it lead to our b&b but not a destination. Not unpleasant but very suburban compared to the leafy Shanklin-Mullet and Millrace trails.
This trail starts in Goshen College and heads south along what I assume is an old rail trail. It's surprisingly secluded, quiet and peaceful. We hit the trail from the south end of the Millrace Trail where it terminates in the Shoups-Parsons Woods Park by taking Westwood Road east to the campus where there's a small curvy access trail. You can see this on the map just south of westwood on main st. There's a nice extension to the east worth a detour. Go north to explore the campus. Then the best part is heading south where the trail is secluded. We headed west from the southern end of the trail and explored Violett Cemetery as we headed back north.
The trail goes north from the pumpkinvine trail just south of middlebury. The trail briefly parallels state road 20 before branching off around a horse field and then into a golf course like park with a picturesque covered bridge. It finishes in the hugely popular Das Dutchman Essenhaus with it's many shops and restaurants. I recommend the cookies in the bakery. The north end of the trail connects with the Wayne Avenue trail which will take you into the center of Middlebury and the pumpkin vine trail.
I only rode about 5 miles of this trail from my hotel to downtown and back. The initial portion was a wonderful forest ride with a canopy of trees overhead, and a covered bridge as bonus. If I'd had another day, I would have ridden the remainder of the trail in the other direction. At the point it left the forest, there was a trailhead with some history of the trail and town posted there. I'm not totally sure if I followed the trail exactly after that, but I got where I wanted to be, which was the Maritime Museum and then the lighthouse. I stopped in at Rock 'n' Road Cycles downtown, just because I like to look at bike stuff. Bought a nice T shirt from them with a logo for the trail on it. Great souvenir of my visit. BTW, they have bike racks that look like small boats all over downtown. I would not have recognized them as such if someone had not told me that is what they were.
Love the trail system in Holland. Although we stayed at Holland State Park we were able to easily ride our tandem anywhere we wanted to go. One waitress told us that they teach drivers to be careful of cyclists in driver’s Ed. It was easy to navigate downtown and to Windmill Island. The trails are really just wide sidewalks but there were lots of people riding.
They just recently smoothed the previous poor repair job between mile markers 4.5 and 5.5. Lightning did a good job with Bessie, it’s good to ride again.
The amenities on M—6 trail include loud traffic on M-6 25 feet away, no benches.. no exercise equipment for stretching, no access to get water anywhere summer or winter. Watch out for people, including Kent County Sheriffs who drive motorized vehicles on a “Pedestrian Trail” including motorcycles and electric bikes. No respect for walkers or safe quiet place to walk.
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