wellness
Nature Walks Lansing Locals Love: Hidden Trail Guide
Discover unmarked nature walks Lansing residents use for quiet summer fitness. Avoid crowded main trails with these shaded local routes.
How we reported this
Residents have logged over 180 group walks on side trails in Lansing parks since the start of June, according to sign-in sheets kept by the city's volunteer coordinators.
The interest has grown because the main sections of the Lansing River Trail now draw heavier foot traffic during peak daylight hours, pushing people toward quieter routes that stay shaded and less crowded even on weekends.
Two routes that stay off most maps
One path starts behind the old pump station on Shiawassee Street in the Old Town neighborhood and follows a narrow dirt cut along the riverbank for about 1.3 miles before rejoining the paved trail near Turner Street. Another begins at the eastern edge of Moores Park off Cedar Street and loops through a stand of cottonwoods and around a small wetland before ending near the Reo Town rail line.
The Lansing Parks and Recreation Department lists both segments on its internal maintenance maps but does not mark them for public wayfinding. The department's Trail Stewards program, launched in 2024, recruits locals to clear fallen branches and report erosion on these routes twice a month.
Numbers and next steps
Department figures released in late June show the main 12-mile Lansing River Trail recorded 1.2 million visits last year, while the side routes received fewer than 120,000 combined. Parking at the Shiawassee Street access point remains free, and the city posts updated trail condition reports every Friday on its website.
Anyone wanting to try the walks can download the free Lansing Parks map layer that includes the unmarked spurs or join the next Trail Stewards cleanup, scheduled for July 18 at 8 a.m. at the Moores Park lot. Residents are advised to carry water and check the city site for any temporary closures after heavy rain.