Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in East Grand Rapids, whether you're looking for an easy short cross country skiing trail or a long cross country skiing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a cross country skiing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
_0_st.jpg)
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...
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...
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 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 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 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 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 largely unimproved Fred Meijer Flat River Valley Rail Trail links the cities of Lowell, Belding and Greenville in Kent, Ionia and Montcalm counties, respectively. While plans call for the eventual...
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...
The Fred Meijer Pioneer Trail is the last trail of a dozen trails in western Michigan to be named after philanthropist and Rail-Trail Champion Fred Meijer. When complete, the trail will be an...
The Fred Meijer Flat River Trail connects 2 mountain bike trails and 5 city parks in Greenville. The trail follows the winding Flat River, offering scenic views and incorporating forest and wetlands....
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 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 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 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 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 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,...
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 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 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 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 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...
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 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,...
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...
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...
_0_sc.jpg)
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 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 Pioneer Trail is the last trail of a dozen trails in western Michigan to be named after philanthropist and Rail-Trail Champion Fred Meijer. When complete, the trail will be an...
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 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 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 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 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...
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 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 Fred Meijer Flat River Trail connects 2 mountain bike trails and 5 city parks in Greenville. The trail follows the winding Flat River, offering scenic views and incorporating forest and wetlands....
The Fred Meijer Flat River Trail connects 2 mountain bike trails and 5 city parks in Greenville. The trail follows the winding Flat River, offering scenic views and incorporating forest and wetlands....
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 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...
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 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 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 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 Fred Meijer Pioneer Trail is the last trail of a dozen trails in western Michigan to be named after philanthropist and Rail-Trail Champion Fred Meijer. When complete, the trail will be an...
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...
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 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 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 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...
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 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...
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 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...
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 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 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...
Ran from Greenville. Towards Belding. First mile is paved. Then gravel. Great scenery. Definitely will do again.
Last on our list of trails to ride. Pavement is super bumpy. Needs new surfacing. Forget roller blading, you’ll end up on your face. On to another trail ¿¿
This trail lived up to all expectations. It’s a really sweet ride and you should put it on your to do list as soon as possible.
My favorite is the non paved section between Sand Lake and Big Rapids. Very unpopular section for most cyclist and families. That’s why it is very quiet. Don’t have to deal with walkers or bikers taking over the trail walking or biking multiple people across. I ride it few times a week.
The trail is closed in one section but has a clearly marked detour through quiet neighborhood streets. We saw no flooding.
I rode the KRV from D Avenue to Galesburg and back on a recumbent bike. The most interesting parts of the trail are at the two ends. The trail undulates through wooded areas in both cases, but the D Avenue end is very hilly. The trail is asphalt throughout and mostly smooth. There are several highway crossings that require care. The part of the trail near downtown Kalamazoo has one underpass that is best traversed on foot due to sandy dirt on the trail. This section likely is unpassable after a heavy rain.
As the trail heads east there is a section that runs through a park along the river. But then the trail emerges onto a course along route 96 and heads into Comstock. The short ride through Comstock calls for care with turning traffic going into businesses. East of Comstock is a nice brief ride through a park before again returning to route 96. The final section of the trail is a very nice ride through a park into Galesburg.
This would be a great trail if it were asphalt. As it is it is a nice ride with considerable shade. I rode the trail on my recumbent from the trailhead at Kalamazoo to the small community of Kendall. Since it is a rails-to-trails course, there are no major hills on the trail. However there is generally a slight grade favoring eastbound riders.
The crushed gravel surface is mostly smooth riding with only a couple of spots where the gravel is loose and one must be extra careful. The wooded ride was enjoyable and worth repeating. I hope to try the trail from the other end at South Haven soon.
As advertised, the surface of this trail is silky smooth, except for the short segment in Montague. I road the full length of the trail and returned. It is a mostly shaded ride with many wooded sections and decent scenery along the way. The trail has very few active road crossings even in the towns of Shelby and New Era. Montague at the southern end is a pretty community on White Lake. There is a slight, but noticeable grade to the trail favoring southbound riders.
I've been a user of the Fred Meijer M-21 trail since before it was restored to a trail. I've enjoyed walking, running, and biking it.
I would say for the most part, the route gets more and more intersting the further west you go. Though it's pretty neat running through the towns of Ovid, St. Johns, and Fowler, there isn't much inbetween other than cornfields. The west side of Ovid has some nice ponds and turns to the trail. However, you are a ways off the road M21, the paths surrounded by trees on both sides, and beyond that are more cornfields.
The scenery doesn't change much untill you hit Pewamo. From Pewamo to Saranac, the trail has numerous bridges over water and M21, some of which are very large and impressive. The trail is built above the river below, which makes for more to see and experience.
Unfortunatly, since many of these towns are distanced from each other, it's very likely you can go 7-8 miles without seeing anyone else on the trail. The only stretches paved are for a mile east and west out of each town. The soft gravel/sand is great for running, but will slow down mountain bikes, and be nearly impossible for bikes with skinny tires.
It would be great if it one day the whole thing was paved. I would love to see it exended further west to connect with trails in Ada and Grand Rapids. Another opportunity would be to extend it further east to Flint and those trails. Additionally, theres another opportunity to extend it north from St. Johns to Ithaca, to connect with the Highway 27 Trails.
Moved to Rockford because I wanted access to the White Pine Trail system. The trail is incredibly rough, especially for road bikes. The sections just north of Rockford after clearing the newly paved area are dangerous. I recently hit one bumpy series of ridges, and it instantly blew my front tire and I crashed. Additionally, the trail looks like a war zone with all the trees that have been uprooted and fallen across it from Rockford pretty much all the way up to Sand Lake. The windy conditions are not just a night time occurrence and it is just a matter of time before a tree falls and causes injury or worse to people during daytime hours when so many of us are on the trail. There needs to be a robust clearing of those trees that get uprooted so easily right on the trail. Finally, the ability to see at some of the road crossings is really limited and cyclists nearly have to get out into the roads before being able to see if cars are coming, and cars likely can't see the cyclists either because there is very little trimming of the heavy growth of vegetation. It's disappointing that a trail system that gets so much use, and that is one of the highlights that Rockford business people use as a selling point to attract residents, has not been maintained at a better level. I understand there are different townships the trail passes through, but the Rockford area (both north and south) is getting too rough and needs a great deal of work. There are rough spots all the way from 5/3 Stadium to Sand Lake that also need attention. What could be an outstanding trail has fallen into a state of disrepair in multiple places. Thank you.
I rode this very nice trail starting in Comstock Park going north. From there to Sand Lake, the trail is a very nice one to ride: gently uphill, some small towns, smooth asphalt, and spots to rest. However, north of Sand Lake, the trail turns from asphalt to a gravel two-track, and sometimes just a one-track. It is a rough ride that a road-biker would not enjoy. It's a shame that this part hasn't been improved since it is a Michigan State Park. That's why I only give it 3 stars.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
