Trails Information
About the trails
Trails
The Lowell Community is blessed with an abundance of local, regional, and national facilities including
hiking, non-motorized, and water trails! Following is a summary of the adventure opportunities that await you in Lowell!
Non-Motorized Trails
Lowell Area Recreation Authority (LARA) Trails – The LARA trails are a local non-motorized trail system which currently includes 3.2 miles of paved, 10 ft. wide non-motorized trail. The trail connects to parks, schools, and hiking trails in the City and the Townships and there are numerous places to park for access.
Fred Meijer River Valley Rail Trails – Lowell is located in the middle of the 125-mile Fred Meijer regional state rail trail network that begins in Owosso and ends in Alma. Currently, this network connects to the LARA Trails in the City of Lowell on Foreman St., just east of Cherry Creek Elementary School. From here, the Fred Meijer Flat River Valley Rail Trail continues north thru Smyrna, Belding, and Greenville then east to Alma on a variety of paved and crushed asphalt surfaces.
On the eastern edge of Lowell, the Fred Meijer Grand River Valley Rail Trail begins at Montcalm Ave. and continues east 62 miles to Saranac, Ionia, and eventually Owosso. The trail along this section is a combination of crushed asphalt and limestone with paved sections near the urban areas. There are future plans for the LARA Trail system to connect to this section, which will complete the entire 125-mile regional trail.
Hiking Trails
North Country Trail – The North Country Trail is the longest National Scenic Trail within the National Trails System, stretching 4,800 miles across eight states from North Dakota to Vermont. In addition to being located on the NCT, Lowell is also home to the North Country Trail Association National Headquarters and the National Park Service trail offices.
Wege/Wittenbach Nature Center – Located at the very north end of the LARA Trail, across from Lowell High School, the Wege/Wittenbach Nature Center includes 3.7 miles of gentle hiking trails through a variety of vegetation, ponds, streams, and a rustic cabin! It is open 365 days/a year and offers several special programs throughout the year.
Cooper Woodland Trail – This little-known trail is connected to the LARA Trail on Foreman Road and includes 1.0 miles of relatively flat wooded trail for hiking and observing wildlife.
Cherry Creek Pond Trail – Accessed from the LARA Trail pavilion on Foreman St. in the City of Lowell, this hidden gem of a 0.5-mile trail circumnavigates a small pond where a variety of waterfowl and pond life can be seen year-round.
Lowell Township Grand River Riverfront Parks and Trails – This amazing park spans the Grand River with a 650 ft. timber arch bridge that connects the north and south park areas. In addition to paved walking trails, the park includes a boat launch, picnic areas, pickleball courts, disc golf, playgrounds, and a planned water park (2024). It is accessed on Bowes Rd. just south of the existing LARA Trail and will be directly connected to the planned Rail Trail Connection project (2023/24).
Bradford Dickinson White Nature Preserve – Located 3 miles south of the City of Lowell in Lowell Township, the Bradford Dickinson White Nature Preserve offers 1.1 miles of meandering hiking trail through 45 acres of natural
landscape.
Water Trails
Lowell is located at the confluence of the Flat River and the Grand River and is a part of the Grand River Water Trail that includes 252 miles of river trail from Jackson to Grand Haven. Access to the Grand River is available at a boat launch located at the fairgrounds.
For the Flat River, the City of Lowell has a boat launch and handicap-accessible kayak launch located on their riverfront park, just north of the Lowell Showboat.