Lansing, MI Running Trails and Maps

619 Reviews

Looking for the best Running trails around Lansing?

Find the top rated running trails in Lansing, whether you're looking for an easy short running trail or a long running trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a running trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

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Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type
46 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Applewood Trail

1.8 mi
State: MI
Asphalt, Concrete

Bicentennial Park Pathway

2.7 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Chevy Commons Trail

0.89 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Falling Waters Trail

11.25 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Fieldcrest Pathway

3 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Fred Meijer Clinton-Ionia-Shiawassee Trail

41.3 mi
State: MI
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Fred Meijer Flat River Trail

6.5 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Fred Meijer Grand River Valley Rail Trail

15.5 mi
State: MI
Asphalt, Ballast, Crushed Stone

Fred Meijer Heartland Trail

41.9 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Fred Thwaites Grand River Trail

3.2 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Genesee Valley Trail

4.43 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Granger Meadows Park Trail

1.9 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Island Lake Trail Connector

0.8 mi
State: MI
Crushed Stone

Kensington Metropark Trail

9.5 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Kettering Gateway Trail

0.7 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

LAFF Pathway

2 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

M-21 Non-Motorized Path

1.66 mi
State: MI
Asphalt, Concrete

Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park

38.2 mi
State: MI
Asphalt, Ballast, Crushed Stone

Milford Trail

4.2 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Portland Riverwalk

9 mi
State: MI
Asphalt
Accordion

Saginaw Valley Rail Trail

11 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Sycamore Trail

2.1 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Battle Creek Linear Park

25.9 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Border-to-Border Trail

33.13 mi
State: MI
Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone

Calhoun County Trailway

5.3 mi
State: MI
Crushed Stone

Flint River Trail (MI)

27 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Grand Blanc Bike Path

1.6 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Huron Valley Trail

13.5 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Island Lake Pathway

4.3 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Lansing River Trail

25.3 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Martin Luther King Equality Trail

4.3 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Northern Tier Trail

6.6 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Paul Henry-Thornapple Trail

31.1 mi
State: MI
Asphalt, Cinder, Crushed Stone

Ram Trail

1.8 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Valhalla Trail

1.3 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Watkins Lake County Preserve and State Park

5.8 mi
State: MI
Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass, Gravel

Albion River Trail

1.6 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Chelsea Community Wellness Path

1.5 mi
State: MI
Asphalt, Woodchips

Manchester Bike Trail

1.3 mi
State: MI
Asphalt, Grass, Gravel

Litchfield Nature Trail

2 mi
State: MI
Dirt, Grass

Genessee Road Trail

0.8 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Grand River Arts Walk

1.2 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Jewett Trail

1 mi
State: MI
Asphalt

Main Trail

0.5 mi
State: MI
Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Woodchips

South LyonTrail

2.3 mi
State: MI
Asphalt, Concrete
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
Overview The 1.8-mile Applewood Trail connects Mott Community College and several city parks with the lengthy Flint River Trail, the backbone of the Flint area's trail network. About the...
MI 1.8 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The hard surface trail runs from Creasey Bicentennial Park to the Western edge of Grand Blanc Township. Beginning at the park on Grand Blanc Road, the trail takes you past a dog park and athletic...
MI 2.7 mi Asphalt
Clocking in at just under a mile long, the Chevy Commons Trail is part of the Genesee Valley Trail and serves as its northeastern-most portion. Named for the Chevy Commons County Park through which...
MI 0.89 mi Asphalt
Overview 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...
MI 11.25 mi Asphalt
The Fieldcrest Pathway stretches 3 miles in the Green Oak Township, a suburb of Detroit. The trail follows Fieldcrest Drive from Lee Road south to Silver Lake Road. The paved recreational trail...
MI 3 mi Asphalt
Overview The Fred Meijer Clinton-Ionia-Shiawassee (CIS) Rail Trail stretches 41 miles between the mid-Michigan towns of Ionia and Owosso, offering a mix of pastoral and wooded landscapes. It...
MI 41.3 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
Overview 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...
MI 6.5 mi Asphalt
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...
MI 15.5 mi Asphalt, Ballast, Crushed Stone
Overview The paved Fred Meijer Heartland Trail rolls for nearly 42 miles through farmland and forests in central Michigan as it links a half-dozen rural towns with recreational...
MI 41.9 mi Asphalt
The Fred Thwaites Grand River Trail, also known as the Ionia River Trail, travels for just over 3 miles along the edge of Grand River. The paved pathway begins at Quarry Road and travels to the Ionia...
MI 3.2 mi Asphalt
The Genesee Valley Trail is a paved, multi-use pathway that helps to link suburban areas in Flint Township with the downtown core of the city of Flint, giving cyclists and pedestrians a convenient...
MI 4.43 mi Asphalt
The Granger Meadows Park Trail forms a loop around the 76-acre park in DeWitt Township, just north of Lansing. The park was built and donated by Granger III and Associates, a local trash and recycling...
MI 1.9 mi Asphalt
The Island Lake Connector Trail allows cyclists, pedestrians, and other residents of Green Oak Township to connect to the Island Lake Recreation Area. The trail sits on a converted railroad bed, and...
MI 0.8 mi Crushed Stone
Overview The Kensington Metropark Trail forms a paved loop around Kent Lake in western Oakland County.  About the Route Kensington Metropark, which features 4,481 acres of hilly terrain...
MI 9.5 mi Asphalt
A short paved trail that runs from the city of Flint's Kellar Park to the newly refurbished Chevy Commons park along the Flint River, the Kettering Gateway Trail provides a useful link in the city's...
MI 0.7 mi Asphalt
The LAFF Pathway is a proposed recreational trail project connecting the communities of Linden, Argentine Township, Fenton, and Fenton Township in Genesee County. The first phase of the LAFF...
MI 2 mi Asphalt
While not the most scenic of trails, the M-21 Non-Motorized Path provides a useful ten-foot wide asphalt path through a suburban stretch of Flint Township, connecting at its eastern end to the Genesee...
MI 1.66 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Overview The Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park is a 38-mile trail that runs through forests, fields, and wetlands between the community of Whitmore Lake and the city of Jackson. About the...
MI 38.2 mi Asphalt, Ballast, Crushed Stone
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...
MI 4.2 mi Asphalt
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...
MI 9 mi Asphalt
Accordion
Overview The Saginaw Valley Rail Trail offers a year-round rural retreat from the urban confines of Saginaw. Rolling through a continuous woodsy border past farms, fields, and game areas for 11...
MI 11 mi Asphalt
The Sycamore Trail, which opened in October 2014, provides an important connection between two other trails in Delhi Charter Township, on the south end of Lansing. At the trail’s northern end, it...
MI 2.1 mi Asphalt
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...
MI 25.9 mi Asphalt
Overview 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...
MI 33.13 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone
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...
MI 5.3 mi Crushed Stone
The Flint River Trail system encompasses 27 miles of multi-use, paved trails stretching across Genesee County. Meandering alongside the Flint River and C.S. Mott Lake, the trail passes through a...
MI 27 mi Asphalt
Overview The Fred Meijer Flat River Valley Rail Trail links the cities of Lowell, Belding, and Greenville in Kent, Ionia, and Montcalm counties, respectively. Running along a former railroad...
MI 21.6 mi Asphalt
This is a dedicated sidepath in Grand Blanc that is suitable for a casual stroll, a quick jog or an easy ride. The trail sits on the north side of Grand Blanc Road, through mainly residential...
MI 1.6 mi Asphalt
Overview Paved and mostly flat, the 13.5-mile Huron Valley Trail links several suburban communities, parks, and a large recreation area while providing connections to a growing network of...
MI 13.5 mi Asphalt
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...
MI 4.3 mi Asphalt
The Lansing River Trail traces the course of three waterways for more than 25 miles across Michigan’s capital city. Visiting all four main points of the compass in Lansing, the trail provides a route...
MI 25.3 mi Asphalt
The Martin Luther King Equality Trail, formerly called the Jackson Intercity Trail, follows the old rail bed of what was once the Michigan Central Railroad for 4.5 miles north through the southwest...
MI 4.3 mi Asphalt
The Northern Tier Trail winds through East Lansing on the outskirts of Michigan's capital, offering miles of paved pathway through tree-lined areas and wetlands. The 10-foot-wide trail connects...
MI 6.6 mi Asphalt
Overview The Paul Henry-Thornapple Trail is a 31-mile, multi-use recreation trail, extending from Grand Rapids to Vermontville.  The trail passes through farmlands, woodlands, and small towns,...
MI 31.1 mi Asphalt, Cinder, Crushed Stone
The Ram Trail is a close to 2-mile trail beginning at Holt High School where there is access to tennis courts, soccer fields, softball and baseball diamonds and playgrounds. The trail runs eastward...
MI 1.8 mi Asphalt
The Valhalla Trail runs for just over a mile in Delhi Charter Township, a southern suburb of Lansing. Its northern half is wooded and winds through Valhalla Park, which offers a swimming beach,...
MI 1.3 mi Asphalt
Overview The Watkins Lake County Preserve and State Park has a 5.8-mile linear rail-trail that offers scenic views of the lake and landscape as it runs through meadows, woods and wetlands. The...
MI 5.8 mi Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass, Gravel
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...
MI 1.6 mi Asphalt
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...
MI 1.5 mi Asphalt, Woodchips
Overview The Manchester Bike Trail is a 1.3-mile rail-trail that runs through the Village of Manchester, between the Village's western border by Leonard Preserve and its eastern border, just east...
MI 1.3 mi Asphalt, Grass, Gravel
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...
MI 2 mi Dirt, Grass
The Genesse Road Trail sits on the western side of Genessee Road in Grand Blanc. The neighborhood trail extends for just over 3/4-mile, from Perry Road in the South to Kings Fairway Lane at the north...
MI 0.8 mi Asphalt
Planners in Jackson Michigan had originally wanted to build a rail with trail, but when they face resistance from the local railroad, they took a different route, one which gave us the Grand River...
MI 1.2 mi Asphalt
Jewett Trail is both the name of the road, as well as the off-street bike-ped path, circling the Grand Blanc Community High School complex. The pathway, which sits on the southern edge of the trail,...
MI 1 mi Asphalt
The Main Trail runs for just 0.5 mile along an east–west corridor through the Whitehouse Nature Center. The trail links a series of loop trails through the nature center and begins at the visitor...
MI 0.5 mi Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Woodchips
Overview The South Lyon Trail runs through South Lyon, MI for 2.3 miles. About the Route The South Lyon Trail leaves off in the north from its connection with the Huron Valley Trail (also...
MI 2.3 mi Asphalt, Concrete

Recent Trail Reviews

Milford Trail

Hilly but Enjoyable

November, 2024 by clonetrooper5373

The trail is flat and smooth, with no cracks or bumps that I remember. It’s rarely straight, being full of twists and turns.

It is *very* hilly especially near the YMCA parking lot so be ready to shift gears in a jiff.

Boardwalks and small lakes help break up the scenery a bit, and road crossings are rare.

This trail hosts mountain bike trails within its boundaries that intersect with this trail, so use cation and keep your eyes peeled.

It’s a good 8+ mile journey that I would recommend traveling to visit.

Manchester Bike Trail

Short and Rough

November, 2024 by clonetrooper5373

This trail is a quick, done-in-under-30 min-type of trail. It starts off in a nature setting that quickly gives way to urban almost immediately, with nature returning in the last segment.

It is a little difficult to stay on this one as there is no trail marking or signage that I saw.

The last part is comprised of loose stone that might make a bike trip unpleasant, so consider walking this path.

Chelsea Community Wellness Path

Pretty Short

November, 2024 by clonetrooper5373

There isn’t too much to this trail, being a round trip of 3 miles. It is nice and smooth for the most part.

You’ll spend most of your time in an urban setting except for a brief stint in a wooded section that ends far quickly for my taste.

It’s fine for locals, but I wouldn’t bother traveling to this one.

Accordion

Watkins Lake County Preserve and State Park

Almost Perfect

November, 2024 by clonetrooper5373

The trail is made up of three segments of roughly (?) equal length.

There are no benches, trashcans, or water fountains on this trail, so be plan accordingly.

Signage gives warning about the possibility of ticks on this train, so maybe stick to the main path, ignore any offshoots, and don’t brush against any plants.

I found the trail to very enjoyable from start to finish, with my only two complaints being: it’s rather short, being maybe six miles roundtrip, and the other being that the surface is dirt and stone, so unless you have a gravel, dirt, or fat tire bike, you might want consider walking this one.

Road crossings are rare.

I would recommend the trail to anybody looking to avoid an urban trail and connect with nature.

Falling Waters Trail

An Excellent Trail

November, 2024 by clonetrooper5373

This is an excellent trail, bar none. It is an predominantly nature trail, with no real urban distractions like cars zipping by. It is 99% smooth and free of bumps (with the only exception being miles 8 through 10 by Weatherwax trailhead being a little rough).

Road crossings are somewhat frequent, so be on the lookout for those.

Benches and trash cans abound for those who need them, and mile markings also can be seen throughout the trail.

Sculptures been added to the last two miles, adding to the scenery.

There is an extender to this trail just past the Concord trailhead, adding about another mile or so to the experience if you're up for the full ride.

I can not recommend this trail strongly enough.

Those looking for a good nature trail need go no further than FWT.

Valhalla Trail

Short and Boring

October, 2024 by clonetrooper5373

There isn't too much to say about this trail except that it's an admittedly smooth ride for bike riders, but other than that, Valhalla doesn't offer interesting to either see or do; so if you aren't a local, I wouldn't bother. The experience is not even 3 full miles (round trip), so it's over before it even begins.

Falling Waters Trail

One of the better trails we have used

October, 2024 by tim36r

Started at the Jackson end of the trail using the Weatherwax road trailhead.
Short trip down a connecter trail to the actual trail start.

The trail was in great shape with many new paved patches and crack fills, looks like the recently address the "roots" mentioned in the 2022 reviews.

12 foot wide provided lots of room.

The view was terrific as the trail bisects Lime Lake.

We drove a couple of hours to ride this trail and I would definitely do it again in the future.

Litchfield Nature Trail

Walk, Don't Cycle

October, 2024 by clonetrooper5373

The trail is pretty rough the entire time, never once being smooth, and unless you have a fat tire bike, you're going to feel every tree root (which are plentiful) and branch. This isn't worth the effort unless you're a local or intend to walk it. Nothing worth even seeing on the trail.

Border-to-Border Trail

Hilly Far West Leg

October, 2024 by loraleecanfield

This week we took the farthest west leg of B to B. Beautiful paved trail that mostly runs right along M-52. It is far enough off the actual street that it feels safe—though loud at times. We parked our vehicle at Timber Town Park and then got on our bikes. We made a left out of the parking lot and soon found the bright yellow “bike crossing” sign that signaled the trail. Then we headed northwest on the trail. We prefer rides that are mostly wooded but nevertheless wanted to try out this leg. The whole bike trail is well maintained. It is a very hilly ride—lots of up and down. Therefore it took us a bit longer than normal. Heading out is more uphill, while the returning ride was more downhill.

Saginaw Valley Rail Trail

Biking Bunch from Linden MI loves this trail

September, 2024 by milkshake

Our group of 9 riders rode the Saginaw Valley Rail Trail today and the connecting Thomas Twp Trail. Both beautiful trails and well maintained. We highly recommend Bad River Bar & Grill in St. Charles, MI for lunch or dinner after your ride. Our service and food were very good and the owner even came over to thank us for coming in for lunch!

The trails have great signage and places for a bathroom break. It is especially beautiful this time of year with the falling leaves.

Kensington Metropark Trail

A smooth ride!

September, 2024 by lrcb40

I haven’t been here in a few years and purchased an ebike to help tackle the elevation changes (I’m 70 and haven’t ridden in a while). I was delighted to discover that my ideas were correct and that a small amount of assistance helps, but otherwise, pedaling a somewhat heavy ebike (47lbs) is fine. My Trek carbon fiber bike is 25lb and should fly. Now to recover. I ache!

Fred Meijer Clinton-Ionia-Shiawassee Trail

Nice ride through farmland

September, 2024 by dhalblei

Rode this trail Sept 2024 from St Johns Depot parking lot 18 miles west toward Ionia, stopping soon after the bridge over the Maple River. It was well maintained, firm crushed stone with asphalt passing through towns. Not a problem for my gravel bike with 42 tire. As noted in other reviews, there are a few softer spots that could be a problem for thinner tires. The trail was mostly tree lined, except the section between Fowler and Pewamo is more open farmland with a view of M-21. The road crossings were smooth with almost no traffic. Stopped at the Pewamo Depot restrooms. The restrooms at St Johns Depot were locked.

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