KENT COUNTY, Mich. -- Kent County officials will focus in 2026 on completing the Grand River Greenway, an effort to create a connection between parks, trails and public lands along the Grand River.
When finished, it will stretch 171 miles from Lake Michigan to Owosso. The overall project will create a 9,000-acre public land corridor. Kent County Administrator Al Vanderberg told WOOD Radio the section from Grand Haven to downtown Grand Rapids is almost done.
"And then, there's about a 29-mile stretch through the rest of Kent County," he said. "So, we're hoping over the next few years to plug that gap. That ties thousands and thousands of acres of public parkland in multiple jurisdictions."
The 36.5-mile Idema Explorers Trail is the primary pathway that forms the central component of the larger Grand River Greenway project in Ottawa County.
Sections of the Grand River Greenway are being designed as 10-foot-wide pave pathways for hiking and biking. In some sections, it uses road right-of-ways but, for the most part, it stretches along the Grand River, tying the parks to natural areas to the pathways.
"When it hits Grand Rapids, it will go past the (Acrisure) Amphitheater, the (Amway) Soccer Stadium, and whitewater projects and the (Grand Rapids Public) Museum," Vanderberg said.
He added that it will go up to the 12-foot-wide multi-use Grand River Edges Trail that the City of Grand Rapids is building along the east bank of the river, from Leonard Street to Ann Street. It will close the gap in the regional non-motorized trail system by linking the downtown area to Riverside Park and the White Pine Trail State Park.
Last spring, the city completed improvements on the east riverbank between the Blue Bridge and Louis Street at Campau Avenue to provide universal access along the river edge.
The Grand River Greenway will continue up to near Cannonsburg Ski Area and will traverse Cannon and Plainfield townships. The portion from the edge of the City of Ionia to Owosso is already completed.
"It's just going to be a one-of-a-kind place for people to recreate, enjoy culture," Vanderberg said. "Maybe some will ride to work. There's a stretch in Grand Rapids that will have outdoor art."
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