Miles to Go on Lansing’s River Trail

As a visitor to Lansing, one of the things on my list to check out while I’m in Michigan is Lansing’s River Trail. I had an opportunity to explore part of it—not realizing just how expansive, and historic, it is: 

• The first section of the trail opened in 1975. By 1985, it had received the designation of a National Recreation Trail by the US Department of the Interior. 
• The trail follows the Grand and Red Cedar Rivers for over 20 miles.  
• Connecting areas like Old Town, MSU, and REO Town the trail sees walkers, bikers, runners, and those of us just meandering along to the tune of almost 300,000 visitors per year.   
• Passing by Potter Park Zoo (which I’ll be sharing about soon), Impression 5 Science Center, and Hawk Island Park (also on the list of things to see), the trail shares scenic views and glimpses of wildlife.   
• The Lansing River Trail is hosts to many festivals and events like the Common Ground Music Festival (happening July 10th-13th, 2025), the Capital City River Run (happening the weekend of September 20, 2025), and the occasional Easter Egg Hunt.   

Looking at the map of Lansing River Trail I’m reminded of the line from Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, “...and miles to go before I sleep...”. I spent an hour or so on the trail and only explored 1.5 miles of it. That means I have 92.5% left to explore. I’m going to need a bigger memory card in my camera to finish this.  

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Have you explored the Lansing River Trail? What was your experience?