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. Note that the sidewalk is on the opposite side of the water, and that Lakeshore Rd. is four lanes of traffic, so you can’t run on the road.
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.
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. Note that the sidewalk is on the opposite side of the water, and that Lakeshore Rd. is four lanes of traffic, so you can’t run on the road.
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.
The signature running route in Detroit. Paved multi-use path runs for 5 miles along the Detroit River. Nice water views, several parks & some important Detroit sites. Accessible from downtown hotels. Add-ons: Dequindre Cut Greenway, Southwest Greenway.
A great off-road running option in downtown Detroit, this ~2 mile greenway runs from Atwater Ave. to Mack Ave., following a former railroad line. A unique feature is a series of 16 murals along the way. Good add-on to Riverwalk path.
Olmsted-designed park on an island in the middle of the Detroit River, with views of the Detroit skyline & the Windsor shore. Great paths for running, including 6-mile perimeter road.
For travelers in the Dearborn (Ford HQ) and Northville areas, there are good opportunities for running. The Hines Park Trail is a paved path between Dearborn and Northville.
See auto exec mansions along the winding country lanes of Bloomfield Hills, north of Detroit. Combine with the adjacent Birmingham neighborhood, which has leafy streets and attractive homes.
The best places to run in Detroit’s major western suburbs off I-275, from Huron Township near the Airport north to Northville. The highlight is the linear park from Lower Huron MetroPark to Oakwoods MetroPark. The I-275 Metro Trail is a good anchor.
The best places to run in the northern Detroit suburbs of Bloomfield, Clinton, Pontiac, Rochester: Multi-use paths include the West Bloomfield Trail, Clinton River Trail, & Paint Creek Trail; a wonderful series of parks in downtown Rochester; and Stony Creek Park.
For a fun running excursion, Kensington MetroPark and adjacent Island Lake Recreation Area offer thousands of acres of recreation opportunities and miles of trails for running. Combination of developed multi-use trails and more rugged trails.
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