15 Best West Michigan Bike Trails: Paved Bike Paths, Mountain Biking Trails & More

Trail Length: 1 mile

Paved Walking Path

Trail Difficulty: Easy

Good for Rollerblading

Bike Ride Best For: Kids that can ride up hills

The one-mile loop on the outskirts of the park is paved.

Several hills are on the route, although there is a portion by the volleyball courts that is relatively flat.

Cascade Township Park Bike Path, Playground & Basketball Courts

Cascade Township Park

Paved Walking Path

Trail Difficulty: Easy

Good for Rollerblading

Bike Ride Best For: Roller blades, kids learning to ride, adults pushing jogging strollers

The paved path at Riverside Park follows the Grand River for a mile and includes an awesome iron bridge over the flowing water.

Mature shade trees soar overhead in many spots, making the ride enjoyable even on the hottest days.

There are plenty of opportunities to see all kinds of wildlife – maybe even an eagle or a friendly squirrel.

It’s a 3.7 mile out-and-back paved trail, open year round.

Riverside Park is prone to flooding so plan accordingly after a heavy rain.

Riverside Park Bike Trail

Riverside Park

Trail Length: 4.2 mile loop

Paved Walking Path, Natural Hiking Trail

Trail Difficulty: Easy

Bike Ride Best For: Kids that can ride up a few really big hills and make it 4 miles.

Make your way around Reeds Lake (4.2 miles) in East Grand Rapids using the paved walking trails, boardwalks, and sidewalks in the neighborhoods.

Most of the trail is shady, but there are parts in full sun.

Stop off at Waterfront Park to peek through lily pads to spot wildlife, including birds, minnows, and frogs.

There are several steep hills on the route around the lake.

Plan a stop at Jersey Junction for ice cream when you're done, or chill out in John Collins Park.

Scooters, Bikes, and people walking or jogging are common on the Reeds Lake Trail

Reeds Lake Loop

Trail Length: 2.5 miles

Paved Walking Path

Trail Difficulty: Easy

Good for Rollerblading

Bike Ride Best For: Scooters, kids learning to ride, adults pushing jogging strollers

Ride, run, or walk down the flat paved pathway through a beautiful nature preserve full of wetlands, prairie, and forest.

This path is a great place to take your young child and their bike, whether they’re pedaling with training wheels, using a balance bike, or scooting along on their own.

*Mosquitos can be bad depending on the season.

Riding the Paved Path at Roselle Park in Ada

Roselle Park

Trail Length: 7 miles (4.5 miles for mountain bikes)

Natural Hiking Trail

Trail Difficulty: Easy

Mountain Bike Trails

Bike Ride Best For: Beginner Mountain Bikers

Riley Trails sits on a 300-acre site. There are 7 miles of trails here, with 4.5 miles available for mountain biking.

Ride or hike the multi-use trail through rolling terrain, beech-maple forest, pine plantations, meadows, marshes, and a bridge crossing.

This is a great place for beginner mountain bikers.

The trail drains quickly after rain, making it one of the first to be ridable after a storm.

Riley Trails is a great place to try mountain biking for the first time

Riley Trails

Trail Length: 4 miles

Paved Walking Path, Natural Hiking Trail

Trail Difficulty: Easy

Mountain Bike Trails

Bike Ride Best For: Families and beginner mountain bikers

Townsend Park connects to the paved Cannon Township Trail, which is great for walking or biking.

Cannon Trail is four miles long, winding through Townsend Park, woods, open areas, marshes, and wetlands, and eventually ends at Cannon Township Center at 6878 Belding Rd NE, Rockford.

You can also access the 1-mile long starter mountain biking trail from the Cannon Township Center. The Cannon Township Mountain Bike Trail loops through the woods and is a great way to test out mountain biking without a big commitment.

Cannon Township Trail uses boardwalks to cross marshy areas

Townsend Park & Cannon Trail

Trail Length: 8.3 miles one-way

Paved Walking Path

Trail Difficulty: Easy

Good for Rollerblading

Bike Ride Best For: Older kids and adults looking for a longer ride.

Park your car in Comstock Park (we use the parking lot by Dairy Delite Ice Cream shop at West River Drive & Lamoraux Dr NE or Dwight Lydell Park - a very lovely park!)

This route will take you north, past the West Michigan Whitecaps ballpark and up to Rogue River Park in Belmont. (Start at this park for a shorter ride.)

The route becomes more rural as you ride north on the mostly flat terrain.

A few miles before Rockford, you could make a pit stop at Third Nature Brewing Company for refreshments.

Continue pedaling to downtown Rockford where you can shop, dine, hang out at the waterfront park, or even go kayaking.

If you're in the mood, continue pedaling north - the White Pine Trail is a Rails-to-Trails linear State Park that is 92 miles long and extends all of the way to Cadillac, passing through Big Rapids on its way north.

Parking Near White Pine Trailhead in Comstock Park, MI

Comstock Park to Rockford via the White Pine Trail

Trail Length: 10 miles

Natural Hiking Trail

Trail Difficulty: Easy

Mountain Bike Trails

Bike Ride Best For: Beginners (blue & green), Intermediate - all colors

Almost 10 miles of well-marked trails for hiking and biking. There is also a pump track.

The green loop (shortest) is mostly shaded and weaves through woods and over a tranquil creek.

The blue trail is double the length of the green trail, but is relatively flat and also recommended for younger kids.

The yellow, orange, red and black loops are a bit more challenging.

Luton is a great place for beginner mountain bikers as well as more advanced riders

Luton Park

Paved Walking Path, Natural Hiking Trail

Trail Difficulty: Easy

Bike Ride Best For: All ages

A paved pathway provides a connection to the Inter-urban Bike Trail.

Ideal Park

Trail Length: 6.5 miles

Natural Hiking Trail

Trail Difficulty: Moderate

Mountain Bike Trails

Bike Ride Best For: Intermediate to advanced mountain bikers

The biking trails offer moderate to intense difficulty with tight switchbacks, steep hills, and portions of the trail are cliff-side with a steep drop-off.

A large portion of the trail system is wooded. Sections follow or cross a creek.

Most trails are open to mountain biking. Mix and match loops to create different length rides.

Course direction varies by day of the week - check signage to ensure you're riding in the right direction.

Mountain Bike Races are Held at Wahlfield Park

Wahlfield Park

Trail Length: 18 miles

Paved Walking Path, Natural Hiking Trail

Trail Difficulty: Moderate

Good for Rollerblading

Bike Ride Best For: Strollers, bikers who can go the distance

Millennium Park in Walker offers a whopping 18 miles of interconnected trails. Most of these trails are paved, but there are some off-shoot trails that are natural surfaces.

You can take a bike, scooter, or any human-powered device on the trails.

The Orange and Purple loops and part of the Hansen Nature Trail. These trails offer views of beautiful wetlands and the recreational lake. It also has two boardwalks.

The trails are mostly sunny, with some shade on the Hansen Nature Trail.

Some of the trails at Millennium Park have a boardwalk

Millennium Park

Trail Length: 3.6 miles one-way

Paved Walking Path

Trail Difficulty: Moderate

Good for Rollerblading

Bike Ride Best For: Older kids, strong adult bikers using a tag-along or bike trailer for littler kids.

Pedal along this bike trail from Cascade to Ada along boardwalks and paved pathways.

Park at Leslie Tassell Park in Cascade. (Free parking)
Bonus: There is a small splash fountain here, as well as 2 nearby ice cream shops. Also, Ever Play Cafe is right across the street and Village Bike Shop is on the corner if you need any bike supplies.

Follow the bike path north along the Thornapple River Dr. There are several large hills on this route - the first hill being the largest, followed by a series of smaller ups and downs. Most of the path is shaded.

At about the 2-mile mark, you'll pedal over the Thornapple River on the Camelback Bridge. It's a pretty spot.

Continue into Ada, where you can walk through the historic covered bridge, visit the new park & playground along the river, grab ice cream at the General Store or Scoopers, and generally enjoy a visit in this walkable little village. There's a bike shop in town, too.

Ada Park is not far away if you'd like to make a loop out of your ride, otherwise, head back the way you came.

This paved bike path is part of the Ada Township and Cascade Township Trail systems.

Leslie Tassell Park on the Thornapple River in Cascade, MI

Thornapple River Drive - Cascade to Ada

Paved Walking Path

Trail Difficulty: Moderate

Good for Rollerblading

Bike Ride Best For: Strollers, experienced riders

Kent Trails is 15 miles of paved trail stretching from John Ball Zoo to the north and downtown Byron Center to the south.

Trail crosses though Grand Rapids, Grandville, Walker, Wyoming and Byron Center.

An accessible trail, it has four trailheads and leads through and to several parks.

The four main trailheads are Millennium Park, Byron Center on 84th St., Johnson Park and Douglas Walker Park. You can also access the trail at any cross street along the route.

The Kent Trails are gorgeous year-round

Kent Trails

Trail Length: 11 miles

Paved Walking Path

Trail Difficulty: Moderate

Good for Rollerblading

Bike Ride Best For: Families wanted to spend a day biking around Holland. Bike trailers recommended for little kids.

Follow this route to explore several parks, beaches in the Holland area.

Park at Stu Visser Trails and take the Ottawa Beach Road bike path to Holland State Park. You'll pass the entrance to Mt. Pisgah - stop and climb if you want fantastic views.

Spend some time at the Holland State Park beach and then get back on your bikes to pedal up to Tunnel Park for another beach and playground stop.

Next stop: Bowerman Blueberries farm market for some yummy treats (seasonal hours, check before heading out.)

Finally, make your way back to the northern end of Stu Visser Trails. Pedal the natural trails back to your vehicle.
This route follows bike paths along busy roads. Watch out for cars coming in and out on driveways in residential areas.

Lots of activities along the way to break up your walk or ride - beaches, parks, dunes, playgrounds and more.

Holland Beaches, Blueberries & Parks Loop

Trail Length: 6 miles

Natural Hiking Trail

Trail Difficulty: Moderate

Mountain Bike Trails

Bike Ride Best For: Experienced Mountain Bikers

The 6 miles of trail is built through an old growth forest: beautiful beach trees, giant oaks and maples, large ravines, marshes and huge side slopes.

Merrell Trails is well marked with arrows and intersection posts displaying marker numbers and maps.

Since it was built for mountain bike riders and consists of shared trails, it may be best to leave little wandering hikers at home.

The mountain bike trail is part of a larger park system that will eventually include ball diamonds, an archery center, soccer fields and a BMX park.

Expect to encounter fast rolling downhills, long climbs, berms, skinny log rides, cedar bridges, boulder roll overs and jumps.

The trail is closed to all user groups when wet or during the spring thaw. This trail system open to biking, snowshoeing and hiking all year long, including night riding.

Merrell Trail