The largest city in Michigan, Detroit is locate on the Detroit River, which connects Lake St. Clair and Lake Huron to the north, and Lake Erie to the South. Detroit is also across the river from Windsor, Ontario. The famed ‘Motor City’ has had its ups and downs, but the downtown scene is steadily revitalizing. Our guide for running in Detroit includes some terrific routes downtown showcasing the waterfront. In the northern and western suburbs, which are the location of numerous corporate offices and lovely residential areas, there are extensive parks and multi-use trails. See also our running guides for nearby Ann Arbor and Windsor, ON.
The best places to run Detroit’s downtown area include the Riverwalk Trail and the Dequindre Cut Greenway, which is a nice add-on to the Riverwalk. Our friends at RunDetroit have put together a couple of great downtown running tours. Another great place to run is Bell Isle. For lovely waterfront and residential running in a classic suburb, head to Grosse Pointe. Just west of the city, we love running in River Rouge Park and on the Hines Park Trail that starts in Dearborn (Ford-land). We’ve also put together several routes in the area bound by I-275 west of the city, stretching from Huron Township north to Novi, including the area around Wayne County Airport. There are also wonderful parks, multi-use trails, and residential neighborhoods for running in the northern suburbs, centered in Bloomfield, Pontiac & Rochester. For a destination run, head to Kensington MetroPark & the adjacent Island Lake Recreation Area.
