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Running trails in Michigan
1,123 trails across 243 cities in Michigan, with the most in Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Kalamazoo — including 194 paved, 147 loops, 133 shaded, and 73 long enough for a 5-mile run. Every listing shows the things runners actually decide on: surface, loop distance, shade, lighting, restrooms, water and trailhead parking. Pick a city for the full local list, or filter the Michigan trails below.
Cities in Michigan
Every city and town in Michigan with a running trail in the directory, most trails first.
- Ann Arbor
- Detroit
- Kalamazoo
- Grand Rapids
- Lansing
- Saginaw
- Traverse City
- Livonia
- Bay City
- Holland
- Battle Creek
- West Bloomfield Township
- Westland
- Ypsilanti
- Farmington Hills
- Midland
- Novi
- Flint
- Marquette
- Wixom
- Dearborn
- Grand Haven
- Northville
- Southfield
- Muskegon
- Portage
- Sterling Heights
- Alpena
- Commerce Township
- Cadillac
- Mt Pleasant
- Okemos
- Rochester Hills
- Rockford
- Waterford Township
- Ionia
- Port Huron
- Royal Oak
- Brighton
- Escanaba
- Jackson
- Monroe
- Benton Harbor
- Fenton
- Holly
- Niles
- Walker
- White Lake
- Adrian
- Caledonia
- Fort Gratiot Township
- Grand Blanc
- Kentwood
- New Baltimore
- Norton Shores
- Owosso
- Plymouth
- Troy
- Village of Clarkston
- Warren
- Wayne
- Ada
- Allen Park
- Birmingham
- Canton Township
- Davison
- East Lansing
- Flushing
- Grandville
- Harrison
- Holt
- Lake Orion
- Macomb
- Madison Heights
- Milford
- Orion Township
- Pontiac
- Redford Township
- Shelby
- South Lyon
- Spring Lake
- Superior Township
- Wyoming
- Auburn Hills
- Burton
- Dearborn Heights
- East Grand Rapids
- Eastpointe
- Haslett
- Inkster
- Lincoln Park
- Roseville
- Sault Ste. Marie
- Shelby Township
- South Haven
- Southgate
- St Clair Shores
- St Joseph
- Trenton
- Van Buren Township
- Williamsburg
- Belmont
- Brownstown Township
- Clinton Township
- DeWitt
- Dexter
- Ferndale
- Flat Rock
- Fraser
- Freeland
- Georgetown Township
- Grand Ledge
- Grosse Ile Township
- Highland Township
- Howell
- New Boston
- Plainwell
- Saline
- Sanford
- Sturgis
- Taylor
- Temperance
- Washington
- West Olive
- Allendale
- Beverly Hills
- Big Rapids
- Calumet
- Clinton
- Coldwater
- Columbiaville
- Farmington
- Galesburg
- Glen Arbor
- Grosse Pointe
- Grosse Pointe Farms
- Grosse Pointe Park
- Hudson
- Hudsonville
- Lambertville
- Middleville
- Mt Clemens
- New Haven
- Oak Park
- Oakland Township
- Oxford
- Pinckney
- Rochester
- Tecumseh
- Vicksburg
- Woodhaven
- Wyandotte
- Zeeland
- Arcadia
- Augusta
- Bangor
- Belleville
- Bloomfield Township
- Boyne City
- Brooklyn
- Burtchville Township
- Carleton
- Cedar
- Cedar Springs
- Centreville
- Chase
- Chelsea
- Chesterfield
- Clawson
- Clayton
- Coloma
- Comstock Park
- Copper Harbor
- Eagle Harbor
- Fennville
- Frankfort
- Fruitport
- Garden City
- Gladstone
- Goodells
- Goodrich
- Gowen
- Grayling
- Grosse Pointe Shores
- Grosse Pointe Woods
- Hamtramck
- Harrisville
- Hart
- Hartford
- Hartland
- Hastings
- Hazel Park
- Highland
- Honor
- Hubbard Lake
- Jenison
- Keego Harbor
- Laingsburg
- Lake Ann
- Leland
- Linden
- Lowell
- Manchester
- Maple City
- Mattawan
- Melvindale
- Menominee
- Milan
- Morley
- Mt Morris
- Munising
- New Era
- New Hudson
- North Muskegon
- Ontonagon
- Oscoda Township
- Pleasant Lake
- Port Austin
- Rapid River
- Ray
- Richland
- Richmond
- Riverview
- Rives Junction
- Romulus
- Ruby
- Sand Lake
- Saranac
- Sawyer
- Shoreham
- Spring Arbor
- St Clair
- Stanwood
- Stevensville
- Stockbridge
- Three Oaks
- Twin Lake
- Union Pier
- Utica
- Whitmore Lake
- Williamston
- Wilson
- Wolverine
Notable running trails in Michigan
The Michigan trails runners review most, ranked by rating weighted by review volume. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to narrow to the run you're actually planning. See the full best-of-Michigan ranking →
Belle Isle Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 10,136 reviews
982-acre island featuring trails, an aquarium, museum, conservatory, disc golf course & playground.
Warren Dunes State Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 9,482 reviews
Beech & maple-forested park provides peaceful riverside hikes, picnic space & 311 acres of terrain.
Stony Creek Metropark
4.7 ★★★★★ 7,935 reviews
Massive park featuring year-round activities from canoeing & picnics to workshop events.
Detroit Riverwalk
4.8 ★★★★★ 6,364 reviews
Waterside and kid-friendly promenade featuring a playground, swings and a carousel, as well as scenic views of Detroit and Canada.
Dune Climb
4.8 ★★★★★ 5,370 reviews
Expansive dunes for uphill sand climbs with water views & challenging hikes to Lake Michigan.
William C. Sterling State Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 5,081 reviews
Lake Erie's only state park offers 1 mile of lakeshore with campsites plus wildlife walks & hiking.
Heritage Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 4,523 reviews
Green space featuring soccer & baseball fields, a walking trail, picnic areas & a petting farm.
Presque Isle Park
4.9 ★★★★★ 4,292 reviews
323-acre peninsula offering wooded trails, lakeside cliffs, picnic facilities & a concert bandshell.
Dodge Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 4,340 reviews
Recreation & sports park for volleyball, in-line hockey & picnics, with swings & an amphitheater.
Bishop Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 4,409 reviews
Site features a fishing pier, picnic deck & shelters, playground equipment & basketball courts.
Millennium Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 4,311 reviews
Vast urban park reclaims heavily used land for 6-acre beach & wetlands with hiking trails.
Bay City State Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 4,474 reviews
This destination for a range of activities, including biking, fishing & hiking, also has campsites.
Island Lake Recreation Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,894 reviews
Sprawling 4,000-acre park with meadows & mature woodlands features a hot air balloon launch point.
P. J. Hoffmaster State Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 3,558 reviews
Park features the Dune Climb stairway, lake-view observation deck & miles of hiking & skiing trails.
Maybury State Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 3,133 reviews
Trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding & cross-country skiing, plus a working educational farm.
Holly Recreation Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,187 reviews
Vast woodland area for hiking, fishing, biking & camping, plus a disc golf course & lake beach.
Rochester Municipal Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 3,101 reviews
Park with winding creek, pond & a mile of paved walkways, as well as courts for tennis & volleyball.
Elizabeth Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,116 reviews
Relaxed riverside recreation area with pony rides, concessions, fishing spots & walking paths.
Hawk Island Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 3,065 reviews
100-acre, all-seasons park with a vehicle entrance fee features swimming, trails & snowboarding.
Clinch Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 2,984 reviews
Beach on West Grand Traverse Bay featuring picnic tables, restrooms & seasonal lifeguards.
Saugatuck Dunes State Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,836 reviews
Day-use preserve featuring 2.5 miles of shoreline, bird-watching & trails to coastal dunes & woods.
Fort Custer Recreation Area
4.6 ★★★★★ 2,894 reviews
Ex-WWII training area now a vast park with camping on farmlike terrain plus biking & hiking trails.
Heritage Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,582 reviews
Outdoor space with hiking & cross-country skiing trails, a picnic area, volleyball courts & more.
Lake Erie Metropark
4.6 ★★★★★ 2,577 reviews
Park with golf course offers sweeping lake views, Marshlands Museum & family-friendly water slide.
Veterans Memorial Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 2,593 reviews
Large riverside park with sports fields & walkways, plus a marina, an arboretum & a concert stage.
Hart-Montague Bicycle Trail Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 2,522 reviews
Well-maintained walking, biking and snowmobiling trail that runs between Montague and Hart.
Lower Huron Metropark
4.6 ★★★★★ 2,493 reviews
1,258-acre preserve with activities including an aquatics center, golf, canoeing & ice-skating.
Proud Lake Recreation Area
4.6 ★★★★★ 2,448 reviews
State park with campsites, cabins & trails, plus boating & fishing on 2 lakes & the Huron River.
University of Michigan Nichols Arboretum
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,333 reviews
Tranquil garden with spring-blooming flowers, popular for quiet walks, painting & photography.
No trails match those filters.
Michigan trails by surface
Surface is the biggest split in trail running — asphalt is fast and predictable, crushed limestone is softer but still smooth, dirt is easiest on the joints and the most fun, boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick when wet.
More ways to find a trail in Michigan
- Best running trails in Michigan — the state-wide ranking from runner reviews
- Loop trails — 147 in Michigan come back to the trailhead without backtracking
- Long-run trails (5+ miles) — 73 in Michigan are long enough for a proper long run
- Shaded trails — 133 in Michigan keep tree cover over the path for summer miles
- Lit trails — 83 in Michigan have lighting for pre-dawn and post-work runs
- Trails with restrooms — 543 in Michigan, and 155 with water fountains
- Trailhead parking — 526 in Michigan have parking at the trailhead
- Dog-friendly trails — 418 in Michigan you can run with a dog
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible — 234 in Michigan are smooth and wide enough
- Scenic trails — 604 in Michigan runners single out for the views
- Browse by surface — paved, crushed limestone, natural dirt or boardwalk
- All trail features — loops, shade, lighting, restrooms, mile markers and more
- Running trails by state — the rest of the country
- Trail-running guides — surfaces and your knees, loop vs out-and-back, trail etiquette, running before dawn
Trail features in Michigan
- Scenic Running Trails
- Trails with Restrooms
- Trails with Trailhead Parking
- Dog-Friendly Running Trails
- Quiet, Uncrowded Trails
- Stroller & Wheelchair-Accessible Trails
- Hilly Trails & Hill Workouts
- Trails with Water Fountains
- Loop Trails (No Backtracking)
- Shaded Running Trails
- Trails with Mile Markers
- Lit Trails for Early & Night Runs
- Long-Run Trails (5+ Miles)
- Flat & Fast Running Trails