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 Arts Walk. The trail stretches from Monroe Street where it meets the Grand River, south past Lions Park, then through the Armory Arts Village, an artists’ live-work community on the site of Michigan’s first state prison. The separated pathway ends at Ganson Street, but you can continue south on Mechanic Street via sidewalks and on-street bike lanes. Take the sidewalk east on Michigan Avenue and then south on South Cooper Street to connect to the MLK Equality Trail. There are plans to extend the trail north to the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park. The trail is part of a cross-state trail system known as the Grand Lake-to-Lake Trail which will stretch from South Haven to Port Huron.
The best place to start your journey is Lions Park on the corner of Blackstone Adams Street.
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