Talk about a hike or bike ride.
State and local officials are preparing a public ribbon-cutting celebration on Friday, Sept. 12 on Belle Isle, unveiling the completion of the latest segment of the Iron Belle Trail, the longest state-designated trail in the U.S. at more than 2,000 miles of separate hiking and bike paths, from the island park in Detroit to the far western Upper Peninsula.
The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Trail is a 5.8-mile loop around Belle Isle, part of the vast Iron Belle Trail that extends from the island park in the Detroit River through the state of Michigan to Ironwood in the far western Upper Peninsula.
The ceremony marks the end of Phase 2 construction of the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Trail, a 5.8-mile path looping around Belle Isle Park, the first stretch of the Iron Belle Trail starting from the south. The $10.5 million trail segment was made possible by a gift from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation in partnership with the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, along with federal and state funding sources, including the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.
“We are proud to mark the completion of the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Trail on Belle Isle, connecting the park to the Detroit riverfront and the city’s local and regional trails,” said Kristen Kosick, chief of the DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division.
Using existing trails, networks and new connections, the Iron Belle Trail features a more than 1,200-mile hiking trail and a more than 800-mile biking trail, with separate routes through Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The trail spans 48 Michigan counties and 240 townships. Work on the trail system is ongoing, with the Belle Isle segment making the project more than 70% complete.
The Iron Belle Trail, from Ironwood in the far western Upper Peninsula to Belle Isle in Detroit, features a more than 1,200-mile hiking trail (in blue) and a more than 800-mile biking trail (in red). As of September 2025, the trail project is more than 70% complete.
The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Trail’s completion on Belle Isle makes Detroit “one step closer to a fully connected regional trail system,” said Dr. Meagan Elliott, chief executive officer and president of the Belle Isle Conservancy.
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“Pretty soon, a Detroiter in a Midwest neighborhood will be able to hop on the Joe Louis Greenway, bike along the riverfront and end up on this beautiful trail that circles our beloved island park,” she said. “These are the types of long-term visionary investments that really transform a city.”
The public is welcome to attend the ribbon-cutting, set for 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 12 at Belle Isle’s Sunset Point. The event will feature DNR staff as well as representatives from the Belle Isle Conservancy and Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation sharing details about the trail project.
Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Celebration Friday of completed Belle Isle stretch of Iron Belle Trail