We love seeing mountain biking expanding in West Michigan! More and more people are discovering the amazing trails we have here in West Michigan, and it is creating a desire for more trails to be built. WMMBA (West Michigan Mountain Bike Alliance) has been in talks with Kent County for over 20 years about building a trail at Johnson Park, and now it is being built with a open date projected for summer of 2026. Having previewed what is currently built, I can tell you this trail is going to be fun and a HUGE addition to the Grandville and Walker areas.

Some quick facts about the trail to get you excited!

1. It is being built by Spectrum Trail Design. If you’ve ridden Merrell, DTE, The Dragon, or Brown County, you know these guys build amazing trails! Their trails are built to be sustainable, fun, flowy, and fast! They are masters of utilizing Michigan dirt and terrain to create amazing downhills that feel like they never end, fun features that build confidence, and an experience that will keep you coming back!
2. It will be feature packed. Speaking of features, with the fundraising that has happened, this trail will be filled with double to triple the amount of features you typically see on a trail around here. We’re talking 7-10 features per mile vs. the normal 3-4! Features like progressive rock features, rock drops, rollers, dirt jumps, the largest vertical drop in the WMMBA trail system, and more! These features will have safe ways to navigate them as you build skills and hold up for rowdy fun if you want to go all out!
3. It will have the ability to be “session-able.” With many trails in Grand Rapids, you do a loop and then end up back at the parking lot, and if you want to ride more it’s doing that same loop again. Because Johnson Park has a paved trail already built in the park, this trail is being built to utilize that. There will be sections where you can do an awesome downhill, hit a paved trail, climb back up, and do that same downhill section again, without having to complete a loop and start over from the parking lot.
4. It connects to the Grand River Greenway. The Grand River Greenway is a huge project to build and connect trail from the Lakeshore to Grand Rapids along the Grand River. Johnson Park is part of that connection making this a trail that can be traveled to by bike by people on the Lakeshore. It will be a destination point for people all over Grand Rapids, but it’s especially exciting for those on the west side!
5. It will be accessible to everyone! Whether you’re a seasoned mountain biker, a beginner, runner, hiker, or riding an adaptive mountain bike, this trail is being built to accommodate it all! There will be 6 miles of trail that is 48″ wide so that adaptive mountain bike users can ride. There are still talks about e-bike usage, but when a decision is made we’ll update this blog.

There are a lot of other changes coming to Johnson Park as well as the trail. A new all seasons bathroom, ADA parking lot, and a new playground making this a big draw for families.

While we know this will quickly become one of our favorite trails in Grand Rapids, this trail will also increase economic development in the area, with more people visiting local restaurants, breweries, bike shops, and more! New trails are always a plus for the community, and this is going to be a huge boon to the area that will be amazing to watch.

Want to get involved? WMMBA is currently fundraising for an additional 2 miles of the trail and are accepting donations. These $500k+ trails are a privilege to ride and be a part of building. The more we are involved in donating, volunteering at trail days, and promotion of local mountain bike organizations, the more we see the sport grow, and that’s a win-win for everybody!

See you on the trails!

Mark Deering