If you want to get a bit out of Detroit and run in the posh neighborhoods created by the riches of the auto industry, head to Bloomfield Hills. This suburb is located 20 miles north of Detroit, just south of Pontiac. The neighborhood sits on either side of Rt.1/Woodward. There are incredible homes in this area, with long driveways off leafy streets…and three country clubs. Design your own route here, using Cranbrook Institute of Science as an anchor point, staying east of Telegraph Rd. The northern end is E. Square Lake Rd. NOTE: Most of the streets lack sidewalks, but there isn’t too much traffic off the main roads.
Just south of Bloomington Hills, we also love the Birmingham neighborhood. There are beautiful, leafy streets with grand homes — in some ways, this neighborhood has a more ‘runnable’ scale than Bloomfield Hills.
If you want to get a bit out of Detroit and run in the posh neighborhoods created by the riches of the auto industry, head to Bloomfield Hills. This suburb is located 20 miles north of Detroit, just south of Pontiac. The neighborhood sits on either side of Rt.1/Woodward. There are incredible homes in this area, with long driveways off leafy streets…and three country clubs. Design your own route here, using Cranbrook Institute of Science as an anchor point, staying east of Telegraph Rd. The northern end is E. Square Lake Rd. NOTE: Most of the streets lack sidewalks, but there isn’t too much traffic off the main roads.
Just south of Bloomington Hills, we also love the Birmingham neighborhood. There are beautiful, leafy streets with grand homes — in some ways, this neighborhood has a more ‘runnable’ scale than Bloomfield Hills.
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.
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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