As a disclaimer, the Border-to-Border Trail isn't technically complete yet. There are still connecting pieces of it being worked on and created, but once this trail is complete you will be able to ride from Ypsilanti all the way to Chelsea without once having to turn onto any roads.

I rode this trail a lot in summer 2020, starting in Ypsi and making my way to either Ann Arbor or Dexter. It is a shared trail and goes through some very popular parks, so expect to see more leisurely bikers, runners/walkers and families on parts of this trail. Unless you're heading out very early or very late, this is not the trail to smash PRs or sprint on. It is a wonderful trail for scenic routes, has plenty of places to stop for a snack break (tables available in parks) and has access to restrooms (also available in the parks). There are a couple water fountains in certain sections on the trail for refilling any water bottles and there are also bike stations with air pumps for any needed bike repairs while on the trail.

There are sections that definitely need some TLC - hence the 4 star rating - mainly the section right after the Gallup Park wooden bridge (when heading west). The path here is rough - the pavement is rutted, not smooth and often I have to ride in the middle of the path since the edges are worn and broken. The going is very slow here -- but hopefully that will be repaired sometime in the future.

The Ann Arbor "terminus" is at Bandemeer Park. There currently isn't a connection to the Dexter portion of the B2B trail (currently being worked on and not slated for completion until 2022, I believe), so if you wish to continue your journey to Dexter some road riding is needed. You can either ride through the Barton Hills neighborhood (the first left outside of Bandemeer Park) to Huron River Drive, or take a shorter route through the Barton Nature Area to connect to Huron River Drive. The route through Barton Nature Area is short while the ride through Barton Hills is longer and has some steep hills (especially near the Barton Hills Golf Course). Still a pretty ride, though. Once you get to Huron River Drive -- there's no bike lanes but it's a popular road cycling route so drivers are usually familiar with seeing cyclists there. It's about 6 miles of curvy road riding on Huron River Drive before you can connect to the Dexter portion of the B2B trail. Ypsilanti to downtown Dexter is the longest section of the trail I've ridden so far, so I can't comment on the Dexter to Chelsea route.

Overall I highly recommend this trail, and I really commend the cities of Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Dexter and Chelsea for creating and managing it. You can ride select parts of the trail or all of the trail -- since the B2B goes through main parks it's easy to drive and park at different spots to start. And since the trails also pass through or near each of the cities' downtown areas, you can also easily hop off to check out any restaurants, events or sites in town. My favorite stops are the Argo Cascades in Ann Arbor (you can pull to the side of the trail and watch the kayakers and tubers go down the river -- and even take a dip in the river if it's a particularly hot day), the local Dairy Queen in Dexter during the summer, the Dexter Cider Mill in the fall, and Go! Ice Cream in Ypsilanti any time of the year. When I'm doing shorter, leisurely rides with others I like to pack a lunch and bike from the east end of Gallup Park (off N Dixboro Road) to the Argo Cascades and stop to have lunch on the river bank and bike back, or bike from Ypsilanti to Gallup Park, have a picnic at Gallup Park and then bike back to Ypsilanti.

As one last head's up there is a local bike shop near the Ann Arbor B2B trail if you have any major bike issues during your trip - Sic Transit Cycles - only about 200 feet from the trail, right by the Argo Cascades.

I live near this trail and use small portions of it frequently. I love the solitude and natural atmosphere.

The path is well maintained even in winter. The views at Kensington are truly spectacular, especially in fall on the I-96 side looking across Kent Lake. 4-stars because... COVID has brought out A LOT of foot traffic and it’s fairly clear many don’t know trail etiquette. It’s hard to get into any rhythm on a weekend because you’re dodging pedestrians. And many of them will move for you but some just stay in your way causing you to ditch into the grass. If you want a nice ride, go on a weeknight after work to avoid the COVID crowds.

I live a couple miles away and I ride this trail often. Only a couple miles long but you get a nice mix of forest, marsh, and lakeside views! Path is smooth and cleared very quickly after snowfall, highly recommend!

To to the proximity we Love to spend quality time on this trail with family and friends. It was a blessing during Covid time to spend outdoors and keep us healthy. Kudos to Novi city and ITC for bringing it to our community and to help make Novi better place to live.

I had the chance to ride the whole NCIT from Genoa (newest part of trail) to Elyria. So many great restored train stops, bridges, and even railroad museum right on the trail. Active rail line next to trail for about 10 miles.
Most of trail is paved now but with some sections of loose gravel or even large ballast I would recommend at least a gravel or cross bike/tires.

Great scenery, unsuspecting calmness and tranquility.

We rode this yesterday. It is just gorgeous and very well maintained. In regard to some of the recent reviews regarding crowds - although we saw a good number of people riding or walking, it was totally fine since we were there on a Thursday. Weekends are much busier. There are a lot of curves on the trail, so that's something to look out for if it's crowded and some are trying to pass when they shouldn't. Side note - on the south end of Kent Lake, there's a short connecter bike path that goes under I-96 to Island Lake. The Island Lake trails aren't nearly as well maintained and are very bumpy.

I really enjoyed this trail. It was a great way to spend a few hours on the bike.