Great Runs in Detroit

There is a solid and dedicated running scene in Detroit. The best bets downtown are wonderful Belle Isle, and the 5 mile Riverwalk trail. There are also some good neighborhoods and old ‘avenues’ that are sort of a running ‘tourist’ attraction of the city’s past, present, and future. If you have the time, head 8 miles east of the city to do a run along Lakeshore Rd. in Grosse Pointe, with beautiful water views and Detroit’s finest homes.

Outside of downtown, we’ve focused on the best running options in suburbs frequented by travelers: Dearborn, Farmington, Southfield, Warren, Bloomfield, and Novi. There are some several wonderful linear parks and rail trails in these areas, notably the Hines Park Trail and River Rouge Park. Another fun option is to run along the river paths in Windsor, Ontario. It’s just over the bridge from downtown Detroit — a five minute drive and accessed by bus (unfortunately walking across the bridge is not permitted). Stony Creek Park and Kensington Park are two great ‘destination runs’ further afield.

Detroit weather is typical of midwest cities such as Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Cold winters, with moderate amounts of snow, and warm, hot, and fairly humid summers.

The Iconic Routes

For Iconic Routes in Detroit, we have three in/near downtown. Further afield, we recommend some of the linear parks and trails near Dearborn.

1. Detroit Riverwalk
2. Belle Isle
3. Grosse Pointe, Lakeshore Rd.

Further Afield:

1. Windsor, Ontario Riverfront Path
2. Hines Park Trail Trail (Dearborn-Northville)
3. Rouge River Park (near Dearborn)

The Routes

Detroit Riverwalk

~4 miles ONE-WAY. Start: any point. MAP

This ~5 mile path runs from the Joe Louis Arena, just west of the Ambassador Bridge, to a park just east of the bridge to Belle Isle. It’s great for running, has good views of the water, and takes you by some of Detroit’s best sites, such as COBO Hall, Hart Plaza, the Renaissance Center, William G. Milliken State Park, Stroh River Place, Chene Park and the Dequindre Cut Greenway. The path is within a mile of most downtown hotels. Note that there are some sections where one has to leave the path and use Atwater Ave. to connect. Best streets to access the path are Cass Ave., Washington Blvd., and Woodward Ave. A good option to extend the run is to enjoy some of the trails on Belle Isle, which is 0.5 miles over the MacArthur Bridge.

Belle Isle

5.6 miles around perimeter. Start: Neat Bridge & Sunset Point. MAP

Belle Isle is an Olmsted designed, 980 acre park that sits on an island in the middle of the Detroit River. There are good roads and paths for running, with great views of the Detroit skyline and the Windsor shore. Sites include a Great Lakes Museum, Aquarium, Zoo, Whitcomb Conservatory, and Scott Fountain. The best running options are the 6-mile perimeter road, and it’s possible to do ~10 miles using some of the interior roads and paths. Belle Isle is 5 miles from downtown Detroit, and 3 miles from some of the closest riverfront hotels. It is also served by a bus.

Downtown Tour

The folks at RunDetroit have put together some good loops, which they use for their downtown runs. They start at the store location in midtown but can be joined from anywhere.

6 mile loop. Includes midtown, downtown, Riverwalk east, Wayne State. 
10 mile loop. Includes Corktown, Mexicantown, Riverwalk west

For some variety, Detroit Downtown Runners has several several options for downtown runs, incorporating some of the iconic spots with good local sites. Routes Here.

Grosse Pointe

3.6 miles ONE-WAY from War Memorial to Yacht Club. MAP

Grosse Pointe is an affluent coastal community on Lake St. Clair, about 8 miles east of downtown. There are incredible homes along Lakeshore Rd., and in the residential streets inland. This makes for a great destination run. We recommend the flat ~3.6 mile stretch along Lakeshore Rd., between the War Memorial and the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. There’s a sidewalk, water views the whole way, fabulous homes, Pier Park, and the Edsel & Eleanor Ford Home. If you’d like to tour some of the residential streets, we recommend Windmill Drive Pointe (along river, mansion), Provencal Rd. (runs along the Country Club), and Kerchavel Rd., which runs through the trendy “hill” area to the ‘village’, which is about 1.5 miles from the War Memorial.

Dip Into Canada: Windsor, Ontario Riverfront Path

3 miles ONE-WAY. Start: Ambassador Bridge or any other point. MAP

Just 2 miles across the river from Detroit is Windsor, Ontario. Windsor is home to lots of businesses also related to the auto industry. There’s a wonderful 3 mile riverfront path that runs between the Ambassador Bridge, 2 miles to the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, and ending at a wildflower garden. In addition to the great view of the Detroit skyline, there are parks and sites along the whole way, from west to east — Windsor Sculpture Park, Steamboat Wharf, Dieppe Gardens (commemorating D-Day), Festival Plaza, and Great Western Park. There’s also a centrally located running store, The Running Factory, about 2.5 miles east of the eastern terminus of the Riverfront trail. Note: A passport is needed to get into Canada and there can be queues at the border. It is not possible to walk across the Ambassador Bridge.

The total Windsor Waterfront Trail is about 15 miles, 10 miles of it off road.
Trail information. Complete MAP.

Dearborn/Northville: Hines Park Trail

Up to 20 miles between Dearborn and Northville. MAP. Full info. 
Multiple starting points. Southern end in Dearborn, near Ford Museum.

For travelers in the Dearborn (Ford HQ) and Northville areas, there is a great series of trails that are great for running, walking, and biking. The Hines Park Trail is a paved path between Greenfield Village in Dearborn and Northville. Some sections are a dedicated path, others are a wide bike lane along the road. The trail runs parallels (and is on, in sections) Edward Hines Drive), through several parks and is very much a ‘greenway’. The southern terminus is right in Greenfield Village, near the Henry Ford Museum.

Additional connectors:

• River Rouge Park: from southern end at Greenfield Village, connect to River Rouge Park. Head north along the trail, 3.2 miles to intersection with Outer Drive West. Then it’s 0.7 miles to the southern entrance to the park at Warren Ave.
• I-275 Metro Trail. This trail parallels I-275 between Novi and Romulus.

River Rouge Park

5.1 mile loop around park. MAP
Detroit’s largest park at 1181 acres, about 14 miles west of the city. A good option near Dearborn. 7 miles of paved trails. There’s a good 5 mile loop, using Outer Dr., Spinoza Dr., and W. Warren Ave.

Destination Runs/Further Afield

The greater metro area of Detroit is very large. Travelers might end up well north of the city, in areas such as Pontiac, West Bloomfield, Rochester. There’s an extensive series of linear parks and rail trails in these areas. Some of the best options:

• West Bloomfield Trail (Pontiac south to W. Bloomfield Township). 6.8 miles ONE-WAY, unpaved between Pontiac and W. Bloomfield. PDF MAP. A good option if you are in the Pontiac/Auburn Hills area. One can start in Pontiac, and head on a mainly unpaved rail trail south through the West Bloomfield township, where the trail ends near the West Bloomfield Nature Preserve.
• Clinton River Trail. 10.5 miles ONE-WAY between Pontiac and Rochester. PDF MAP. This trail is a 10.5 mile unpaved, between Pontiac and Rochester. From Rochester, there are multiple trail options.
• Paint Creek Trail. 8.9 miles, ONE-WAY between Rochester and Lake Orion. PDF MAP. Great linear park trail, 8.9 miles, in the Rochester, MI area.
• Stony Creek Metropark. A great destination run. There’s a marked 6 mile loop. 38 miles north of downtown and 20 miles from Pontiac. 4,000 acres. Also a 50 acre lake. Toms of trails for running, hiking, mountain biking.
• Kensington Metropark. About 12 miles west of Novi. 4,000 acre park around a 500 acre lake. Many recreational activities, including wonderful trails. The trail around the lake is 8–10 miles depending on route chosen.
• Island Lake Recreation Area. Beautiful 4,000 acre park 40 miles northwest of Detroit, 15 miles west of Novi. Tons of trails, including a 4 mile paved bike trail and several loop options. MAP of trails.