Iron Belle Trail connecting U.P. to Belle Isle inches to completion

(Detroit Free Press) A network of trails connecting parks, schools, and downtown hubs spanning more than 2,000 miles, from the far western tip of the Upper Peninsula to Belle Isle in Detroit, is nearing completion with its latest segment's ribbon cutting.

The Iron Belle Trail, when completed, will connect Ironwood in the U.P. down to Belle Isle with a nonmotorized pathway for biking and hiking. The latest segment of the route to open to the public closes a 7-mile gap that begins in the Lower Huron Metropark and continues southeast toward Lake Erie. This pathway connects Washtenaw County's 35-mile Border-to-Border Trail system with the Huron-Clinton Metropark trail system, which consists of more than 50 miles of paved trails.

" (Van Buren Township) has gained momentum on constructing the Iron Belle Trail within our community over the past few years, and we are proud that our gap is steadily, but consistently growing smaller," said Elizabeth Renaud, director of Van Buren Township Community Services, in a statement. ..........(more)

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/09/25/iron-belle-trail-connecting-up-to-belle-isle-inches-to-completion/70930293007/