The Best Running Routes In Detroit Michigan

Offering everything from purpose-built urban recreational paths to rugged wilderness trails, there are plenty of places to go for a jog in and around the Motor City. So, when the long and harsh winter months are finally over, you have no more excuses now you know the best running routes in Detroit.

Lake Shore Drive

East of Downtown, Lake Shore Drive hugs the shore of Lake St Clair for nearly five miles through historic and picturesque Grosse Pointe. With amazing mansions on one side and the lake on the other, there’s plenty to see along the relatively flat road, with a gentle breeze off the lake to keep you cool in the summer months.

Rouge Park

https://www.instagram.com/p/BR9EWjBDk9U/?taken-at=4681034

Belle Isle

The second-largest park in Metro Detroit is Belle Isle, a very popular option due to its close proximity to the city. A six-mile paved trail loops around the perimeter of the 982-acre island, with its position on the Detroit River ensuring clear and fresh air to enjoy. If you want to drive and park on Belle Isle, you’ll need a Recreation Passport costing $11 a year, but if you walk or run onto the isle, you won’t have to pay.

RiverWalk

It may be called the RiverWalk, but don’t let that stop you running it. Connecting a number of parks and plazas for 3.5 miles of the redeveloped eastern riverfront, the RiverWalk is one Downtown’s best options for a shorter run. It can get crowded at peak times, but the majority of the time it’s a great place to run while enjoying views of the river, Belle Isle and Windsor, ON.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMhB72HAhIW/?taken-by=detroitriverfront

Dequindre Cut

Connected to the RiverWalk where it joins Atwater St near to the Milliken State Park Lighthouse, the Dequindre Cut offers another 1.8 miles of recreational path for you to continue your run north into the city. The former railroad corridor was converted into an urban greenway in 2009 and extended to its current length in 2016.

Paint Creek Trail

Another converted railroad corridor, the Paint Creek Trail is a 8.9 mile linear park, running northwest from Rochester up to Lake Orion. The first such rail-to-trail in Michigan, it opened in 1983 and has been popular with runners and cyclists ever since. There are a number of parking options along the trail so you can determine the length of your run.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bby-PYQj0Sy/?taken-at=322539378

Island Lake State Recreation Area

Too far out of the city to use regularly but for a once in a while, rough and ready run then the trails at Island Lake State Recreation Area certainly bring a different challenge. Split into two connecting loops, one five miles long and the other nine, the dirt trails take you up and down through woodlands and open fields and around various creeks and the Huron River.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BedUtypFmib/?taken-at=1031961458

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.