I have started this trail at Swan Creek High School parking (when school is out), at Shields Road by the Township Police Dept, and also from the Saginaw Valley Rail Trail.
All paved, wide, well-maintained, easy going, nice variety of scenery along the way.
Turning onto this from Saginaw Valley Rail Trail is a nice addition to that experience.
And a 1-mile ride down Ohern Road gets you to Roberts Community Park, another pleasant location.
Lots of open riding with only a little shade, can get hot in the summer sun.
You may get a chance to see a snapping turtle along the ditch in Kluck Nursery property.
Crossing M-46 at Meijer's in Shields can be a little nerve-wracking!

I rode this section of the trail many times last summer. It is actually smoother than aged asphalt that can get a little bumpy. There are not too many people riding this section and that makes an enjoyable ride. I have a hybrid and this is perfect this trail. Looking forward to getting on it again in a few months.

November 2021 rode from Alma out 15 miles and back. Parked in city parking at very start of trail. Parking there a short ride on trail crossing a few easy to cross streets till reaching College area where the main trail opens up. We saw parking in College is where most parked. Heavy leaf cover this time of year, so could not see trail most of time, trail had a few areas of bumps. Over all the ride was smooth. Will ride rest soon.

I drove half an hour to try out this trail, and ended up riding only 3 miles before turning back. Poorly marked trail and detours made it a chore to stay on course, then when I finally got to what looked like the most interesting section, there was a sign stating bicycles were not allowed. On the bright side, most of the people were friendly, and the students painting the underpass were so nice that I wanted to park my bike and help them paint!

PS: The parking lot at Huron Bridge Park is small, but if you cross the bridge into Bandemer Park, there is much more parking available.

Really nice ride with good amount of tree canopy. Trail surface in good shape.

Watch for deer this time of year. Saw 5 yesterday.

From Owosso to Ionia it’s a great riding trail. Love the mix of shade, sun, wild life. The small towns along the way offer pit stops (Trail heads) for food, water and restrooms. Very surprised it’s not busier, also kinda glad! More connections to come to other trails will be added bonus.

The trail has been resurfaced.

Biked the Flat River Trail on a Sunday afternoon in August. We found the Tower Park parking lot easily and with a little search the trailhead across from the parking lot. In short order we were biking along the Flat River and had to watch carefully for the Trail markers. The newly paved sections and the cut off to another trail was a bit confusing but with a brief backtrack we continued on the trail. About two thirds of the way we were a bit confused again as we approached some busy roads just passed the high school. We guessed right and found the tunnel under the busy road and continued on...this led to the surprising portion of the trail....a few hills leading to the trail around Baldwin and Manoka lakes (both very small)....and with a bit of coaching from other bikers we were able to stay with the trail and find the parking lot. It was a short trail but very worthwhile. Beautiful scenery, curves, a few doable hills and a few surprises. Loved itl